Cherry Tart Recipe

cherry tart with ground almond filling and sweet cherries on a vintage platter.

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Easy cherry tart recipe with juicy cherries, buttery crust, and just the right sweetness. Perfect for any occasion!

Prep Time50

Cook Time1 5

Chilling40

Course: Dessert, Pies and Cheesecakes

Cuisine: American

Servings: slices

Calories: 419kcal

Author: Adina

Equipment

Food processor preferably with a removable bottom 9 inches/ 23 cm
Fluted tart pan
Dried beans for blind baking, Note 1
Parchment paper

Ingredients

For the crust:

1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour Note 2
⅔ cup unsalted butter
½ cup confectioner’s sugar
a pinch of salt
2 medium egg yolks
the zest of 1 lemon

For the filling:

1.1 lb cherries Note 3
1 cup ground almonds
¾ cup confectioner’s sugar
2 medium eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons lemon juice

US - EU

Instructions

Pastry:

Make the pastry: Add the flour, butter, confectioners’ sugar, lemon zest, and a pinch of salt to a food processor. Pulse until the mixture looks crumbly. Add the egg yolks and pulse again for just a few seconds - 5 to 10 should do it - until the dough starts to come together. Don’t overmix.
1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour + ⅔ cup unsalted butter + ½ cup confectioner’s sugar + a pinch of salt + 2 medium egg yolks + the zest of 1 lemon
Chill the dough: Tip the mixture onto your work surface, gently bring it together with your hands to form a ball (don’t knead), then flatten it slightly into a disk. Wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 20–30 minutes.
Pit the cherries: Meanwhile, pit the cherries and lightly butter the fluted tart pan.
1.1 lb cherries
Roll out the dough: Take the dough out of the fridge and press it into a rough circle with your hands. Place it in the tart pan, then use your (cold) fingers to press it evenly across the bottom and up the sides. Trim the edges to make them neat and even. Chill the pan again while you preheat the oven.
Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
Dock and weight the crust: Prick the bottom of the pastry all over with a fork. Line it with a large piece of parchment paper and fill with dried beans.
Blind bake for 12 minutes. Carefully remove the parchment and beans, then reduce the oven temperature to 350°F/180°C and bake for another 3-4 minutes, just until the crust looks dry.
Meanwhile, make the filling.

Filling:

Mix the filling: In a mixing bowl, whisk together the ground almonds, confectioners’ sugar, lightly beaten eggs, vanilla extract, and lemon juice until smooth.
1 cup ground almonds + ¾ cup confectioner’s sugar + 2 medium eggs + 1 teaspoon vanilla extract + 2 tablespoons lemon juice

Assemble and bake:

Fill the tart: Pour the almond filling into the pre-baked tart shell. Arrange the pitted cherries evenly over the top.
Bake cherry tart: Place the tart in the oven and bake for 20 minutes. Then, carefully cover the edges of the crust with foil to prevent overbrowning (see the blog post for photos). Continue baking for another 30 minutes, or until the filling is set and golden.
Cool the tart: Let the tart cool completely in the pan, then gently transfer it to a serving plate. Dust with a little confectioners’ sugar before serving.

Notes

Measurements: For best results, use a digital kitchen scale (the Amazon affiliate link opens in a new tab) when baking. It’s more accurate than measuring by cups and helps ensure consistent results.
Blind baking beans: You can reuse dried beans for blind baking. Just let them cool completely and store them in an airtight container. They’re no longer suitable for cooking, but perfect for future tarts and pies.
Cherries: You’ll need about 1 lb/ 450 g of pitted cherries. That means buying about 1.1-1.2 lbs 500–530 g of whole cherries. A cherry pitter (the Amazon affiliate link opens in a new tab) makes the job much faster and cleaner.

Nutrition