Is the custard tart the next big bakery treat? - Eat Out

Jul 22, 2024

To the unsung hero of the bakeshop.

The custard tart is a staple of the Aussie bakery yet it doesn’t enjoy the glitz and glamour that the likes of the neenish tart or the vanilla slice do. But we think that the custard tart is due a comeback – though according to some, it never left.

Within weeks of launching their lo-fi tart reviews on Instagram, The Custard Boys, AKA @custardtartsofaustralia, – a group of true-blue mates with a passion for baked goods – have amassed over 26,000 followers, proving that the little tart the could is still a big part of many lives.

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If you grew up in Australia you’ll probably have memories of the custard tart; a palm-sized pastry crust, filled to the wobbling brim with neon-yellow egg custard and finished with a sprinkle of nutmeg for that exotic flair.

The custard tart has never been ‘cool’ per se, but it has been constant. Even as more elegant trends like laminated pastries, sourdough croissants, and even the tart’s Portuguese cousin the Pasteis de nata have taken centre stage, the custard tart has remained a mandatory cast member.

Now, we concede that many custard tarts out there are, well, rubbish. Made off-site, thawed in a bakery window, pale pastry packed with vegetable shortening, and “custard” that’s more xantham gum than egg – it’s a crime. However, when the real deal comes your way, it’s worth grabbing with two hands, though as The Custard Boys point out, if a tart has the right structural integrity, you won’t need both. “Building a custard tart’s like building a house, this thing’s not gonna survive an earthquake,” notes one tart reviewer, referencing a soggy-bottomed pastry.

Other criteria, according to the experts, include the correct disbursement of the nutmeg flourish, a real house-made custard (none of that “dumb cremeux”), a good amount of jiggle, and a pastry shell that crumbles without falling apart under pressure.

Although The Custard Boys’ 26.8K followers might argue that the tart doesn’t need a rebrand, it might be a good time to introduce to you the very fancy-sounding French flan patissier, or the Greek galaktoboureko, or the Argentinian casero, the South African melktert, or the aforementioned Pasteis de nata. Smooth, sweet baked custard, with pastry shells and cult followings. The corner bakehouse isn’t doing anything that millions of others around the world do without shame, and we reckon it’s time to celebrate that.