Hi Bold Bakers! WHY YOU’LL LOVE THIS RECIPE: I’m so excited to share my zesty, buttery Orange Tart Recipe–you’ll love its refreshingly delicious taste and bright, beautiful color. This creamy tart is a winner for Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah, and autumn dinner guests, and it will bring some sunshine to your table during the winter months when citrus is at its peak. Bonus—prep time is only 30 minutes! Already have an account?
Unexpected, vibrant flavor: Orange curd definitely has a zing, but it’s mellow, too, and not as tart as lemon or lime. It’s a welcome citrus choice everyone will love. To die for shortcrust pastry: My Pâte Sucrée melts in your mouth! Craveable texture: Every forkful delivers silky custardy filling and crunchy, buttery crust. Elegant presentation: You’ll look like a pro chef with my easy garnish idea.
Citrus is a breath of fresh air in the sea of rich chocolate and caramel holiday desserts. I adore the puckery taste of citrus, and it makes even rich desserts refreshing. After you savor my orange tart recipe, try my other citrus favorites like The Whole Lemon Tart, Cranberry Orange Crumb Tart, No-Bake Lemon Meringue Cheesecake, Cranberry Orange Cake with Lemon Glaze, and Citrus Olive Oil Cake. While testing this recipe, I learned that pairing a buttery, crisp Pâte Sucrée crust with the zesty orange curd filling enhances both the flavor and texture beautifully. The crust’s crispness balances the creamy filling, giving you the perfect contrast in every bite. To simplify holiday prep, feel free to make your curd and Pâte Sucrée in advance. A pro tip for your curd: be sure to strain it after cooking to catch any bits of cooked egg white for the silkiest possible texture.
Table of Contents
What is an Orange Tart?
Orange Tart Recipe is a traditional French-style tart featuring all-butter pastry dough, a velvety orange curd filling, and an optional garnish of whipped cream and fresh orange slices. This seasonal citrus dessert is ideal for a special occasion, but it’s not fussy to make. My tarte orange gives you sleek, pastry shop panache and a luscious, glossy, sweet-tart filling. Citrus curd, made from lemon, lime, or orange juice mixed with butter, sugar, and egg, was first developed in England in the 1800s, but French bakers quickly incorporated the creamy concoction into their pastry making. Tarte au Citron (lemon tart) and Tarte à L’Orange became iconic desserts famous for their pairing of citrus curd and shortcrust.
Tools You Need
Mixing bowl Measuring spoons Measuring cups Glass measuring jug Kitchen scale (optional) 10-inch (25 ½ cm) tart pan with a removable bottom Parchment paper Pie weights (optional) or dried beans Heatproof bowl Fine mesh sieve Large saucepan Whisk Spoon Rimmed baking sheet Piping bag and tips (optional)
Key Ingredients and Why
1 recipe Pâte Sucrée
Pâte Sucrée is a shortcrust, firm enough to hold this Orange Tart together but tender and crumbly. This versatile recipe has only a few ingredients and takes just 15 minutes to come together! Pre-bake (blind bake) the crust to ensure it’s crisp.
Eggs and additional egg yolks
Eggs give the curd filling structure, thicken the mixture, and give it rich flavor and vibrant golden color. Egg whites help keep the filling firm enough to stay cohesive. Additional egg yolks are crucial to this curd, making the filling extra silky and rich. It’s very important to use room-temperature eggs in this recipe. Here’s how to warm up cold eggs.
Granulated sugar
Sugar sweetens the curd and balances out the citrus flavor and the acidy. Sugar dissolves as it cooks and melds with the other ingredients to form a smooth, glossy filling.
Salt
Salt accentuates the citrus flavors and ensures the tart is not too sweet.
Fresh orange juice
Fresh orange juice is a must in this recipe because it gives the most vibrant, robust flavor. I recommend using navel oranges here because they are one of the juiciest orange varieties (plus, they’re seedless!). Other juicy orange varieties include Valencia and Cara-Cara.
