Here’s a traditional, creamy and delicious South African Melktert (Milk Tart) recipe🥧
Melktert is a classic dessert with a sweet pastry crust and a smooth, cinnamon-topped milk custard filling. It’s lighter than many baked custards and a favourite at family gatherings.
📝 Ingredients
For the Pastry (Shortcrust Base)
- 125 g butter (room temperature)
- ½ cup (100 g) sugar
- 1 egg
- 2 cups (250 g) cake flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- Pinch of salt
(You can also use ready-made shortcrust pastry to save time.)
For the Filling
- 4 cups (1 litre) full cream milk
- 1 cinnamon stick (optional but recommended)
- 2 tbsp butter
- ½ cup (100 g) sugar
- 2 eggs (separated)
- 3 tbsp cake flour
- 3 tbsp cornflour (Maizena)
- 1 tsp vanilla essence
- Ground cinnamon for sprinkling
👩🍳 Method
1️⃣ Make the Pastry
- Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add the egg and mix well.
- Sift in flour, baking powder, and salt.
- Mix to form a soft dough.
- Press into a greased tart dish (about 22–24 cm).
- Prick the base with a fork.
- Bake at 180°C (350°F) for 15–20 minutes until lightly golden.
- Allow to cool slightly.
2️⃣ Prepare the Filling
- Heat the milk with the cinnamon stick and butter (do not boil).
- In a separate bowl, whisk egg yolks and sugar until pale.
- Add flour and cornflour and mix until smooth.
- Slowly add some warm milk to the egg mixture (to temper it), then pour back into the pot.
- Cook gently, stirring continuously, until thick and smooth.
- Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.
- Beat egg whites until soft peaks form and gently fold into the warm custard mixture.
3️⃣ Assemble & Finish
- Pour the filling into the baked pastry shell.
- Sprinkle generously with ground cinnamon.
- Let cool completely, then refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.
🍰 Tips for the Perfect Melktert
✔ Don’t overcook the custard — it should be creamy, not rubbery.
✔ Use full cream milk for authentic richness.
✔ Some families prefer a no-bake fridge version with a biscuit base.
✔ Best served chilled.
