• Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest

Dessert First

a san francisco food and travel blog | all things sweet

  • About Me
    • about pastrygirl
    • faq
    • press
    • Contact Me
    • Disclosure
    • Privacy Policy
  • My Books
  • Recipes
    • Breads
    • Cakes
    • Candy
    • Chocolate
    • Cookies
    • Custards
    • Fruit
    • Ice Cream
    • Pastry
    • Tarts
  • Sweet San Francisco
    • Sweet Spots
    • SF Events
  • Travel
    • Asia
    • Europe
    • California
    • Hawaii
  • reviews and recs
    • Cookbooks
    • Chocolate
    • Tools
  • Conversions

Happy Summer: Berry Tart with Cheesecake Pastry Cream

Jun 15 by Anita 7 Comments

Berry Cheesecake Tart

Happy almost summer! I took my summer vacation a little early and just got back from a gorgeous week-long cruise to Alaska. I can’t wait to share with you all, but before I do that I wanted to post the last thing I made before I left on my trip: this berry tart with cheesecake pastry cream. It was meant as a Memorial Day dessert, but I think it’ll serve just as well to celebrate the start of summer.

Berry Cheesecake Tart slice

The idea for this tart, which is a bit of hybrid of a traditional cheesecake and a Parisian fruit tart filled with pastry cream, came from my parents’ visit. My mom loves cheesecake, and I wanted to make a lighter version that didn’t need baking in the oven. The inspiration struck to make a fruit tart, but with cream cheese added to the filling to give it that cheesecake flavor. How did this experiment pan out?

Berry Cheesecake Tart stand

The filling for this tart is a traditional pastry cream made with milk, butter, and vanilla, with cream cheese folded in at the end. It’s noticeably thicker and richer than a regular pastry cream, and has the satisfying tang of cream cheese which sets off fresh berries beautifully. Like many pastry creams, it’s soft and more fluid when just made, and sets to a firmer consistency after refrigeration. So if you’re looking for a denser, more cheesecake-like texture, you can leave this tart in a refrigerator overnight. Once brought to room temperature, it will become softer and more creamy.

I originally tried out a press-in cookie crust, but in the end I found I preferred a sturdier pate brisee tart crust: since the pastry cream is softer than a baked cheesecake, having a more robust crust worked better as a contrast. I also spread a layer of fresh strawberry coulis on the bottom, since I can’t resist strawberry season. However, it did make it considerably trickier to pour in the cheesecake pastry cream without mixing the two components together. If you omit the strawberry coulis, it’s much easier to pour in the pastry cream and spread it around. Use my lessons learned and combine the different parts of this tart as you will!

Berry Cheesecake Tart slice

After all this kitchen testing, I (and my mom) were pretty happy with this updated take on a classic fruit tart. I was using strawberries and blueberries to be patriotic (and I’ll probably do so again for July 4th) but you can of course put any combination of fruit on top. Summer tarts are one of my favorite desserts to make and I think I’ll be adding this to the repertoire. Hope you give it a try with summer just upon us! Also watch this space for what I made for Father’s Day, right after we got home from our trip. I guess I missed my kitchen while I was away on vacation!

Berry Cheesecake Tart

Berry Tart with Cheesecake Pastry Cream
 
Print
Author: Anita Chu
Recipe type: Tart
Serves: One 9½-inch tart
Ingredients
PÂTE BRISÉE
  • 1 cup (120 g) all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup unsalted butter, cold, cut into 1-in pieces
  • 1 tablespoon cold water
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ¼ teaspoon almond extract
Strawberry Coulis
  • ½ cup strawberries, hulled and quartered
  • ¼ cup sugar
  • ½ teaspoon lemon juice
Cheesecake Pastry Cream
  • 1 cup (230 g) milk
  • 3 large egg yolks
  • ¼ cup (50 g) sugar
  • 2 Tablespoons (14 g) cornstarch
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 4 oz (113 g) cream cheese, softened
  • Fresh berries for decorating
Instructions
For the PÂTE BRISÉE:
  1. Place the flour, sugar and salt in bowl of a food processor, and process to combine.
  2. Add in the butter and process until mixture resemble coarse crumbs - don't let it turn into a solid ball of dough.
  3. Add the water, vanilla and almond extracts and process just until the dough starts to clump together.
  4. Turn out the dough onto a clean surface and form into a disk. Wrap and refrigerate for about 30 minutes or until it has firmed up and is no longer sticky. Refrigerate longer if needed, or you can also store the dough in the refrigerator until you are ready to use it.
  5. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Press the dough into the bottom and sides of a 9½" tart tin, trying to keep the thickness even. If the dough gets soft and sticky, you can put it back in the refrigerator for 5-10 minutes.
  6. Refrigerate the tart shell for 30 minutes before baking.
  7. Prick the bottoms of the tart shell with a fork. Bake for 25-30 minutes until golden brown and dry. Remove from oven and let cool.
For the strawberry coulis:
  1. In a medium saucepan, combine the strawberries, sugar, and lemon juice. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
  2. Pour strawberries into a food processor. Purée until smooth. Chill in refrigerator until needed.
For the pastry cream:
  1. To make the pastry cream, place milk in a small saucepan. Heat on the stove over medium heat until bubbles appear on the edge of the pan.
  2. Meanwhile, whisk together the egg yolks, sugar, and cornstarch in a bowl.
  3. Pour half of the hot milk into the egg mixture, whisking constantly to prevent the eggs from cooking.
  4. Return the milk and egg mixture to the saucepan and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly until the mixture thickens. Stir in the vanilla. Let mixture sit for about 5 minutes to let it cool slightly.
  5. Add in the butter and whisk until it is incorporated. Add in the cream cheese and whisk until it is fully incorporated and mixture is smooth.
  6. Scrape the pastry cream into a bowl, press a piece of plastic wrap to the surface, and refrigerate until needed.
To assemble the tart:
  1. Spread the coulis in an even thin layer at the bottom of the tart shell.
  2. Pour the cheesecake pastry cream over the coulis. If you have been chilling the pastry cream for a while it may have firmed to the point where it is difficult to pour. Loosen it up by whisking briskly or whirling it in a food processor for a few seconds. Note if you do this the pastry cream may become very soft and runny; you can refrigerate the filled tart for 20-30 minutes to let it firm up again.
  3. Decorate the top with additional fresh berries before serving.
3.3.3070

