Cookbooks
Never Say Never to Dolce
A brand-new collection of 50 approachable homemade desserts – from iconic Cannoli to Dolci al Cucchiaio and more – that proves there’s always room for a little sweetness.
Manuela’s Sweet Temptations
A collection of 50 irresistible dessert recipes, from classic Italian treats to modern favorites—including gluten-free options.
The Complete Italian Cookbook: Essential Regional Cooking of Italy
A collection of 50 irresistible dessert recipes, from classic Italian treats to modern favorites—including gluten-free options.
Soft Italian Crostata with Cream and Strawberries
Treat yourself to this picture-perfect soft crostata filled with velvety Italian custard cream and sunshine-sweet strawberries compote. A taste of Italy in every bite!
Today, I present you this beautiful and mouthwatering Italian dessert that I’m sure is going to impress your guests. An extra-soft crostata base topped with a thick and luscious layer of creamy Italian custard, covered with a juicy and sweet strawberry sauce.
So good! Take a look …
Now, let’s break the recipe down step by step, so you can recreate this heavenly dessert in your own kitchen.
First up, let’s talk about that crust. This is not the usual crostata crust, made with Italian pasta frolla, similar to a buttery cookie crust. This one is way different. It’s a soft, vanilla-flavored, soft and buttery cake-type of crust. This means that all you have to do is mix the ingredients in a large mixing bowl, just like you would do for any cake. No rolling pin and no waiting for the dough to chill. Just mix the batter and pour it onto the tart pan.
For this specific soft crostata, you can use your regular tart or quiche pan. OR this!
I bought this mold on Amazon and I LOVE IT! No removable bottom, but it’s nonstick and, when greased well, you can easily release the tart. When flipping the tart upside down to decorate, there’s a little edge on top that lets you easily fill the middle with cream or fruit,… or your favorite topping.
And as you can see, I overdid it a little with the custard cream but you know what?!? It’s really the best part. Every bite is filled with half cake and half cream. Plus the strawberry sauce on top!. Dreamy.
Now, onto the custard. Traditional Italian custard, or crema pasticcera, is all about simplicity and richness. To achieve that velvety texture, make sure to whisk your eggs and sugar until they’re pale and fluffy before adding the milk. And when cooking the custard on the stove, be patient—it’ll thicken slowly, but the end result will be worth it!
This is my favorite recipe, as you know by now which I use for lots of desserts.
Finally, let’s talk about those strawberries. You are welcome to top with your favorite fruit. Fresh or compote. For this crostata, I cooked the strawberries with lemon juice and sugar to soften. Make sure to let them cool completely and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Oh, and remember to use the strawberry juice to soak the crostata base for extra moisture and strawberry flavor. Alternatively, you can spread the cake with some strawberry jam!
Please note that this cake can get messy really fast. So make sure to chill the cream before topping the cake base and assemble just before serving for the best result.
Here is my full video recipe that shows you how easy it is to decorate like I did. But you’re also welcome to do a simple layer of cream and top with the strawberries.
How to store this crostata:
To store any uneaten portions, simply place the dessert into an airtight container and refrigerate. It’ll keep well for a couple of days, but trust me—it probably won’t last that long!
Other Italian dessert recipes you might like:
Soft Italian Crostata with Cream and Strawberries
Treat yourself to this picture-perfect soft crostata filled with velvety Italian custard cream and sunshine-sweet strawberries compote. A taste of Italy in every bite!
Servings:
10
Prep Time
20 min
Cook Time
20 min
Resting Time
1 hr
Total Time
1 hr, 40 min
Ingredients
- 3 large eggs
- 1/2 cup (100 g) sugar
- 1/2 cup (115 g) plain yogurt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup (125 g) all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 4 large egg yolks
- 1/2 cup (100 g) sugar
- 1/3 cup (50 g) cornstarch
- 3 cups (700 ml) milk, hot
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) whipping cream
- 10 oz (280 g) strawberries, plus more to decorate
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1/2 lemon, juice
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375F (180C). Spray or grease with butter an 11-inch tart pan.
- Make the soft crostata base: In a large mixing bowl, add the eggs and sugar and beat with a hand mixer for 2 or 3 minutes until light and fluffy. Add the yogurt and vanilla extract and beat some more. Add the flour, baking powder, and salt, and mix on low (or by hand) until just combined. Don’t overmix. Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan. Level with a spatula or tilt the pan to even it out. Bake in the middle of the oven for about 15-20 minutes. Let it cool down to room temperature.
- Make the Italian cream: In a medium-sized pan, whisk the egg yolks with the sugar and cornstarch until light and fluffy. Add about 1/4 cup of hot milk and whisk until smooth. Gradually add the remaining hot milk while whisking. Place the pan over medium heat and stir continuously until it reaches a slow boil. The cream will thicken, so be careful not to let it stick to the bottom. Lower the flame and cook for a few more minutes until you reach the desired thickness. Whisk in the vanilla extract. Pour the cream into a glass bow, cover with plastic wrap, and let cool.
- Make the strawberry sauce: Cut the strawberries into pieces and place in a small saucepan with the sugar and lemon juice. Cook at medium heat for 5-10 minutes or until the strawberries have softened. Place into a glass bowl and let them cool down to room temperature.
- Whip the whipping cream to stiff peaks. Mix the prepared cream to soften and fold in the whipped cream some at at time. Place into a piping bag and refrigerate.
- When ready to serve, assemble the cake: invert onto your serving plate. Soak the top of the cake (which was the bottom) with some of the strawberry juice. Pipe the prepared cream to cover the top of the crostata. One inch from the edge, pipe the cream in dots using a round tip (or simply cut the piping bag straight). With a wet small spoon slide the tip of a small wet spoon over each bump from outside toward the inside. Place the strawberry sauce in the middle and decorate with a couple of fresh strawberries if you like. Serve right away.
