French Fruit Tart With Pastry Cream is a wonderful homemade sweet French pastry (Pâte Sablée) tart case, filled with silky smooth creme patissiere and then decorated with a variety of fresh fruits. A French patisserie classic dessert and a showstopper for parties!

What a truely wonderful dessert this is! Here, we have a classic French pastry dessert, made up of a meltingly crisp buttery sweet French pastry, also known as pâte sablée.
What is Sweet French Pastry or pâte sablée
From the French pâte meaning dough and sabler, meaning “to sand,” pâte sablée has a buttery-sweet melt-in-the-mouth texture. This delicious sweet pastry dough is a common in French pastries, and can also be referred to as 'sand' pastry.
Pâte sablée dough is made by creaming butter, powdered sugar, and egg together before combining the dry ingredients. It's one of the easiest pastry recipes I use, and most definitely one you should keep!
This site contains affiliate links. I may receive a commission for purchases made through these links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. For more information, check Privacy Policy.
What is French Fruit Tart made of?

This fruit tart is made up of 5 separate elements. Don't be overwhelmed by all of them! Some of the elements take just minutes to make, and the longest time for this recipe is chilling the dough.
- The tart shell
- Fruit jam
- Pastry cream
- Fresh fruit
- Clear glaze (nappage)
1. The pastry

You need to chill it twice, first when you've made the dough, and second when you've rolled it out and put it in the tart case. 20 minutes each time. It's important not to skip the chill times stated because this is what will give you the most amazing tart shell, and when it's baking, you won't get any shrinkage.
I always make the tart shell and pastry cream the day before. Simple because everything needs to be cold when you come to assemble the tart.
The pastry shell will keep in an air-tight container for at least 1 week and still be crisp. I will usually make 2 tart shells and keep one for another time. So I know it's still perfect after 1 week. Any longer and I can't say.
2. Fruit jam
We've used a strawberry jelly. This is brushed over the cooked tart shell before adding the pastry cream to give it a seal and keep the base from going soggy. Try and use a smooth or jelly type jam as you don't want chunks of jam fruit in the tart.
3. The pastry cream
The pastry cream (Creme Patissiere) is made up of egg yolks, milk, a thickening agent, and vanilla. It's a luxurious, creamy mixture that sits inside the tart case and will be what the fruit ultimately is arranged on. It's delicious!
The trick to a silky smooth pastry cream is to make sure you stir whilst on the heat, and don't stop stirring until it's thickened! Pass it through a sieve afterward to make sure it's as smooth as can be and the addition of butter when it's cooled for 5 minutes will give it an absolutely wonderful shine and added richness.
4. Fresh fruit
You can be as creative as you like here! As you can see, we've gone for strawberries, kiwi fruit, blackberries, blueberries and mandarins. You can go tropical and add pineapple, bananas, oranges etc.
As it's summer time, we've used really lovely sweet juicy berries and the colors are beautiful! Be as creative as you like.
5. The glaze

The glaze is made up of a vegan powder known as arrowroot. You can usually buy it in sachets in the baking section. It's a plant-based thickening agent and is tasteless and colorless.
So when making a glaze such as this, you just want it to give a beautiful shine and also coat the fruits to keep them fresh and vibrant.
When the glaze sets in the fridge (takes just a few minutes), it has a texture like fine jelly. It's a very thin layer to coat the top.
You can leave it out, but I do think it looks stunning and makes a difference the to end result. We've mixed the arrowroot with some cranberry juice to give it a translucent red color. You can use apple juice, or orange juice if you prefer.

