Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings 8
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups all purpose flour
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 1 stick and 6 tbsp unsalted butter at room temperature plus extra to grease the pan
- 1 egg plus 2 egg yolks
- ¼ tsp baking powder
- 1 lemon zest
- Pinch of salt
Brushing
- 1 egg
- Pinch of salt
Pastry cream for filling
- Please refer to my French Vanilla Pastry Cream recipe (link above).
Instructions
-
Mix flour, salt and baking powder in a bowl then set aside
-
In a large bowl whisk the egg, egg yolks, lemon zest, and sugar until light and fluffy.
-
Add the soft butter and mix it with a spatula until incorporated.
-
Pour in the flour mixture and mix to just combine. Don't overmix the dough!
-
Cover the dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours to firm up (the dough obtained is extremely soft).
-
Divide the dough into two unequal balls, one should be bigger than the other.
-
Place each ball on a parchment paper and pat into disc of about 1/8 inch thick. The parchment paper will make it easy to place the discs onto the pan.
-
Butter and slightly flour a 9 inch baking pan or tart pan.
-
Place the larger disc in the pan and press it into the corners. Make sure that the dough disc is big enough to cover the edges of the pan.
-
Prick the bottom of the disc with a fork.
-
Put the pastry cream on top to within ¾ inch of the edge. Spread the pastry cream evenly with a spatula.
-
Place the second disc on top of the pastry cream. Make sure to seal all the edges.
-
Trim dough along edge of the pan by using a rolling pin.
-
Brush the cake with a slightly salted beaten egg.
-
Use a folk to deeply score the top of the crust in a crosshatch pattern.
-
Prick the top of the cake with a knife in few places, to let the air escape.
-
Bake in a 350°F preheated oven for 45 minutes or until golden brown.
-
Let cool.