 

Filed Under: Custards, Fruit, Pastry, Recipes, Tarts Tagged With: berry, cheesecake, pastry, pastry cream, summer, tart

Related Posts

  • Yuzu Cheesecake
  • Franzbrotchen (German Cinnamon Sugar Rolls)
  • Honey Cheesecake OverheadHoney Cheesecake with Fall Fruit
  • Peach Tourte FlatlayBrown Butter Peach Tourte
  • Ombre Cherry TartOmbre Cherry Tart
« {SF}: Hyatt Centric San Francisco and Where to Go (And Eat) Nearby
There’s Always Room for Cinnamon Chocolate Monkey Bread »

Comments

  1. 1

    heather (delicious not gorgeous) says

    Jun 15 at 1:28 pm

    i love the idea of a cheesecake pastry cream. sounds like the perfect way to get my cheesecake fix without dealing with the hot water bath and trying to prevent the top from cracking and refrigerating it overnight.

    Reply
    • 2

      Anita says

      Jun 20 at 9:27 am

      Thanks Heather! I agree, get the cheesecake taste without having to go through the whole baking process!

      Reply
  2. 3

    Patti says

    Jun 15 at 7:10 pm

    I know what you mean about missing your kitchen when you are on vacation. I have been known to make sure that where we are staying will allow me to have access to a kitchen for some cooking. This means we stay in time shares, condos, etc. I have friends who think that I have some sort of illness that makes me want to cook. It’s good to know I’m not alone. This tart looks delicious. I love the idea of the cream cheese in the filling. I have to make this. Good thing tomorrow is farmer’s market day. I can get berries.

    Reply
    • 4

      Anita says

      Jun 20 at 9:27 am

      Glad to know you feel the same way Patti! Hope you enjoy the tart!

      Reply
  3. 5

    Nagamma says

    Jun 18 at 4:43 am

    Hi Anitha,
    Good idea for the summer vacation, Fantastic, Nice recipe,I really love this.

    Reply
  4. 6

    Tina says

    Jun 28 at 7:55 pm

    Wow Anita,this looks so pretty I won’t even have the heart to cut it or eat. Picture perfect

    Reply
    • 7

      Anita says

      Jul 11 at 7:30 pm

      Aww, thanks Tina! It was definitely fun to decorate, but more fun to eat!

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating





About Me
Mentions in the Press
Want to go to pastry school?
Email me

subscribe to receive posts in your inbox

Archives

best of dessert first


The Making of Macarons (Sucre Cuit Style)

Hong Kong Eggettes (Daan Jai)


Tis the Season (Chocolate Mint Macarons)

A Better Brioche


Consider the Humble Chocolate Chip Cookie

A Feast of Figs


Pure Dessert, Pure Inspiration (Chocolate Citrus Tart)

My Own Remembrance of Things Past: Daan Tats


The Slow Drip of Coffee on a Languorous Summer's Day

Still Life of Strawberry Tart

disclosure

This site uses affiliate links. Purchasing through the links will give this site commissions. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

about pastrygirl

Anita Chu, also known as pastrygirl, is a baker, writer, and photographer with a passion for pastry. She trained at Tante Marie's Cooking School and is the author of Field Guide to Cookies, Field Guide to Candy, and Lollipop Love. Anita lives in San Francisco with her husband, daughter, and dog Max. More about pastrygirl

my cookbooks



contact me

Please e-mail anita {at} dessertfirstgirl {dot} com with all collaboration inquiries, pastry questions, or just to say hi! I look forward to hearing from you!
  • home
  • my books
  • recipes
  • sweet san francisco
  • reviews
  • conversions
  • shop
  • archives
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest

© 2006–2025 Anita Chu. All Rights Reserved. Design by Deluxe Designs