Celebrate summer with this delicious nectarine tart. Summer brings in some delicious nectarines that are soft, sweet yet tart with a pretty orange color flesh on the inside. This cream cheese nectarine tart takes this fruit to its ultimate luxury but still keeping it creamy, sweet, tangy and fruity. Wheater you use homemade or store-bought shortcrust pastry this dessert is a must-try in summer.
Summer brings the absolute abundance of amazing stone fruits and berries. One of the reasons I get so excited about summer as a blogger; is I always have good reason to create such awesome recipes.
As a cake decorator, I almost hate summer because the frosting is always melting on me!!. I have to work quickly. Transporting the cake in this heat is crazy. So I have to always think of ways to get it done in time.
Back to the happy side. I had a few extra nectarines last week and knew I had to do something. Since I already made you a Nectarine Frangipani Tart last year I thought...... well just make something different. So I made this Cream Cheese nectarine Tart. You gonna love it. It's so creamy and rich!!
About this tart
This is super simple and easy to make and a great summer dessert to take with you to BBQ parties and dinner invitations. It does not take a lot of effort to make this cake pretty. Just look at all that fruit on top? The filling for this nectarine tart is a custard based filling with cream cheese which is why its called cream cheese nectarine tart. The cream cheese is rich and creamy while the nectarines are naturally tart. No matter how young or old you are? you are going to love this dessert.
We usually have it just as is, but my kids swear it tastes better with vanilla ice cream. I think they are using an excuse to eat some ice cream. I think it's just delish on its own.
Ingredients and substitutes
- Nectarine - I am using fresh nectarines in the season but you can use peaches if those are preferred.
- Cream Cheese - Today I am using 18% Mascarpone cheese but a slightly lighter cheese will work just as well.
- Lemon juice - does not add any flavor but does help enhance the flavors.
- Sugar - I'm using white fine grain sugar. You are welcome to use brown sugar - just mix until it's well combined and dissolved.
Homemade shortcrust pastry
I am using homemade rich shortcrust pastry using the creaming method. And yet, you can also use my sweet shortcrust pastry using the classic cutting method. Alternatively, you can use a store-bought shortcrust pastry that is easily available in any supermarket these days. You can find these ready to roll or already prebaked.
For ready to roll pastry - follow my method below - roll and line the pastry tart. Bake it with pie weight for 20 minutes then without pie-weight until golden brown.
Step by step instructions (Pin)
Prepare shortcrust pastry
- Cream butter and sugar for just a minute until well combined.
- Add the vanilla, salt and egg yolk - and combine well.
- Lastly, fold the flour - fold until combined.
- Make a disc and wrap in plastic/cling wrap.
- Chill the dough in the refrigerator for at least two hours until firm to roll.
- Roll the dough between two pieces of parchment paper dusted with flour.
- Once you've reached the desired size or thickness - peel away the bottom layer of the parchment paper.
- Lift the edges of the parchment paper and invert the crust into the tart pan. Then peel away the second parchment paper.
- Gently press the dough into the tart pan making sure to press down into the shape of the pan.
- Trim the excess dough at the edges with a rolling pin, or your thumb.
- Chill the tart shell for a minimum of 30 minutes.
Blind bake the tart shell
- Preheat the oven at 190 C/ 375F.
- Line the chilled dough with parchment paper or foil.
- Fill the inside of the shell with pie weights.
- Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until the edges are lightly starting to brown.
- Remove the pie weights and parchment paper.
- Set aside to cool.
Prepare fruit
- Wash and pat dry the nectarines
- Chop each in half - remove the seed
- Slice each half into slices but keep the half shape intact.
Make the filling
- Combine all remaining filling ingredients in a bowl.
- Use a whisk to ensure no lumps
Combine
- Pour the filling into the pre-baked pastry shell
- Gently pick the sliced nectarine halves and arrange them in the tart
- You want the halves to say intact but at a slight angle.
Bake
- Reduce the oven temperature to 170 C / 340 F
- Continue to bake the tart for an additional 30 to 35 minutes or until the cream cheese looks set.
- Cool completely before serving.
Serve
- This can be served at room temperature or cold.
- Just on its own dusted with powder sugar if you prefer or
- Served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side.
Frequently asked questions
Absolutely, this filling works great with all stone-fruits. Try peaches for a peach tart, plums for a cream cheese plum tart, apricots for a cream cheese apricot tart or a combination of any of these.
