A heritage Cape Town tart named after Field Marshal Jan Smuts, featuring a buttery shortcrust shell filled with stewed dried apricots and finished with a silky vanilla custard. The contrast of jammy fruit against the pale, just-set custard makes this an elegant teatime classic loved across South Africa.
Prep Time25 mins
Cook Time45 mins
Total Time70 mins
Servings8
Yield8 servings
Nutrition Facts
Per serving (estimated)
- 345 kcalCalories
- 16 gFat
- 9 gSaturated Fat
- 44 gCarbs
- 2 gFiber
- 26 gSugar
- 6 gProtein
- 105 mgSodium
- 285 mgPotassium
- 75 mgCalcium
- 1.6 mgIron
- 4 mgVitamin C
- 210 mcgVitamin A
Ingredients
For the shortcrust pastry
- 200 g (1 2/3 cups) cake flour
- 125 g cold unsalted butter, cubed
- 2 tbsp caster sugar
- 1 large egg yolk
- 2-3 tbsp ice-cold water
- Pinch of fine sea salt
For the apricot filling
- 300 g (about 2 cups) dried Turkish apricots, halved
- 200 ml water
- 80 g (1/3 cup) caster sugar
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
For the custard topping
- 3 large eggs
- 1 large egg yolk
- 200 ml full-cream milk
- 150 ml pouring cream
- 60 g (1/4 cup) caster sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Ground cinnamon, for dusting
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Pulse the flour, salt, sugar, and cold butter in a food processor until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs, then add the egg yolk and just enough ice water for the dough to clump together.
- Turn the pastry out, press into a disc, wrap in cling film, and chill for 20 minutes. Roll it out on a floured surface and line a 23 cm (9 in) fluted tart tin with a removable base, trimming the edges.
- Line the shell with baking paper and fill with ceramic baking beans. Blind bake for 15 minutes, remove the paper and beans, then bake a further 6-8 minutes until the base is pale gold and dry to the touch. Set aside; reduce oven to 160°C (320°F).
- Meanwhile, combine the apricots, water, and sugar in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook gently for 10-12 minutes until the fruit is plump and very tender and the liquid has thickened to a light syrup. Stir in the lemon juice and vanilla.
- Spoon the warm apricot mixture evenly into the pre-baked shell and spread it out with the back of a spoon, leaving a thin border near the pastry edge.
- Whisk the eggs, extra yolk, milk, cream, sugar, and vanilla together until smooth. Carefully pour the custard over the apricots so it fills the shell almost to the rim.
- Bake the tart on the middle shelf for 25-30 minutes, until the custard is just set around the edges but still has a faint wobble in the centre. If the pastry rim browns too fast, loosely tent with foil.
- Cool the tart completely in the tin on a wire rack, then chill for at least 1 hour to let the custard firm up. Dust generously with ground cinnamon just before slicing and serving.
Cook’s Notes
- Chilling the pastry before rolling is essential to keep it crisp and prevent shrinkage during baking.
- Blind bake the shell thoroughly so the custard does not make the base soggy.
- Take the tart out of the oven while the centre still wobbles slightly; it will finish setting as it cools and avoids a cracked top.
- Serve slightly chilled with a spoonful of softly whipped cream or a cup of rooibos tea for a true Cape afternoon treat.
- The tart keeps well, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
More South Africa Recipes You’ll Love
Craving more flavors from South Africa? Try these traditional recipes:
- Grilled South African Lamb Chops with Chakalaka and Charred Corn
- Bunny Chow Durban Curry
- South African Pap and Chakalaka
