This Classic Lemon Curd Tart is the perfect dessert to serve at a dinner party or for a special occasion. It combines a homemade shortcrust pastry, simple tangy lemon curd filling and is finished with an optional toasted Swiss Meringue topping.
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Why we love this recipe
Is there anything more classic than a good, tangy Lemon Tart? This dessert is always a winner, whether it is for a fancy occasion, dinner party or just because you feel like it! This Lemon Curd Tart is a larger version of my Lemon Curd Tartlets and Mini Lemon Meringue Tarts.
The tart crust is made from a traditional French Shortcrust Pastry (Pâte Sablée) that can be prepared in advance and filled with the homemade Lemon Curd a few hours before serving.
Although the meringue is optional here, it is a simple way to balance the tanginess of the Lemon Curd with a little bit of extra sweetness. This Lemon Tart gives you the perfect bite: crunchy, buttery, creamy, tangy and sweet. Always a crowd-pleasing dessert!
Ingredients
This Lemon Tart is made from a few simple ingredients. I personally always make my own tart crust but you could use a store-bought one if preferred.
Scroll down to recipe card below for all quantities.
Pâte Sablée / French Shortcrust Pastry
A classic French tart dough combining Plain / All-purpose Flour, Fine Salt, Icing Sugar, cold Unsalted Butter and an Egg.
Alternatively, you could also use a Sweet Shortcrust Pastry (Pâte Sucrée) that is less flaky than the Pâte Sablée.
Lemon Curd Filling
- Lemons: you will need the Lemon Zest as well as the fresh Lemon Juice. Depending on the size of your lemon and how much juice they give you, you might need more than 2 lemons (my lemons were quite large).
- Egg Yolks: medium size, at room temperature. Keep some of the egg whites for the meringue; otherwise you can make Financiers with them!
- Sugar: Caster Sugar or Fine White Granulated Sugar. The lemon curd filling is quite tangy as the sugar content is relatively low - but feel free to increase the sugar if you are after a sweeter dessert.
- Cornstarch: used here to thicken the curd slightly and insure that the filling doesn't spread out when you slice the tart.
- Butter: Unsalted and at room temperature.
Swiss Meringue Topping
Made from Egg Whites and Caster Sugar (fine white granulated sugar).
How to make Lemon Curd Tart
There are three steps required to make this tart: prepare the shortcrust pastry, let it chill and fully bake it, then fill it with the homemade lemon curd and optionally finish it with a Swiss meringue once the lemon curd filling has set.
Shortcrust Pastry
This tart pastry dough is made in the food processor but it can also be made by hands if preferred (see the instructions on how to make it by hands in my Pâte Sablée recipe).
- Photo 1: Place the flour, Salt and Icing Sugar in the bowl of your food processor and pulse to mix. Add the very cold Butter cut into small cubes and pulse until you get very small crumbs.
- Photo 2: Add the Egg.
- Photo 3: Mix until a rough dough starts to come together. If you press some of the crumbs together, they should stick.
- Photo 4: Transfer the dough over a sheet of baking paper / parchment paper and assemble it into a large ball. Cover with a second sheet of baking paper and roll into a large circle about 4mm (1/8inch). Transfer into the fridge to chill for at least one hour - or up to 24 hours.
I recommend using a rolling pin with thickness rings to get an even pastry.
- Take it out of the fridge and line the pastry inside a 25 cm / 10 inch perforated tart ring - or your choice of tart pan with removable bottom. Dock the pastry then place back in the fridge for another hour - or up to 24 hours.
This recipe will give you enough pastry for a deeper but smaller tart pan like a regular 22 cm / 9 inch tart pan as well.
- Preheat your oven on 160'C/325'F and place the pastry in the freezer in the meantime. Blind bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until golden and fully baked. Set aside to cool down completely.
Lemon Curd Filling
Once the tart crust has cooled down completely, it is time to prepare the Lemon Curd Filling.
- Zest and Juice the lemons. Place the juice in a small saucepan and set the zest aside. Heat up the lemon juice until it starts to steam and in the meantime, whisk together the Egg Yolks, Sugar and Cornstarch in a small heat-proof bowl.
- Pour the warm lemon juice over the sugar/egg mixture while whisking, then transfer it all back into the saucepan.
This step allows to temper the eggs and avoid cooking them too quickly which could result in a curdled curd.
- Photo 5: cook on low to medium-low heat until the curd starts to thicken, continuously stirring with a heat-proof spatula or wooden spoon.
At this point you can taste the curd and adjust the sweetness level to taste if needed.
- Photo 6: Add the Butter a little bit at the time. Stir to melt and incorporate fully before adding more. Once all the butter has been added, add the Lemon Zest then continue to cook for another 2 to 3 minutes. Make sure it doesn't boil.