Yes, ready-to-roll shortcrust pastry can be found easily in most supermarkets. Roll, blind-bake and fill just as I have shown in the video using homemade shortcrust pastry.Â
Yes, this filling is made with eggs, cream, and cream cheese, which are highly
perishable. So yes, a dessert made with frangipane needs to be refrigerated.Â
Yes, you can make the filling up to 2 days in advance and store it in the fridge well wrapped in an airtight container. However, once you put it in the unbaked pastry tart, then you cannot keep it in the fridge for more than an hour since the mixture will make the pastry soggy.
The quantity of almond cream is just enough for a 9-inch tart pan. However, if you roll the shortcrust pastry too thick there will be less space in the tart for the filling. It is best to avoid overfilling the tart to prevent it overflowing. The excess filling can make the shortcrust pastry soggy.
SAVE THIS RECIPE ON PINTEREST FOR LATER. TRIED MY RECIPE? SHARE IT WITH ME, PLEASE.
Share a picture of your work with me by uploading an image here below my image on this board. You can also find a collection of my tutorials and recipes here on Pinterest.
Cream Cheese Nectarine Tart
Print Pin Share on Facebook Grow-Me Share by Email RateDescription
Ingredients
Makes one 9-inch Tart
For the shortcrust pastry
- 1 ½ cup (190 g) All-purpose flour
- 4 oz (113 g) Butter (½ cup, 1 stick) unsalted, chilled, cubed
- ½ cup (60 g) Powdered sugar
- ⅛ tsp Salt
- 1 Egg yolk large
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract
Filling
- 4 Nectarines large
- 8 oz (226 g) Cream cheese
- ½ cup (100 g) Sugar
- ½ cup (120 ml) Milk
- 2 Eggs large
- 1 tbsp Lemon juice
- 2 tbsp All-purpose flour
- 1 tsp Vanilla
- ½ tsp Freshly grated nutmeg
Instructions
Prepare shortcrust pastry
- Cream butter and sugar for just a minute until well combined.
- Add the vanilla, salt and egg yolk - and combine well.
- Lastly, fold the flour - fold until combined.
- Make a disc and wrap in plastic/cling wrap.
- Chill the dough in the refrigerator for at least two hours until firm to roll.
- Roll the dough between two pieces of parchment paper dusted with flour.
- Once you've reached the desired size or thickness - peel away the bottom layer of the parchment paper.
- Lift the edges of the parchment paper and invert the crust into the tart pan. Then peel away the second parchment paper.
- Gently press the dough into the tart pan making sure to press down into the shape of the pan.
- Trim the excess dough at the edges with a rolling pin, or your thumb.
- Chill the tart shell for a minimum of 30 minutes.
Blind bake the tart shell
- Preheat the oven at 190 C/ 375F.
- Line the chilled dough with parchment paper or foil.
- Fill the inside of the shell with pie weights.
- Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until the edges are lightly starting to brown.
- Remove the pie weights and parchment paper.
- Set aside to cool.
Prepare Fruit
- Wash and pat dry the nectarines
- Chop each in half - remove the seed
- Slice each half into slices but keep the half shape intact.
Make the filling
- Combine all remaining filling ingredients in a bowl.
- Use a whisk to ensure no lumps
Combine
- Pour the filling into the pre-baked pastry shell
- Gently pick the sliced nectarine halves and arrange them in the tart
- You want the halves to say intact but at a slight angle.
Bake
- Reduce the oven temperature to 170 C / 340 F
- Continue to bake the tart for an additional 30 to 35 minutes or until the cream cheese looks set.
- Cool completely before serving.
Serve
- This can be served at room temperature or cold.
- Just on its own dusted with powder sugar if you prefer or
- Served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side.
Recipe Notes
- For homemade pastry keep the pastry chilled at all times. A chilled pastry will roll beautifully and will not shrink during baking.
The shortcrust pastry should be rolled thin so you have enough space for filling. Thick pastry when cut, is like a thick biscuit with very little filling. - Rich shortcrust pastry is best rolled between two sheets of parchment paper especially when you are new to pastry making.
- Do not skip pre-baking the tart. Prebaking the shell ensures the pastry is partially cooked before you add the delicate filling in the tart. The result is a crisp beautiful crust.
- Also, avoid cutting the fruit ahead of time - this will prevent any oxidization, as well as prevent the fruit from releasing too much juice ahead of time. Use fruits as soon as they are cut.
- Cover the edges of the tart if it starts to brown too much. You can use a pie shield or aluminum foil over the edges.
Nutrition Information
The nutrition information and metric conversion are calculated automatically. I cannot guarantee its accuracy. If this data is important to you please verify with your trusted nutrition calculator. Thank you
Annissa
This dessert looks so rich and creamy. The nectarine on top just screams summer! Yum!
Veena Azmanov
It is rich and creamy Annissa. Thanks