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Rhubarb Cream Tart

Rhubarb tart meets French pastry technique in a buttery tart shell filled with vanilla pastry cream and topped with roasted rhubarb. The filling is cooked until thick, then chilled for clean sliceable layers.
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
chilling 3 hours
Total Time 4 hours 15 minutes
Servings: 10 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: French
Calories: 520
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For crust
  • 1.5 cup all-purpose flour
  • 0.25 cup powdered sugar
  • 0.5 cup butter, cold
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 2 tbsp cold water
For pastry cream
  • 2 cup milk
  • 0.5 cup sugar
  • 4 egg yolks
  • 0.25 cup cornstarch
  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
For rhubarb
  • 3 cup fresh rhubarb, cut into 2-inch pieces
  • 0.5 cup sugar
  • 2 tbsp honey

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan
  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Make the crust
  1. Preheat the oven to 375°F, then combine all-purpose flour and powdered sugar in a mixing bowl and cut in cold butter until the mixture looks sandy. Add egg yolk and cold water and press the dough together.
  2. Press the dough into a tart pan, smoothing the bottom and edges, then bake at 375°F for 20 minutes until lightly set and golden at the edges.
Make the vanilla pastry cream
  1. Heat milk and sugar in a saucepan over medium heat until steaming and hot, about 3–5 minutes. In a separate bowl, whisk egg yolks with cornstarch until smooth and slightly thick.
  2. Temper the egg yolk mixture by slowly whisking in hot milk, then return everything to the saucepan and cook until thick, 6–8 minutes, whisking constantly so it coats the back of a spoon.
  3. Remove from heat and stir in butter and vanilla extract until glossy and smooth. Press plastic wrap directly onto the surface and cool the cream completely.
Assemble and finish
  1. Remove the plastic wrap and spread the cooled pastry cream into the baked tart shell in an even layer. Level the surface with a spatula for clean edges.
  2. Toss fresh rhubarb, cut into 2-inch pieces with sugar and honey, then spread on a sheet pan and roast at 400°F for 15 minutes until tender and glossy. Cool completely before topping.
  3. Arrange the roasted rhubarb on top of the cream in an artful pattern. Refrigerate the tart for at least 3 hours before serving so the cream slices cleanly.

Notes

For the neatest slices, chill the tart fully (closer to 3 hours) and serve straight from the refrigerator. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days; freeze is not recommended because the pastry cream and rhubarb texture can change. Dietary swap: use a gluten-free 1:1 all-purpose flour blend in the crust if needed for gluten-free guests.