La Tarte Tropézienne, dessert for the jet set

Last week, in my article about Saint Tropez, I introduced la Tarte Tropézienne that was invented by a local baker, and became famous during the filming of the cult movie "And God Created Woman" (Et Dieu … créa la femme) in 1956. All the movie casts were so thrilled by the creamy cake, that its inventor, Alexandre Micka, decided to register the name and patented the recipe. La Tarte Tropézienne became a huge success with the stars and other jet setters vacationing in St Trop. The rest is history.

When you go to St Tropez, you will quickly realize that almost every pâtisserie shop is selling the famous pie. Of course, everybody has their own recipe, and it is an impossible task to find the one that will create the perfect combination of lightness without compromising the flavors. The secret lies in the quality of the Crème pâtissière (vanilla custard) that is spread inside the cake.

While making some searches for the perfect combination, I was lucky to find a recipe of la Tarte Tropézienne developped by Christophe Felder, ex chef pâtissier at the Crillon, a five stars Parisian palace. The recipe is not very difficult to execute, but does require a stand mixer and 2h30 to proof. The result is a delicate creamy cake with a delicious and light Crème pâtissière that will make you say ... Encore! Why not surprise your guests or family with this unusual dessert. Open a bottle of rosé from Le Château d'Esclans and you can definitely pretend for a moment that you are jet setting on the French Riviera. Bon Appétit!

The creamy custard is flavored with vanilla beans and orange blossom extract.


La Tarte Tropézienne can be enjoyed with some red berries or premium vanilla ice cream.


Napkin and placemat from Les Olivades, a company from Marseilles that has been creating premium Provençal textiles and tableware since 1648

La Tarte Tropézienne
(Recipe for 8 servings - I strongly recommend the use of a precise electronic scale)

Brioche dough (Pâte briochée)
50g + 225g flour
40g milk, room temperature
10g fresh yeast, flaked
40g sugar
15 cl (5 fl oz) milk
1 egg, room temperature
5g salt
60g soft butter
1 tbsp Rum or Brandy (optional)

Vanilla custard (Crème pâtissière)
1 egg + 1 yolk
50g sugar
40g soft butter
25g cornstarch (Maizena)
50g whipped cream
4 tbsp orange blossom extract
25 cl (8.5 fl oz) milk
1 vanilla bean, split in half longwise

Finishing touches (Dorure)
1 egg
50g hail sugar
powdered sugar

Preparing the pâte briochée

Gently combine the yeast, 50g flour and 40g milk with a spatula in your stand mixer bowl. Cover with 225g flour (don't stir), and let proof for 1 hour at room temperature. After that, the levain (sourdough) should have created some furrows in the flour, meaning it's ready to be worked.

Add the sugar, salt, 15 cl milk and egg, and mix for 1 minute. Add the 60g soften butter and rum, and mix for 10 another minutes. The dough should detach itself from the bowl and be "elastic". Wrap in plastic and let rest in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Preparing the crème pâtissière

In a saucepan, boil the milk with the vanilla bean and let it infuse for 15 minutes (up to 30 minutes). Discard the vanilla bean and whip in the sugar, cornstarch, and eggs. Put the saucepan back on medium heat while stirring constantly with a wire whip until the cream starts to thicken. Remove from the heat, and quickly add the soft butter and let it cool off. When almost cold, incorporate with a spatula the orange blossom extract, then with great care, the whipped cream. The crème pâtissière is ready. Cover and keep in the fridge.

Assembling the cake

Flour your work station and roll the dough to fit a 10” (26cm) pie tin. Tuck the brioche dough in a greased pie or flan tin, cover with a cloth and let proof for 45 minutes at room temperature.

Preheat your oven at 350˚F (175˚C) 15 minutes before the end of the proofing. Beat the egg and apply on the top of the dough. Sprinkle with the hail sugar and bake for 25 minutes.

Finishing the Tarte Tropeziénne
Once baked and cooled, split the cake in half using a serrated knife, and spread the crème pâtissière on the bottom side. Put the top side back and sprinkle with powdered sugar. Refrigerate before serving.

The Tarte Tropeziénne can be kept 5 days in the fridge, but it is my absolute promise that it won't last that long!

Notes
This recipe was first published in the delicious French magazine Elle a Table. Christophe Felder has published many different cookbooks that may inspire you to more French cooking.