The simplicity of the egg custard cake is the foundation of its comforting comfort. That and the marriage of two contrasting textures: smooth, creamy custard and a crunchy, flaky pie crust.
Custard pie is a Southern favorite, often a nostalgic family recipe that lasts for generations. It’s simple, classic, and incredibly calming. If you grew up in the South, you probably have a relative who keeps making egg custard pies, but even those of us who don’t have a time-honoured family recipe can now make this comforting classic at home.
This recipe is the classic, the original dessert from which many other custard tarts are derived. Swap whole milk for buttermilk and you’ve got buttermilk pie, or thicken the pudding with cornmeal and you’ve got chess cake.
Tips and tricks for the best cake base
While there’s no shame in using a store-bought crust (it saves so much time!), there’s nothing quite like a buttery soft, flaky pie crust made from scratch. These tips will turn you into a pie crust expert so you can achieve the perfect pie crust every time.
- Keep cool: Mix the dough with cold ingredients and refrigerate the mixed dough before rolling to create an extra fluffy crust that’s easy to roll out. It can be helpful to dice the butter first and then refrigerate or freeze it for 20 minutes before mixing the batter. This will keep the butter from melting as it mixes with the flour, allowing you to achieve a fluffy crust.
- Get ahead: After mixing the dough, refrigerate for at least an hour before rolling out. This extra time in the fridge not only cools the dough, but also allows the flour to hydrate and the gluten to relax. Chilled dough is much easier to roll out and better retains the different layers of butter in the dough.
- A food processor makes quick work prepare a pie crust and cut the butter into the flour without melting it. Don’t fret if you don’t have a food processor; Cake batter is easy to mix by hand with a cookie cutter or just with your fingertips.
- Add the ice water one tablespoon at a time. You’ll know you’ve added enough water to the dough when a small handful of the crumbly dough holds together when you pinch it with your fingers.
- Bake blind the crust before adding the filling. With a runny filling like pudding, blind baking the crust ensures it’s crispy, flaky, and firm enough to hold the filling. Without blind baking, the crust would be too mushy.
How to make the pudding filling
The custard filling for this cake is a simple mixture of milk, butter, eggs, sugar, and flour, with a little vanilla extract and ground nutmeg for flavor. The pudding ingredients are whisked together in a large bowl and poured into the pre-baked pie crust. It is then carefully placed in the oven and baked at a low temperature to allow the custard to thicken slowly to prevent the eggs from curdling from overcooking.
Make-Ahead Pie Crust
While the custard filling can’t be made ahead of time, the crust gives you a head start. The pie crust can be made up to 2 days ahead and stored in the refrigerator, tightly wrapped in plastic. The pie dough can also be frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw the dough in the refrigerator overnight before rolling out the base.
You can even freeze the pre-baked crust. After the crust has cooled completely, double wrap in plastic and store in the freezer for up to a month. Allow the crust to thaw in the refrigerator overnight or 1 hour on the counter before pouring in the custard filling.
Storage Instructions
The cooled cake will keep tightly in the refrigerator, covered with foil or plastic wrap, for up to 5 days. The custard filling doesn’t freeze well, resulting in an uncomfortable texture after thawing.
If you want more cake
- Rhubarb Pudding Pie
- Coconut Cream Pie
- Pumpkin Chiffon Cake
- Peach Raspberry Pie
- Shoofly cake
egg custard cake
Recipe Note: To make the pie crust from scratch, allow an additional 15 minutes of practical time, plus 1 hour for chilling the dough.
Use an oven thermometer to check the temperature of your oven. The slightly gentler baking at 325°F ensures the pudding bakes evenly, preventing it from sinking and curdling.
ingredients
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1 store-bought or homemade cake base
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1 cup (200g) sugar
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2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
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1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
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1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
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4 large eggs
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2 tablespoons (28 g) unsalted butter, melted
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2 cups (480 ml) whole milk
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1 tablespoon vanilla extract
method
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Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350°F.
Lightly grease a 9-inch pie plate with butter.
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Roll out the homemade crust:
Lightly dust your countertop with flour. Use a rolling pin to roll the dough into a 12 inch circle that is about 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick.
To roll the dough, start in the center and roll outwards to the edges. Twist the dough as you roll it so the dough stays circular. If the dough starts to stick, lightly dust the dough or rolling pin with more flour.
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Transfer dough to cake plate:
Carefully transfer the batter into a 9-inch cake pan. To do this while minimizing the risk of tearing the dough, use the rolling pin to roll up the dough and then roll it out in the cake pan. Gently press in the batter to line the lightly greased cake pan.
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Pinch edges of pie dough together and then freeze:
Roll and fold the excess pastry to build up the edges, trimming off excess pastry as you work around the cake pan. Use your fingers or a fork to curl the edges of the pie dough. Place the crust in the freezer, unwrapped, to chill until the oven has preheated.
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Prepare dough for pre-baking:
Remove the chilled crust from the freezer. Line the inside of the crust with enough heavy-duty aluminum foil or parchment paper to extend past the edges. These form handy handles for easy removal later and protect the edge of the crust from over-browning. Fill about two-thirds full with pie weights or dried beans. This will ensure the crust doesn’t puff up as it bakes.
If you need more tips and tricks for blind baking a pie crust, here’s a good resource!
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Pre-bake the crust:
Bake the crust for 45 to 50 minutes or until lightly golden. Remove the foil and pie weights and allow the crust to cool slightly while you prepare the filling.
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Reduce the oven temperature:
Reduce the oven temperature to 325°F.
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make filling:
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the sugar, flour, salt and nutmeg.
Beat in the eggs, followed by the melted butter, then the milk and vanilla extract. The filling will be quite runny and light yellow.
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Bake a cake:
You can place the pie on a baking sheet before adding the filling to the pre-baked crust (this will ensure nothing spills in your oven).
Pour the filling into the pre-baked crust. Carefully slide the cake into the oven and bake for 50 to 55 minutes. The custard should be firm around the edges but still wobbly in the middle. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of the cake should read 170°F to 175°F. The pudding may seem too runny, but will continue to set as it cools.
If the edges of the cake are getting too dark, you can cover them with a cake protector or strips of aluminum foil.
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Cool and chilled:
Remove the cake from the oven and let cool to room temperature on a wire rack. Once completely cool, store the cake in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
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