If the curd seems to have curdled or you can see small bits of cooked eggs, pour the lemon curd through a thin mesh sieve to strain it.
- Photo 7: Pour the lemon curd inside the baked tart shell while still warm.
- Photo 8: Spread the curd filling around with a small offset spatula.
- Place the lemon curd tart in the fridge to chill for at least 2 to 3 hours, or until the curd filling has set. You can chill it overnight as well.
Swiss Meringue Topping
The last step is decorating the lemon tart with a little bit of meringue. This step is optional but is an easy way to finish the dessert and balance its tartness with a little bit of sweetness.
The meringue used here is a Swiss Meringue, which uses egg whites that have been pre-cooked on the stove before being whipped. I recommend adding it over the tart just before serving - or as close to serve time as possible.
- Photo 9: Prepare a saucepan with a little bit of water. In a small heat-proof bowl, combine the Egg Whites and Sugar. Place it over the saucepan and turn on the stove on low to medium low heat. Make sure the boiling water does not touch the bottom of the bowl.
- Photo 10: Continuously whisk for a few minutes. The mixture should have doubled in volume, be very frothy and the sugar should have dissolved. If you rub the mixture between your fingers, you shouldn't feel any grains of sugar.
- Photo 11: Transfer the mixture into the bowl of your stand mixer (or a large mixing bowl if using a hand mixer) and whisk on medium to high until you almost reach stiff peaks. The meringue should still be a bit soft to be easily piped over the lemon tart.
- Place the meringue in a piping bag and pipe of the lemon tart. I use a "St Honoré Piping Tip" and piped the meringue into a crown shape, doing a criss-cross pattern all around the edges of the tart (check out the video in the recipe card below to see how I piped it).
You can really decorate the tart as you want, spreading it around with a spatula or doing dots with a round or star shaped piping tip for example. If you want to cover the full tart with with meringue, double the quantities.
- Toast the meringue with a kitchen torch then serve.
To finish the lemon curd tart, I used dried edible flowers as a garnish. Alternatively, you could finish the tart with some icing sugar, a dollop of whipped cream and some fresh berries or even some candied lemon slices.
Recipe FAQs
You will get the best, more flavoursome results by making the lemon curd yourself. This allows you to adjust the sweetness of the curd to your liking. This curd is also slightly thickened with cornstarch to help the curd set firmly. A store-bought curd will work as well, but won't give you the best results.
Absolutely, if you don't want to spend the time preparing the tart crust by hands, you can use a store-bought shortcrust pastry instead.
This lemon curd is slightly thickened with cornstarch. It will give you a curd filling that is set enough to easily slice the tart, but still have a creamy texture. If you wanted to have a really set, firm texture, you could add a little bit of gelatine to it.
There are two ways to check if the lemon curd has cooked enough. You can dip the back of a spoon in the curd then draw a line with a finger. Tip the spoon down and check to see if the curd drips back down over the clear line. If the line stays clear, the curd is fully cooked and has thickened enough.
The second option is to use a food thermometer. The curd is done when it reaches around to 82'C / 180'F.
I wouldn't use any lemon curd as a lemon pie filling but in this case yes, the curd is thick enough to be used as a pie filling. And it does not require to be baked!
Tips For Success
- Don't skip the chilling & resting times when making the pastry. It is essential for the dough to be really cold and the gluten to have fully relaxed to get a perfect crust that does not move when baked.
- Once you have filled the tart crust with the curd, the chilling / setting time might vary based on the temperature of your fridge and how deep the tart is. For the best results, prepare the tart at night and let it chill overnight.
- Decorate the tart with the meringue just before serving. Although more stable than a French meringue, this Swiss meringue will eventually start to sweat / melt over the curd. Toasting the meringue with the kitchen torch at the table is always a great way to wow your guests too!
Troubleshooting
- The shortcrust pastry is too dry or too wet to properly roll: if too dry, add a little bit of very cold water, one teaspoon at the time. If too wet, add a little bit more flour, one teaspoon at the time.
- The lemon curd is clumpy or grainy: it usually happens when the curd was cooked too much or the stove was too hot. You can pour the curd through a thin mesh sieve to drain it and remove any lumps. You can also use an immersion blender (only a few seconds or the curd will turn too thin) to thin it out.
- The lemon filling is runny: the filling will set while chill so it is normal for it to seem still liquid when you pour it in the crust. If the filling does not set after chilling for a few hours, it could also mean that the lemon curd was not cooked enough.
Storing & Freezing
This lemon curd tart should be stored in the fridge and will be best eaten within two days. The tart dough can be prepared in advance, either unbaked in the fridge or fully baked at room temperature for one day. I recommend topping the tart with the meringue just before serving.
The tart crust can be frozen, but I do not recommend freezing the whole lemon tart.
