This gorgeous strawberry vanilla tart is the ultimate summer showstopper — light, fresh, and guaranteed to impress. With a buttery crispy crust, creamy almond filling, whipped vanilla ganache, and piles of juicy strawberries, it’s basically summer in dessert form!
Strawberry season is hitting us head on, and luckily our garden is bursting with sweet, juicy berries! If I manage to pick any before the kids get to them, I will definitely bake this incredible strawberry tart again. It was such a hit when I served it at a dinner party last weekend and I’m still drooling over the thought of that creamy vanilla ganache!
Strawberry desserts are always a crowd pleaser — with vibrant red strawberries, a crisp base, and plenty of creamy filling, what’s not to like? My version starts with a crisp tart crust filled with a creamy almond layer. Less sweet than a traditional frangipane or European pastry base, which makes it the perfect balance if you usually find the sweetness of strawberry tarts overwhelming. The almond layer is topped with a ruby-red layer of strawberry jelly, then finished with beautifully piped whipped vanilla ganache. It’s light, fluffy, and packed with vanilla flavor — a lovely alternative to traditional pastry cream. The tart is then topped with fresh strawberries that bring all the brightness and sweetness you want in a summer tart.
I love the way this tart balances sweet, creamy, and freshness in every bite. It’s not overly sweet, but full of flavor — and those beautiful strawberries on top make it look just as amazing as it tastes.
A light, pipeable cream made with white chocolate, heavy cream, gelatin, and vanilla. The ganache sets overnight in the fridge, then is whipped until fluffy and stable enough to pipe beautifully. It’s rich, yet fluffy — and perfect on tarts and cakes.
Perfect Cake for Summer Celebrations
This beautiful strawberry tart really looks delicious and impressive. It’s not difficult to make, but it’s guaranteed you’ll get some ‘ooohs’ and ‘aaahs’ when you serve it. You can decorate it however you like, but I kept it simple with the piped vanilla ganache, lots of fresh strawberries, a few dabs of strawberry syrup and a little fresh mint on top just to add a color pop of green.
For me, this is the ultimate summer celebration dessert — whether you’re hosting a birthday in the backyard, a garden party, or dinner with friends. It looks stunning and tastes even better.
How to Make the Strawberry Tart Ahead of Time
This strawberry tart has four components, and many of them can be prepared in advance — perfect when you’re hosting or short on time:
Tart crust with almond filling: Bake up to 1 month ahead and freeze, or bake the day before. Store in a plastic bag.
Vanilla ganache: Must be made the day before and chilled overnight. Pipe on the day of serving.
Strawberry jelly + syrup: Make and pour the jelly on the day you serve, as it can soften the crust if left too long. Reserve some juice to make a strawberry syrup for drizzling.
Piping + fresh strawberries: Decorate on the day of serving for best texture and presentation.
I baked my tart crust and made the ganache the day before. On the morning of, I made the jelly and let it set for a few hours before piping the ganache and topping with strawberries. After that, I stored the tart in the fridge until ready to serve — easy!
Strawberry Tart Ingredients
Here are some helpful notes about a few of the key ingredients — the full ingredients list is in the recipe below.
Strawberries: I always recommend using locally grown, organic strawberries for the best flavor. Medium-sized strawberries usually pack the most taste, so go for those.
Almond flour: The almond filling is made with almond flour, which can be pricey in stores. I always make my own by pulsing blanched almonds in a food processor or blender. Let them dry first (you can dry them on low temperature in the oven if you’re in a hurry), or leave the skins on for a more rustic texture. Just make sure not to pulse too long or you’ll end up with almond butter.
White chocolate: Quality really matters here! Use real chocolate, not chocolate melts or another substitute. My favorite brand is Callebaut W2.
This strawberry tart may look impressive and fancy, but it’s not difficult to make — it just takes a bit of time. And it’s more than worth it when you serve it to your guests!
Step 1. Make the Whipped Vanilla Ganache
The vanilla ganache needs to chill overnight, so start with that. Make a double batch of my vanilla ganache recipe and press plastic wrap directly onto the surface. Refrigerate overnight. The next day, whip until fluffy and transfer to a piping bag.
Step 2. Bake the Tart Crust with Almond Filling
Make your tart dough and blind-bake it in a perforated tart pan for the prettiest finish. You can also use a regular tart pan — just remember to use pie weights or beans to keep it from puffing up, and note that the dough may shrink slightly during baking. Pipe the almond filling into the tart shell and gently spread it into an even layer. Bake until golden brown.