Ingredients
For the vanilla sablé tart shell:
Total Time To Make: 10 minutes plus 40 minutes chilling plus 25 minutes baking

80 grams (1⁄2 cup + 2 tablespoons) confectioners’ sugar
130 grams (9 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened
1 large egg
1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
190 grams (1 1⁄2 cups) all-purpose flour
50 grams (1⁄3 cup + 1 tablespoons) cornstarch
1⁄2 teaspoon salt
The base
2 tablespoons Strawberry jelly
Creme Patissiere (pastry cream)
Total Time to make: 10 minutes

8 egg yolks
120g (⅔ cup) regular sugar
6 & ½ tablespoons all purpose plain flour
4 tsp cornflour
560 ml(19 fl oz) milk
200g (7 oz) unsalted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
The Fresh Fruit Topping

1 lb of fresh mixed berries
The Glaze

Ground Arrowroot Sachet (1 tbsp)
225 ml (8 fl oz) Cranberry Juice
Equipment
10 inch perforated tart pan (with a loose bottom)
Parchment paper
Plastic Wrap
Bowl and whisk
Saucepan
Instructions
Make the sweet pastry
- In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the confectioners’ sugar and butter for 30 seconds on low speed.

2. Add the egg, and mix on medium speed until evenly combined.

3. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, cornstarch, and salt. Add to the mixer on low speed, and combine until there are no more dry patches.

4. Finish mixing the dough by hand to ensure it is not over-mixed.

The dough should be smooth and have the consistency of cookie dough.

5. Transfer the dough to a sheet of parchment paper on your work surface and sandwich it with another sheet of parchment paper, flattening it into a 1-inch thick disk.

6. Transfer the dough disk to a baking sheet and refrigerate until firm, around 20 minutes.
7. Generously dust flour on the work surface and rub onto a rolling pin. Remove the dough from the paper and and transfer it to your work surface. Roll the dough out into a circle about 1⁄8 inch (3mm) thick.
To check you have rolled the dough large enough for your tart tin, pop it over the top of the dough to see the size

8. Using your rolling pin, carefully transfer the rolled out dough to your tart tin, being careful not to break it. Drape it over the sides and then lift the pastry gently into the tin.

9. Carefully go around the inside edging of the tin, gently pushing the dough inside. If you do happen to break or tear the pastry, use a little overhang and patch it up, making sure you don't have any cracks at all. Finally trim off any excess dough from the edge. Place in the fridge for 20 minutes to firm up.
You really need to make sure you allow the pastry to chill first so it doesn’t shrink during baking.

10. While the tart shell is chilling, preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) for conventional or 325°F (160°C) for convection.
11. Bake the tart on the center rack for 20 - 25 minutes, until it’s a light golden brown.
This tart dough won’t rise very much, so you don’t need to blind-bake the tart shell in advance.
12. When ready, remove the tart shell by placing a cup or glass underneath and carefully sliding the outside tart ring in a downwards position. if you think some of the pastry is stuck to the sides, gently loosen using a small knife.

13. Transfer to a cooling rack and remove the base of the tart tin. Allow the tart case to completely cool at room temperature.

Make the Creme Patissiere (Pastry Cream)
- Using a hand whisk, beat the egg yolks and sugar until pale and slightly thickened.

2. Whisk in the flours.

3. Heat the milk in a saucepan until you see it starting to boil then remove from heat.

4. Whisk the milk into the egg mix.
This is known as tempering and done to avoid the hot milk from scrambling the eggs when combined

5. Transfer the mixture back into the pan, stirring all the time until thick and boiling.
You need to stir constantly to avoid the mixture getting lumpy!

The pastry cream will thicken and turn darker in color. You will also notice the foam/bubbles will have disappeared. Once thick, remove from the heat immediately.

6. Return the pastry cream to the mixing bowl by passing through a sieve to get any lumps out.

7. Add the butter and vanilla extract and combine.
Do not add the butter until AFTER you have passed the mixture through a sieve as it will be too hot and likely to cause the pastry cream to split and go grainy.


The addition of butter at this point will give the custard mixture a silky shine and richness

8. Cover with plastic wrap, ensuring the wrap is directly touching the surface of the mixture to avoid a skin from forming.

9. Refrigerate until completely cold.
Whilst the pastry cream is cooling, wash and slice your fruit, pop them on some kitchen paper and keep in the fridge until you're ready to assemble the fruit tart.
Make the glaze
- Place the Ground Arrowroot in a small saucepan and blend with a little of the cranberry juice to make a paste.

