Like your desserts with some zing? You will love my No Bake Lemon Curd Tart recipe…
I do love a good lemon tart, it’s elegant but also easy to make and is absolutely delicious. This french tart also goes by the name of Tarte au Citron if you want to sound fancy! This no bake lemon curd pie is a french classic and a must-have in your baking toolbox! The one thing that can be frustrating is if you make lemon tart the traditional way and bake the filling, it can be prone to cracking. Not a good look! That’s why I love this recipe, its done on the stove and no cracked filling.
Ingredients
Lemon tart is a simple dessert and only contains a few ingredients:
Lemons – this one is obvious but the better the lemons, the better your lemon tart will be!
Whole eggs – these are used to make the lemon tart filling which is basically a lemon custard
Double cream – the lemon custard is extra creamy, rich, and smooth when using double cream
Vanilla Extract – gives a nice vanilla hit and compliments the lemon flavour in the filling
9-inch tart shell – a rich butter-laden crisp base is needed to contain all that lovely smooth lemon curd filling. You can either make this using my recipe or use a store-bought 9-inch tart shell.
Unsalted Butter – added at the end of cooking the curd to give it a smooth, shiny and creamy finish
How To Make The Lemon Tart Filling
The filling to this tart is a simple lemon curd and is simple to make. Follow these steps:
- Bring a shallow pot of water to a gentle simmer
This will be used for the bain marie to cook the lemon egg mixture gently and thicken it before pouring into the tart case.
- Whisk the eggs with the sugar and vanilla till well combined and pale
- Add the juice of the lemons, the zest and the cream and whisk until thoroughly mixed.
- Whisk gently continuously over the gently simmering water until thickened and coats the back of a spoon. It should take around 20 minutes.
- Once thickened, whisk in the cold unsalted butter, a few cubes at a time until fully incorporated
- Pass the mixture through a sieve to remove any lumps and the zest
- Let the mixture cool slightly before pouring into the tart shell.
- Chill for around 4 hours or until set
Once the tart has cooled, it can be kept in the fridge for 2-3 days, if it lasts that long! You can serve the lemon curd tart at a cool room temperature and if you are not putting it in the fridge it will last a day at room temperature. Don’t forget a good dusting of powdered sugar to finish! Go ahead and make this lemon tart recipe, I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!
FAQ
Yes, this tart freezes well. Cover well and it will keep in the freezer for 3 months. Remove the tart from the freezer and defrost in the fridge overnight when you want to use it.
Try Another Recipe
No Bake Lemon Curd Tart
Ingredients
- 1 Shortcrust Tart base
- 100 ml fresh lemon juice juice of 2-3 large lemons
- 4 whole eggs plus 1 yolk
- Pinch of sea salt
- 140 g sugar
- 150 ml double cream
- Teaspoon of vanilla extract
- 100 g unsalted butter
Instructions
- Make the filling by halving and juicing the lemons until you have 100ml of juice and the zest of 1 lemon
- Whisk the eggs and sugar and salt together until well combined and the sugar is dissolved
- Add the lemon juice, zest, double cream and vanilla extract and whisk gently to combine
- Place bowl over a pan of gently simmering water and whisk continously until thickened and the mixture coats the back of a spoon. Around 20 minutes.
- Pour through a sieve into a jug and let cool slightly before filling a 9-inch tart shell
- Chill for 4 hours or until set