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Easy Zesty Lemon Tart with Creamy Whipped Cream

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A bright and satisfying lemon tart featuring a buttery crisp crust, tangy lemon filling, and soft whipped cream topping. Perfect for quick, fuss-free desserts that impress.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (160g)
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cold and cubed (115g)
  • 3 tablespoons granulated sugar (38g)
  • 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 3 to 4 tablespoons ice water
  • 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (about 3–4 lemons, 120ml)
  • 1 tablespoon lemon zest
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar (150g)
  • 3 large eggs, room temperature
  • 2 egg yolks
  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces (85g)
  • 1 cup heavy cream, chilled (240ml)
  • 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

  1. Make the Tart Crust (15-20 minutes): In a food processor, pulse flour, sugar, and salt together. Add cold butter cubes and pulse until mixture resembles coarse crumbs with pea-sized bits. Slowly add ice water, one tablespoon at a time, pulsing after each addition until dough just comes together. Do not overwork. Dump dough onto floured surface, gather into ball, flatten into disk, wrap in plastic, and chill at least 30 minutes.
  2. Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).
  3. Roll and Bake the Crust (15 minutes): Roll dough on floured surface to fit 9-inch tart pan. Press dough into pan, trim excess, prick base with fork. Line with parchment paper and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake blind for 15 minutes. Remove weights and parchment, bake another 5-7 minutes until golden. Let cool slightly.
  4. Prepare Lemon Filling (10-15 minutes): In medium saucepan, whisk lemon juice, zest, sugar, eggs, and egg yolks until smooth. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly with rubber spatula, scraping sides and bottom, until thickened and coats back of spatula (8-10 minutes). Remove from heat, stir in butter pieces until melted and smooth. Let cool 10 minutes.
  5. Fill the Tart: Pour lemon curd into baked tart shell, smooth top with spatula. Chill in fridge at least 2 hours to set.
  6. Whip the Cream (5 minutes): Using electric mixer, whip heavy cream with powdered sugar and vanilla until soft peaks form. Avoid overwhipping.
  7. Serve: Dollop or pipe whipped cream over set lemon tart just before serving. Garnish with extra lemon zest or thin lemon slices if desired.

Notes

Cold butter is key for a flaky crust; keep ingredients chilled and work quickly. Stir lemon filling constantly over low heat to avoid scrambling eggs. If lemon curd is too loose after chilling, let tart sit at room temperature for 10 minutes before serving. Whip cream just until soft peaks form to avoid graininess. Tart can be made a day ahead; add whipped cream fresh before serving. For gluten-free crust, substitute almond flour. For dairy-free, use coconut oil crust and whipped coconut cream.

Nutrition

Keywords: lemon tart, lemon dessert, whipped cream, easy lemon tart, zesty lemon, quick dessert, tart recipe, homemade lemon curd

Find it online: https://evabakery.com/easy-zesty-lemon-tart-recipe-with-creamy-whipped-cream-for-perfect-dessert/