South Africa | Dessert

Milk Tart

South African milk tart with a sweet pastry shell, creamy milk custard, and cinnamon on top.

Country
South Africa
Region
Southern Africa
Time
70 min
Serves
8
Level
medium
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Recipe overview

What to know before you cook

Use this overview to check the occasion, serving ideas, regional context, and cooking commitment before you begin.

When to cook it

Best for tea time, Sunday dessert, birthdays, and make-ahead entertaining.. Plan on a medium cook and about 70 minutes total.

What to serve alongside it

Rooibos tea, coffee, or fresh fruit.

Regional lane

Braai sides and sweet table. Relishes, custards, puddings, and tea-table desserts.

Chef watch-outs
  • Rushing the base before the raw edge has cooked out.
  • Adding all seasoning early and forgetting to adjust at the end.
  • Cooking on heat that is too high once the dish should be steaming or simmering.
How you know it is ready
  • The aroma should smell rounded rather than raw or sharp.
  • Oil, sauce, broth, or steam should look settled and deliberate.
  • The final texture should match the dish style before you plate it.
Pantry lane

curry powder, apricot jam, chakalaka, mince, custard

Chef board

Build the table around Milk Tart

Rooibos tea, coffee, or fresh fruit.

Best route from here

Braai sides and sweet table

Collections to keep cooking
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Servings 8

Scale the dish before you shop, then use the checklist while you cook.

How to cook it

Step-by-step method

Keep the rhythm calm, watch the texture, and adjust seasoning at the end.

Back to South Africa
4 steps 30 min prep 40 min cook 70 min total medium
1
Infuse the milk
Heat milk with the cinnamon stick until steaming. Turn off heat and let it infuse briefly, then remove the stick.
infuse 10:00
2
Mix the custard
Whisk sugar, eggs, cornstarch, flour, and salt until smooth. Slowly whisk in hot milk.
temper eggs 05:00
3
Cook until thick
Return custard to the pot and cook over medium-low heat, whisking constantly, until thick and glossy. Stir in butter and vanilla.
Kitchen noteWhisk the corners of the pot so no starch clumps hide there.
cook custard 10:00
4
Fill and chill
Pour custard into the pastry shell, dust with cinnamon, and chill until set before slicing.
chill 180:00

Some versions bake the custard in the shell, while others cook the custard first and set it in a blind-baked crust.

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