2. Add remaining juice and gently bring to the boil,

stirring until clear and thickened.
As the arrowroot heats up with the liquid, you will notice it becomes translucent and clear. The consistency will have thickened too. If your mixture is still cloudy, heat it until you see the change in color.

Leave to cool for 20 minutes.
Assemble the fruit tart
- Place the tart shell on a cake stand or serving plate.
Using a pastry brush, spread the jelly evenly over the base of the tart. This will act as a seal to stop the pastry cream from making the base soggy.
If your jelly is too firm to brush, pop some in a small bowl and microwave for 20 seconds to loosen it.

2. Spread the pastry cream evenly on top of the jam.

3. Arrange the fruit on top of the pastry cream. Start around the outer edge in a circular pattern and continue making circles until you reach the centre. It should look like a blooming flower.

4. Gently brush the warmed glaze over the fruits, working from the outer edge of the tart toward the centre. If your glaze has started to become too thick to brush, just pop it in the microwave for 20 seconds to loosen it and continue to brush the glaze over the fruits.

5. When done, refrigerate for 2 hours or more then serve.

We'd love to hear from you and what you thought of our recipe. Did you make any changes or add some other ingredients? Let us know in the comments below. Thanks for reading and happy cooking!

Recipe Card

French Fruit Tart With Pastry Cream
French Fruit Tart With Pastry Cream is a wonderful homemade sweet French pastry (Pâte Sablée) tart case, filled with silky smooth creme patissiere and then decorated with a variety of fresh fruits. A French patisserie classic dessert and a showstopper for parties!
Ingredients
For the vanilla sablé tart shell:
- 80 grams or 1⁄2 cup + 2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar
- 130 grams or 9 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
- 190 grams or 1 1⁄2 cups all-purpose flour
- 50 grams or (1⁄3 cup + 1 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
Creme Patissiere
- 8 egg yolks
- 120g or ⅔ cup regular sugar
- 6 & ½ tablespoons all purpose plain flour
- 4 tsp cornflour
- 560 ml or 19 fl oz milk
- 200g or 7 oz unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
The Base
- 2 tablespoons Strawberry jelly
The Fresh Fruit Topping
- 1 lb of fresh mixed berries
The Glaze
- Dr. Oetker Ground Arrowroot Sachet (1 tbsp)
- 225 ml or 8 fl oz Cranberry Juice
Instructions
Make the sweet pastry
- In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the confectioners’ sugar and butter for 30 seconds on low speed.
- Add the egg, and mix on medium speed until evenly combined.
- In a medium bowl, combine the flour, cornstarch, and salt. Add to the mixer on low speed, and combine until there are no more dry patches.
- Finish mixing the dough by hand to ensure it is not over-mixed.
- Transfer the dough to a sheet of parchment paper on your work surface and sandwich it with another sheet of parchment paper, flattening it into a 1-inch thick disk.
- Transfer the dough disk to a baking sheet and refrigerate until firm, around 20 minutes.
- Generously dust flour on the work surface and rub onto a rolling pin. Remove the dough from the paper and and transfer it to your work surface. Roll the dough out into a circle about 1⁄8 inch (3mm) thick.
- Using your rolling pin, carefully transfer the rolled out dough to your tart tin, being careful not to break it. Drape it over the sides and then lift the pastry gently into the tin.
- Carefully go around the inside edging of the tin, gently pushing the dough inside. If you do happen to break or tear the pastry, use a little overhang and patch it up, making sure you don't have any cracks at all. Finally trim off any excess dough from the edge. Place in the fridge for 20 minutes to firm up.
- While the tart shell is chilling, preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) for conventional or 325°F (160°C) for convection.
- Bake the tart on the center rack for 20 - 25 minutes, until it’s a light golden brown.