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Recipe
Lemon Curd Tart with Meringue
Ingredients
Pâte Sablée (Shortcrust Pastry)
- 250 gr (1 2/3 cup) Plain / All-Purpose Flour
- 50 gr (1/2 cup) Icing Sugar
- 1 pinch Fine Table Salt
- 120 gr (1/2 cup) Unsalted Butter - very cold
- 1 Egg
Lemon Curd Filling
- 150 ml (1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons) Lemon Juice
- 1 Lemon Zest
- 5 Egg Yolks
- 120 gr (1/2 cup) Caster Sugar - or to taste
- 20 gr (2 tablespoons) Cornstarch
- 90 gr (6 tablespoons) Unsalted Butter
Swiss Meringue (optional)
- 2 Egg Whites
- 75 gr (1/3 cup) Caster Sugar
Disclaimer
I highly recommend using the measurements in grams & ml (instead of cups & spoons) for more accuracy and better results.
Instructions
Pâte Sablée (Shortcrust Pastry)
- Mix the Flour, Icing Sugar and Salt in the bowl of your Food Processor. Add the cold Butter cut into small cubes, then pulse to blend until you get very small crumbs.
- Add the Egg and blend until a dough starts to form. Remove from the food processor and bring the dough together into a ball (see note 1).
- Place the dough between two sheets of baking paper and roll into a large, thin circle about 4 mm (1/8 inch) thick. Place the rolled pastry over a flat tray and leave in the fridge to rest and chill for at least an hour, or up to 24 hours.
- Take out of the fridge and line the pastry inside a 25 cm / 10 inch perforated tart ring - or your choice of tart pan with removable bottom (see note 2). Dock the pastry then place back in the fridge for another hour - or up to 24 hours.
- Preheat your oven on 160'C/325'F and place the pastry in the freezer in the meantime. Blind bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until golden and fully baked. Set aside to cool down completely.
Lemon Curd Filling
- Zest and Juice the lemons. Place the juice in a small saucepan and set the zest aside. Heat up the Lemon Juice until it starts to steam and in the meantime, whisk together the Egg Yolks, Sugar and Cornstarch in a small heat-proof bowl.
- Pour the warm lemon juice over the sugar/egg mixture while whisking, then transfer it all back into the saucepan. Cook on low to medium-low heat until the curd starts to thicken, continuously stirring. (see note 3)
- Add the Butter a little bit at the time until all incorporated. Add the Lemon Zest then continue to cook for another 2 to 3 minutes (see note 4). If required, pour the cooked curd through a thin mesh sieve to remove any lumps.
- Pour the hot curd inside the baked tart crust and spread it around with a small offset spatula. Place it in the fridge to chill and set for at least 2 to 3 hours (or overnight) or until the curd has set.
Swiss Meringue Topping (optional)
- The meringue topping should be added as close to serving as possible.
- Combine the Egg Whites and Sugar in a small heat-proof bowl. Place it over a small saucepan filled with a little bit of water (not touching the bottom of the bowl) and turn on low to medium low heat.
- Continuously whisk for a few minutes. The mixture should have doubled in volume, be very frothy and the sugar should have dissolved (see note 5).
- Transfer the mixture into the bowl of your stand mixer and whisk on medium to high speed until you almost reach stiff peaks (see note 6). Place in a piping bag and pipe over the tart to decorate (see note 7).
- Toast the meringue with a kitchen torch then serve.
Tried this recipe? Make sure to leave a comment and star rating below!
Notes
- If the dough seems too dry (it does not stick when you press some crumbs together), add a little bit of very cold water, one teaspoon at the time. If it seems too wet, add a little bit more flour, one teaspoon at the time.
- This recipe will give you enough pastry for a deeper but smaller tart pan like a regular 22 cm / 9 inch tart pan as well.
- At this point, I recommend tasting the lemon curd and adjusting the sugar to your liking if needed. This curd is relatively tangy.
- To know that the curd is cooked, dip the back of a spoon in the curd then draw a line with a finger. Tip the spoon down and check to see if the curd drips back down over the clear line. If the line stays clear, the curd is fully cooked and has thickened enough. The second option is to use a food thermometer; it is done when it reaches around to 82'C / 180'F.
- If you rub the mixture between your fingers, you shouldn't feel any grains of sugar. You can also check the temperature to know it is ready; it should be around 70'C / 160'F.
- The meringue should still be a bit soft to be easily piped over the lemon tart, so stop whipping just before you reach stiff peaks.
- I use a "St Honoré Piping Tip" and piped the meringue into a crown shape, doing a criss-cross pattern all around the edges of the tart. But you can decorate it as you want with your choice of piping tip, or simply spread it around with a spatula. If you want to cover the full tart with the meringue, you should double the quantities of egg whites & sugar.