Fresh lemon juice
Lemon juice gives the curd filling a tart zip, which adds delicious complexity to sweet orange juice. Additionally, lemon juice adds acidity, which counterbalances the richness of egg and butter.
Butter
Butter gives the orange curd a rich, thick texture, luxurious flavor, and a lovely sheen. Use softened butter here. Specifically, you’ll know it’s soft enough when you push the butter with your finger, and it makes an indent, but it doesn’t easily squish right through.
Orange zest
Zest contains citrus oil, which adds depth to the orange filling.
Whipped cream and orange slices (optional)
Whipped cream and orange slices are optional, but they’re easy, lovely garnishes that give another layer of flavor and texture to this tart. Use my recipes for Whipped Cream, or Stabilized Whipped Cream. For a tangier option, go for Crème Fraîche Whipped Cream. Alternatively, you can top this orange curd tart with meringue. Pile the meringue on top of the tart and toast it with a kitchen torch until golden brown all over.
How to Make Orange Tart
Pre-bake the Pâte Sucrée
Prepare the orange curd filling
Bake the Orange Tart
Gemma’s Pro Chef Tips
When prebaking the tart crust, be sure that the bottom is fully baked and golden. If the edges begin to overbrown before this happens, cover with some aluminum foil. When citrus is in season, try making this tart with other orange varieties like tangerines or blood oranges. Some varieties are tangier than others, so taste the juice and adjust the amount of lemon juice accordingly. Try replacing the orange and lemon juice with fresh squeezed ruby red grapefruit juice to make a grapefruit tart! If you prefer, use this recipe to make tartlets (the cooking time will be much shorter) or bars in a 9×13-inch (33×23 cm) pan. This tart filling remains fairly soft even after chilling so take care not to mar the surface when covering it. If you love orange and chocolate as much as we do, try making this with our chocolate crust and garnish with a drizzle of ganache!
Make Ahead and Storage Instructions
Make ahead tips
You can pre-bake the Pâte Sucrée one day in advance. The orange curd can be made three days in advance. (If the curd is cold when you spread it in the tart shell, add a few more minutes to the baking time.) You can make and bake this tart one day before you plan to serve it, but wait until just before serving to garnish it.
How to store leftovers
Store leftover tart in an airtight container for up to two days.
Serving Suggestions for Orange Tart
Here are some delightful ideas to serve and garnish your Orange Tart:
Whipped Cream: Add a generous dollop of homemade whipped cream or stabilized whipped cream on top for extra creaminess. Fresh Orange Slices: Garnish with thin slices of fresh orange or a fan of segmented orange pieces for a pop of color and texture. Meringue: If you want to elevate it, pile on a toasted meringue for a sweet, light topping. You can use a kitchen torch to lightly brown the meringue, giving it a beautiful golden finish. Sugared Cranberries: For a festive touch, top your tart with sugared cranberries and a few mint leaves, perfect for holiday occasions. Candied Orange Zest: Add a sprinkle of candied orange zest for a sweet, citrusy crunch that complements the creamy filling. Chocolate Drizzle: Drizzle some melted dark chocolate over the tart for a lovely contrast in flavor and color.
Can I use another crust for this tart?
Sure! Pâte Sucrée is a classic choice and a perfect match for the orange curd, but feel free to use our classic pie crust or chocolate crust for a stunning taste and presentation.
How do I make sure my filling is smooth?
Some people experience the egg white cooking when they make the curd and it shows through. A little tip is to keep your eggs at room temperature so they are not cold going into the hot citrus mixture If the egg white does cook a little, don’t worry because the straining will take care of it.
Can I make this tart gluten-free?
Yes, you can make this Orange Tart gluten-free. Use The Flakiest Gluten Free Pie Crust instead of the Pâte Sucrée.
More Tart Recipes
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