- When ready, remove the tart shell by placing a cup or glass underneath and carefully sliding the outside tart ring in a downwards position. If you think some of the pastry is stuck to the sides, gently loosen using a small knife.
- Transfer to a cooling rack and remove the base of the tart tin. Allow the tart case to completely cool at room temperature.
Make the Creme Patissiere (Pastry Cream)
- Using a hand whisk, beat the egg yolks and sugar until pale and slightly thickened.
- Whisk in the flours.
- Heat the milk in a saucepan until you see it starting to boil then remove from heat.
- Whisk the milk into the egg mix.
- Transfer the mixture back into the pan, stirring all the time until thick and boiling.
The pastry cream will thicken and turn darker in color. Once thick, remove from the heat immediately. - Return the pastry cream to the mixing bowl by passing through a sieve to get any lumps out.
- Add the butter and vanilla extract and combine.
- Cover with plastic wrap, ensuring the wrap is directly touching the surface of the mixture to avoid a skin from forming.
- Refrigerate until completely cold.
- Whilst the pastry cream is cooling, wash and slice your fruit, pop them on some kitchen paper and keep in the fridge until you're ready to assemble the fruit tart.
Make the glaze
- Place the Ground Arrowroot in a small saucepan and blend with a little of the cranberry juice to make a paste.
- Add remaining juice and gently bring to the boil, stirring until clear and thickened.
Leave to cool for 20 minutes.
Assemble the fruit tart
- Place the tart shell on a cake stand or serving plate.
- Using a pastry brush, spread the jelly evenly over the base of the tart. This will act as a seal to stop the pastry cream from making the base soggy.
- Spread the pastry cream evenly on top of the jam.
- Arrange the fruit on top of the pastry cream. Start around the outer edge in a circular pattern and continue making circles until you reach the center. It should look like a blooming flower.
- Gently brush the warmed glaze over the fruits, working from the outer edge of the tart toward the center. If your glaze has started to become too thick to brush, just pop it in the microwave for 20 seconds to loosen it and continue to brush the glaze over the fruits.
- When done, refrigerate for at least 2 hours or more then serve.
Notes
When you assemble the fruit tart, it is important everything is chilled, so it's worth making the tart case and pastry cream the day before to save you time on the day you want to serve the fruit tart.
Recommended Products
As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.
-
S & K S&K Pie Server. A Cake and Pastry Spatula a Strong Food-Grade Stainless Steel Cake Slicer a Pie Cutter Edge. Our Pie Servers look great too. S&K metal pie knife for serving a perfect slice.
-
Godinger Cake Stand, Footed Cake Plate with Dome, Acacia Wood and Shaterproof Acrylic Lid, Wood Cake Stand with Dome
-
Kanwone 12-Inch Porcelain Round Cake Stand, Cake Plate, Dessert Stand, Cupcake Stand for Parties, Home Decorating Stand, White …
-
OXO Good Grips Silicone Basting & Pastry Brush - Large
-
Wilton Excelle Elite 3-Tier Cooling Rack for Cookies, Cakes and More
-
Kitchen Craft MasterClass Crusty Bake Non Stick Pastry/Flan Tin, Grey, 25 cm
-
Dr Oetker Ground Arrowroot Sachet 6 x 8g - Pack of 4
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 412Total Fat: 27gSaturated Fat: 16gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 201mgSodium: 131mgCarbohydrates: 38gFiber: 2gSugar: 20gProtein: 7g
Nutrition information isn’t always accurate
English Afternoon Tea Ideas
Here's a selection of delicious recipes you can make for an English Afternoon Tea
Coffee Walnut Sandwich Cake.
The best coffee and walnut cake, a classic British afternoon tea cake, layers of soft and fluffy coffee cake with chopped walnuts throughout, adds a great flavor and texture, frosted with coffee cream cheese frosting. A pure delight to eat!
Mini Almond Pastries.
These Mini Almond Pastries have a deliciously smooth, sweet, almond paste filling and are wrapped in crispy, light puff pastry. Quick and easy to make, and perfect for a tea time treat.
