French Lemon Tart – Tarte au Citron Recipe
A classic French Lemon Tart (Tarte au Citron) featuring a crisp sweet tart crust filled with a smooth, tangy lemon custard. This elegant dessert balances bright lemon flavor with rich butter and eggs, perfect for special occasions or a refreshing treat.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: French
Ingredients
Scale
Tart Crust
- 1 sweet tart crust (prepared and blind baked, cooled)
Lemon Tart Filling
- 1 tbsp lemon zest (from 1 lemon)
- 1/2 cup lemon juice (from 1 to 2 lemons)
- 3/4 cup white sugar
- 12 tbsp / 170g unsalted butter, cut into 1cm (1/2″) cubes
- 3 whole large eggs
- 3 large egg yolks
Instructions
- Prepare Tart Crust: Make the sweet tart crust according to the linked recipe instructions, including blind baking the empty tart shell. Allow the crust to cool completely before filling to prevent it from becoming soggy.
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 180℃ (350℉), or 160℃ if using a fan-forced oven.
- Combine Filling Ingredients: In a medium saucepan, whisk together lemon zest, lemon juice, white sugar, butter cubes, whole eggs, and egg yolks until well combined.
- Cook Filling on Stove: Place the saucepan over low to medium-low heat. Continuously whisk the mixture, especially while the butter is melting, to prevent the filling from splitting. Continue stirring until the mixture thickens enough to mound slightly on the surface when dolloped—this usually takes about 5 minutes but may vary depending on your stove and saucepan.
- Strain Filling: Remove the saucepan from heat and strain the lemon custard through a fine mesh strainer into a clean bowl to ensure a smooth texture.
- Fill Tart Shell: Pour the strained filling into the cooled tart shell, smoothing the surface with an offset spatula or similar tool for an even finish.
- Bake Tart: Bake the filled tart in the preheated oven for 5 minutes. The custard will still be soft but not liquid to the touch. It will firm up as it cools.
- Cool Tart: Allow the tart to cool completely to room temperature to let the filling set fully before slicing and serving.
- Serve and Decorate: Serve the lemon tart plain or garnish with dollops of crème fraîche, whipped cream, vanilla ice cream, or decorate with lemon slices, edible flowers, raspberries, or a dusting of icing sugar as desired.
Notes
- Ensure the tart crust is fully cooled before adding the filling to avoid sogginess.
- Constant whisking during cooking prevents the filling from splitting and ensures a smooth texture.
- The custard will be soft immediately after baking but firms up as it cools—do not remove it from the oven prematurely.
- Optional garnishes include crème fraîche, whipped cream, vanilla ice cream, edible flowers, or fresh berries.
- The recipe relies on fresh lemons for zest and juice; adjust lemon quantity according to size and juiciness.
Keywords: French lemon tart, Tarte au citron, lemon custard tart, citrus dessert, classic French dessert
