This tart is a crisp shortcrust shell filled with a thick, glossy blood orange curd that gets a quiet warmth from a small amount of grated tonka bean. It takes about 1 hour 15 minutes start to finish, and both the curd and the pastry shell can be made ahead — which makes it genuinely useful for a dinner party or a weekend where you want dessert ready before guests arrive. Blood oranges have a short season, so if you see them at the market, this is a good use for them.
Before you start
Two things determine whether this tart works. First, the curd needs to be completely cold before it goes into the shell — not just warm, fully cold. A warm curd releases steam inside the pastry and softens the base within an hour, so plan to make the curd first and refrigerate it while the dough chills and bakes. Second, when you temper the cornstarch into the hot orange mixture, whisk out every lump before adding it back to the pot. Any unblended starch will cook into small gel pockets that show up in the finished curd. Take the extra minute to get it smooth — it matters more here than in most stovetop puddings because the curd is spread thin and any texture is visible.
If something goes sideways
- Curd is too runny after cooling: It likely needed another 30–60 seconds of boiling after the cornstarch went in. Pour it back into the saucepan, bring it to a gentle boil, and stir constantly for another minute. It will thicken further as it cools again.
- Pastry shrinks badly during baking: The dough was not rested long enough, or it was stretched rather than pressed into the pan. If you have leftover dough scraps, patch any cracks after baking and before filling — the curd will hide the repair completely.
- Curd tastes flat or one-dimensional: Blood orange flavor varies a lot by batch. If yours tastes dull after cooling, stir in an extra teaspoon of fresh blood orange juice and a small pinch of fine salt directly into the cold curd before spreading.
- Tonka bean flavor is too strong: A quarter teaspoon is the maximum — if your grater is fine and you went heavy, the curd can taste medicinal. There is no fix once it is in, but serving the tart with a small spoonful of plain whipped cream alongside each slice dials the intensity back noticeably. Skip the garnish of orange slices — not worth the extra dish.
- Pastry base is soft and soggy by the time you serve: The curd was either still warm when spread, or the tart sat assembled in the fridge for more than 24 hours. The shell holds best if you fill it no more than a few hours before serving. Store the baked shell and the curd separately if you are working ahead.
Blood Orange Tart
Ingredients
Blood Orange Curd Ingredients
- 1 cup blood orange juice
- 1 ½ cups raw cane sugar
- 1 packet vanilla sugar (8 g or about 1½ teaspoons)
- ¼ cup corn starch
- 150 grams butter
- ⅔ cup cream
- 1 large blood orange finely grated zest of 1 blood orange
- ¼ teaspoon grated tonka bean (or ½ teaspoon (2.5 ml) vanilla extract)
Short Pastry Ingredients
- 7 tablespoons cold butter + butter to grease the pan
- 1⅔ cups flour
- 1 medium egg
- 1 pinch salt
Instructions
For the Blood Orange Curd:
- Mix juice, sugar and vanilla sugar and bring to a boil. Boil for 5 minutes, then add the butter and stir until it melts. Add the cream, stir again and boil for another 5 minutes.
- Mix the corn starch with 10 tablespoons of the orange mixture and whip until all lumps are dissolved. Now add this and the grated tonka bean to your orange mixture and boil again for about 1 minute until it has a thick consistency. Add the orange zest and let it cool completely.
For the Short Pastry:
- Cut the butter into small cubes and put them in a large bowl together with all the other ingredients. Now knead thoroughly until you have a smooth dough (this might take a while until all the flour is incorporated). Form a ball, wrap it into a cling film, and place it in the fridge for about 30 minutes. Grease a tart pan and line the bottom with baking paper that is cut into a round shape. Preheat the oven to 200°C / 390°F (180°C / 355°F fan-forced) with the rack in the centre position.
- When the dough is ready, roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface to about 3mm (⅛ inch) thickness and carefully press it into the prepared tart pan, trimming any excess from the edges. Prick the base all over with a fork (dock it), then bake for 18-20 minutes until the pastry is golden brown and feels dry to the touch.
- When your short pastry comes out of the oven, let it cool down a little and remove it from the pan.
- Spread the blood orange curd onto the pastry and decorate with some orange slices.
Nutrition
Your questions, answered
Can I make the curd a few days ahead?
Yes — the blood orange curd keeps well in the fridge for up to 5 days in a sealed container. Press a piece of plastic wrap directly onto the surface before sealing to prevent a skin from forming.
What can I do with leftover curd?
It works exactly like lemon curd — spread it on toast, stir it into yogurt, or use it as a filling for crepes or thumbprint cookies. Because the recipe makes a generous amount, it is worth keeping the extra in a jar rather than scaling down.
Can I use regular oranges if I can’t find blood oranges?
Regular navel or Valencia oranges will work and the curd will taste good, but the color will be pale yellow rather than deep ruby. The flavor will also be sweeter and less complex, so add an extra tablespoon of fresh lemon juice to compensate for the missing acidity.
Is tonka bean safe to use?
Tonka bean is widely used in European baking and is sold in specialty food stores and online. The quantity in this recipe — one quarter teaspoon grated — is a culinary amount, well within normal use. If you cannot find it or prefer to avoid it, the recipe card lists half a teaspoon of vanilla extract as a direct substitute.
Can I bake the pastry shell the day before?
Yes, and it is actually a good idea. A fully cooled, unfilled shell stored at room temperature in the pan overnight stays crisp and is ready to fill the next day. Do not refrigerate the unfilled shell — condensation will soften it.
What to cook next
- Sunshine in a Jar: Classic British Lemon Curd
- Zesty French Lemon Cake
- Melt-in-Your-Mouth Scottish Shortbread Cookies
- Classic Apple Crumble
