Gippsland Baked Custard Tart
A traditional Victorian bakery classic with silky Gippsland egg custard baked in crisp sweet shortcrust pastry and dusted with nutmeg.
- Prep
- 30 min
- Cook
- 50 min
- Total
- 80 min
- Servings
- 8
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Calories
- 360 kcal
Equipment
- •22 cm loose-bottomed tart tin
- •Rolling pin
- •Pastry weights or dry rice
- •Small saucepan
- •Fine mesh sieve
- •Whisk
Nutrition
Per serving, approximate
- Calories
- 360 kcal
- fat
- 23 g
- carbs
- 32 g
- fibre
- 1 g
- protein
- 7 g
- calories
- 360 kcal
Instructions
- 1
Rub the cold diced butter into the flour and icing sugar until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
- 2
Mix in the egg yolk and iced water to bring the dough together into a smooth ball.
- 3
Wrap the pastry dough in plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.
- 4
Roll the pastry out on a lightly floured bench and line a 22 cm loose-bottomed tart tin.
- 5
Prick the base with a fork, line with baking paper and pastry weights, and chill for 10 minutes.
- 6
Blind-bake the pastry shell at 190°C for 15 minutes, remove weights, then bake 5 minutes more until dry.
- 7
Reduce the oven temperature to 140°C.
- 8
Gently heat the milk, cream, and vanilla bean paste in a small saucepan until lukewarm.
- 9
Whisk the whole eggs and caster sugar together gently in a bowl without creating excess foam.
- 10
Pour the warm milk mixture into the eggs while whisking gently, then pass through a fine sieve.
- 11
Pour the custard into the warm pastry case and dust generously with freshly grated nutmeg.
- 12
Bake at 140°C for 30 to 35 minutes until just set with a gentle wobble in the centre.
Chef's tips
Avoid whisking the custard too vigorously or aerating it, as foam on the surface creates bubbles instead of a glassy, smooth top. Straining the custard through a fine sieve is essential for a velvety bakery-style texture. Let the tart cool completely to room temperature before slicing so the custard firms cleanly.
Ingredient substitutions
- pure pouring cream → thickened cream
- vanilla bean paste → pure vanilla extract
Storage
Store leftover tart in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Reheating
Best enjoyed at cool room temperature; do not microwave as it will curdle the custard.
Common mistakes to avoid
- •Baking at too high a temperature, which causes the custard to curdle or puff up and crack.
- •Skipping the fine sieve, resulting in small bits of chalazae or cooked egg strands in the filling.
- •Whisking too fast, which traps air bubbles and ruins the glossy flat surface.
Serving suggestions
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