Cardamom Custard Tart (Printable)

Buttery tart shell with aromatic cardamom custard and colorful fresh fruit topping.

# What You’ll Use:

→ Tart Shell

01 - 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1/3 cup powdered sugar
03 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
04 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cold and cubed
05 - 1 large egg yolk
06 - 2 tablespoons ice water

→ Cardamom Custard

07 - 2 cups whole milk
08 - 6 green cardamom pods, lightly crushed
09 - 4 large egg yolks
10 - 1/2 cup granulated sugar
11 - 2 tablespoons cornstarch
12 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
13 - Pinch of salt

→ Topping

14 - 2 cups assorted fresh fruit such as berries, kiwi, mango, or figs
15 - 2 tablespoons apricot jam, optional for glaze

# How-To:

01 - In a food processor, pulse flour, powdered sugar, and salt to combine thoroughly.
02 - Add cold cubed butter and pulse until mixture resembles coarse crumbs with pea-sized pieces remaining.
03 - Add egg yolk and ice water, pulsing just until dough comes together without overworking.
04 - Turn dough onto a floured surface, form into a disk, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
05 - Roll out dough and carefully line a 9-inch tart pan, trimming excess and pricking the base with a fork.
06 - Refrigerate lined shell for 15 minutes to prevent shrinkage during baking.
07 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line shell with parchment and baking weights, bake for 15 minutes. Remove weights and bake 10 minutes more until lightly golden. Cool completely.
08 - In a saucepan, heat milk and crushed cardamom pods until steaming but not boiling. Remove from heat, cover, and infuse for 15 minutes.
09 - Strain out cardamom pods using a fine mesh sieve, preserving the infused milk.
10 - In a bowl, whisk egg yolks, sugar, cornstarch, vanilla extract, and salt until smooth and pale.
11 - Gradually whisk warm cardamom-infused milk into the egg mixture in a slow, steady stream.
12 - Return mixture to saucepan and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until thickened and bubbling, approximately 2 to 3 minutes.
13 - Pour custard into a bowl, cover surface with plastic wrap to prevent skin formation, and cool to room temperature.
14 - Spread cooled cardamom custard evenly into the baked tart shell.
15 - Arrange fresh fruit artfully on top of the custard filling.
16 - Gently heat apricot jam with 1 teaspoon water and brush over fruit for a glossy finish.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • That buttery tart shell shatters under your fork in the most satisfying way, and somehow it stays crisp even when filled with custard.
  • The cardamom transforms something familiar into something that feels special without demanding complicated techniques.
  • You can build it hours ahead, which means less stress when people are actually sitting at your table.
02 -
  • Overworking the tart dough is the quickest path to disappointment—stop mixing the moment it comes together, even if it looks slightly crumbly.
  • The custard is thickened when it coats the back of a spoon and a line drawn through it doesn't immediately disappear, and that moment happens faster than you expect.
  • If your custard does break or curdle, strain it through a fine mesh sieve and whisk in a splash of cold milk to salvage it.
03 -
  • If your cardamom pods are old or have been sitting in your pantry for months, they lose their potency—buy fresh ones and crush them yourself rather than using pre-ground cardamom, which turns dusty and bitter.
  • Make this tart the same day you plan to serve it; the custard stays silky for hours, but the tart shell begins to soften after about eight hours and fruit weeps into the custard if it sits overnight.
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