Step 3. Make the Strawberry Jelly
Prepare the strawberry jelly and pour it onto the cooled tart. Reserve a bit of strawberry syrup for decorating later. The jelly will settle into a smooth, glossy layer on its own. Chill the tart until the jelly is fully set.
Step 4. Decorate the Tart
Rinse and slice the strawberries. Pipe the whipped ganache around the edges, then fill the center with as many strawberries as you can fit. Drizzle with strawberry syrup if you like, and finish with fresh mint leaves.
Strawberry Tart Variations
This beautiful strawberry tart is already a showstopper, but here are a few fun ways to change it up:
Swap strawberries for raspberries, blueberries, blackberries — or a mix!
Replace the jelly with a thin layer of melted dark chocolate for a more classic strawberry tart vibe.
Make mini tarts: Use small tart pans to make individual portions for each guest.
This stunning strawberry tart has a creamy almond filling, ruby-red strawberry gelée, whipped vanilla ganache, and plenty of fresh strawberries. It’s the ultimate summer dessert and sure to impress your guests.
Make the whipped vanilla ganache the day before serving. Follow the instructions in the recipe, press plastic wrap directly onto the surface, and chill overnight.
2 batches of my whipped vanilla ganache recipe
Tart crust:
Mix powdered sugar and cold butter in a bowl. Add flour, egg, and salt and knead until smooth. Form the dough into a ball, then roll it out between two sheets of parchment paper to about 3 mm (⅛ inch) thick circle, slightly larger than your tart pan.
80 g powdered sugar, 100 g cold butter, 230-250 g all-purpose flour, 1 egg, 1 pinch of salt
If using a perforated tart ring and baking mat:
Remove parchment paper and place dough on a perforated silicone mat or baking paper with holes poked in. Use a 20 cm (8 inch) tart ring to cut out the base. Roll out the extra dough into a strip. If the dough has warmed, chill it in the freezer for 15 minutes. Line the inside edge of the ring with the strip and trim the top with a sharp knife.
If using a traditional tart pan:
Grease a Ø24 cm (9 inch) tart pan and press the dough into it. Trim the top edge. Place parchment in the center and fill with rice, beans, or pie weights.
Blind-bake the crust at 180 °C (356 °F) for 10 minutes.
Almond filling:
While the crust bakes, beat butter, sugar, and almond flour until light and fluffy. Add egg and flour, and mix until smooth. Transfer to a piping bag.
110 g soft butter, 110 g sugar, 110 g almond flour*, 75 g egg, 1½ tbsp all-purpose flour
Pipe the almond mixture in an even layer onto the warm pre-baked crust. Smooth with an offset spatula. Bake for another 13–15 minutes, until the edges are lightly golden. Let cool on a wire rack.
Strawberry jelly:
Soak the gelatin sheets in cold water for 10 minutes.
2 sheets gelatin, 250 g frozen strawberries, 120 g sugar
Cook strawberries and sugar in a saucepan for a few minutes, until soft. Blend with an immersion blender. Rinse the saucepan, then strain the strawberry juice back into it. (Optional: save a few tablespoons for drizzling later).
Squeeze the water from the gelatin and stir it into the warm juice until dissolved. Set the tart on a serving plate and pour the strawberry jelly gently over the top. Chill for at least 1 hour until set.
To decorate:
Whip the chilled vanilla ganache until fluffy, then transfer to a piping bag fitted with a large tip. Pipe around the outer edge of the tart.
Rinse and cut the strawberries, and place them in the center. Optional: Drizzle a little strawberry syrup over the ganache and decorate with mint leaves.
250 g fresh strawberries, Fresh mint, Optional: Strawberry syrup
Notes
*You can make your own almond flour by blending blanched almonds in a food processor. Stop before they release oil or you’ll end up with almond butter.
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Hi, I’m Trine – home baker from Copenhagen, Denmark. “Bageglad” means happy to bake in Danish and I have been spreading this happiness on the blog since 2012. Today, it reaches more home bakers worldwide than I could ever have dreamed of! Thank you for visiting!
Hi, I’m Trine – home baker from Copenhagen, Denmark. “Bageglad” means happy to bake in Danish and I have been spreading this happiness on the blog since 2012. Today, it reaches more home bakers worldwide than I could ever have dreamed of! Thank you for visiting!
Time: 1 day 
Difficulty: Moderate
Yield: 12 servings