Classic English Cherry Scones. Quick and Easy to make, moist, light, and fluffy! Perfect for High Tea or Afternoon Tea. This is a very popular recipe and for those searching for a good, reliable English scone recipe, this won't disappoint!
Bara brith is a traditional Welsh tea bread flavored with tea, dried fruits and spices. Often served sliced with a spread of butter. Perfect as a tea time snack.
Easy Sesame Brown Sugar French Palmier Cookies, AKA Elephant Ears. These are a very easy to make crispy puff pastry cookie, filled with sesame seeds and brown sugar. Great for the holidays!
Cream Filled Chocolate or Caramel Eclairs, easy to make and great for a tea party!
Easy lemon mousse recipe, a delicious creamy chilled dessert made with 3 basic ingredients, takes minutes to make and great for eating on it’s own or to use as a topping on cakes and trifles too!
Classic Victoria Sponge Cake.
Easy recipe for how to make a classic Victoria sponge Cake, a popular British cake, traditionally eaten at afternoon tea.
Peach Pound Cake with Raspberry Swirl. A delicious recipe bursting with sweet peaches and a tangy raspberry swirl running through. Soft, moist and perfect with a morning coffee or to take to friends! If you are a fan of pound cakes and peaches, then this one is for you.
Lemon and poppyseed thins are a very thin, crisp, buttery cookie, easy to make with a crunchy, caramelized texture. Delicious with a coffee or tea.
Strawberries and Cream Cheesecake Hearts, a creamy no bake fruity cheesecake recipe using fresh strawberries in the filling and topping. A great dessert for Valentine's Day or a Summer party.
Strawberry and Lemon Angel Food Cake. Strawberry and lemon angel food cake is a light and fluffy sponge type cake, sandwiched with lemon whipped cream and fresh strawberries. An easy recipe for a no fat cake. The best homemade angel cake recipe, perfect for dessert
Easy Vanilla Slices. Creamy custard sandwiched between sheets of crispy puff pastry make for a nice chilled treat perfect for any occasion.
Sausage and Red Onion Chutney Rolls are so delicious! Easy to make, freezer friendly and great for snacks, lunchboxes and parties!
Spinach and Feta Galette, a delicious open pastry savory pie filled with Greek feta cheese creamy spinach and tomatoes, then baked until set. Great served warm or chilled.
Delicious Shrimp or Salmon Vol Au Vents, Mini Puff Pastry Cups. These are very easy to make and great for parties as canapes, appetizers, and snacks. Perfect to make ahead too!
Classic Lemon Tart, Tarte Au Citron.
A delicious tangy lemon tart, made from scratch using buttery pastry and filled with a creamy rich fresh lemon filling
Easy English Tiffin is a delicious no-bake British colonial recipe, made of chocolate, crushed cookies, syrup, and raisins, often served at English afternoon tea.
Traditional English Tea Loaf
Delicious tea-soaked dried fruits fill this soft, moist, sweet bread. Traditionally served with a spread of butter alongside afternoon tea.
Coconut Tarts! These are a wonderful little tart, filled with a moist coconut egg custard filling. Great for the family and if you're making these for a party, be sure to make plenty! Freezer friendly too!
Classic English Scones.
Quick and Easy to make moist, light, and fluffy! Step by step instructions to make perfect scones. Serve for High Tea or Afternoon Tea
How To Make Orange Or Clementine Curd. Orange or clementine curd is a sweet, thick condiment, easy to make from scratch. Using just four ingredients, this recipe comes together quickly on your stovetop. Use it anything from scones for breakfast to desserts.
Classic English Rhubarb Scones. Quick and Easy to make, moist, light, and fluffy! Perfect for High Tea or Afternoon Tea. This is a very popular recipe and for those searching for a good, reliable English scone recipe, this won't disappoint!
Classic English Strawberry Scones. Quick and Easy to make, moist, light, and fluffy! Perfect for High Tea or Afternoon Tea. This is a very popular recipe and for those searching for a good, reliable English scone recipe, this won't disappoint!