This Cherry Vanilla Shortbread Tart recipe makes a stunning summer dessert that’s packed with cherries and vanilla in every luscious bite!
I love the time of year when you walk into the grocery store and see huge displays of beautiful fresh cherries. It’s a sure sign that summer is arriving and even though I have a cherry tree in my back yard, and I know that before long I’ll have more cherries than I know what to do with, I still can’t resist picking them up.
Shortbread tart is one of my favorite summer desserts, I have recipes for Blueberry Lemon Shortbread Tart and Raspberry and White Chocolate Shortbread Tart, catering for whatever your fruit preference is.
Why This Recipe Works
- Vanilla bean paste in the shortbread crust and icing adds an amazing depth of flavor along with the cherries.
- Using both fresh cherries and cherry preserves gives the ultimate cherry taste that can’t be beat!
How to make cherry vanilla shortbread tart
- Make the pastry.
- Press dough into a pan.
- Spread cherries and cherry filling.
- Crumble more dough on top.
- Bake for around 40 minutes.
- Drizzle with icing.
- Serve & enjoy!
Step By Step Instructions
Beat the butter, sugar, and vanilla until fluffy.
Sift the flour. Add the flour to the butter mixture and mix until large crumbs form.
Press 2/3 of the dough into the pan (saving the rest for the topping).
Spread the cherry preserves and cherries over the dough.
Crumble the remaining dough over the top.
Bake for around 40 to 50 minutes. Until golden. Drizzle with the icing.
Serve and enjoy!
Other Great Tarts
Did you make this?
Stay Updated
Receive new recipes & dinner ideas straight to your inbox!
Let’s Make Cherry Vanilla Shortbread Tart
Ingredients
For The Base
- 1 cup butter at room temperature
- ½ cup sugar
- ¼ cup light brown sugar packed
- 1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste or pure vanilla extract
- 2⅓ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
For The Filling
- 1 cup cherry preserves or good quality cherry jam
- 1 cup fresh or frozen pitted cherries Note: if using frozen cherries, defrost before using and strain the juices.
For the vanilla icing:
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla paste or vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoons melted butter
- 1-2 tablespoons milk
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F/160C.
- Grease a 9-inch removable-bottom tart pan and place this on a baking tray.
- Using a food processor or mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter, sugar, vanilla and brown sugar vigorously until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. It’s an important step to beat the butter and sugar well together when making shortbread as this ensures the shortbread is light, crisp and will hold together.
- In a separate bowl, sift the flour and salt. Add it to the butter mixture and mix until blended (forming large clumps).
- Turn onto a floured surface and using floured hands, press two-thirds of the mixture evenly into the prepared pan (including the sides).
- Spread with the cherry preserves or jam evenly over the dough, leaving a 1⁄4-inch border and then scatter with the cherries.
- Crumble the remaining dough into large crumbs and scatter evenly over the filling, covering most of the surface.
- Bake the tart for 40 – 45 minutes, until lightly browned.
- Leave to cool completely in the pan.
For the Vanilla icing:
- In a small bowl whisk together the powdered sugar, vanilla, butter and one tablespoon of the milk. If it looks too thick, you can add a second tablespoon of milk.
- Drizzle the cooled tart with the icing, remove from the pan and serve on the base.
Nutrition Information:
Are you making this recipe? I love to see your creations so please tag @ErrensKitchen on Instagram and hashtag it #ErrensKitchen
Taylor says
The shortbread is so buttery and delicious! And love that fresh cherry flavor!
Lora says
Oh, how lucky to have a cherry tree!! I would totally enjoy a slice right now with my coffee! Great recipe!
Kimberly says
Beautiful! That looks so delicious and I’m craving a big slice of it right now topped with some vanilla ice cream!
Dorothy Reinhold says
I bet that vanilla paste makes the biggest difference! I can’t wait to try this treat!
Annie says
My family really loved this!
Anna says
I love how simple this tart was to make! It is absolutely delicious!
Sigrid Sindel says
This recipe is in my Tried and True and Yum folder on Pinterest. It is delicious! Gets rave reviews every time I make it. I like to make it with the Stonewall Kitchen cherry jam, which has a nice tartness to it, and with fresh blueberries instead of cherries.
Erren's Kitchen says
That is lovely to hear thank you Sigrid!
Marissa G. says
Made this today! I added lemon zest to the cherries to balance the sweetness of the icing and made a quick “jam” instead of buying some since I didn’t have any. 2C chopped cherries, 1.75 C sugar, .5 tsp butter, 1Tbsp lemon juice brought to a boil and simmered for 20-25 minutes. Let it cool and pour it in the crust just like this recipe says. Great consistency and flavor!
Erren's Kitchen says
I’m so glad you enjoyed it Marissa, and thanks for your feedback!
Michele says
I am going to make this to take to church for a dessert auction. What could I use to cook/put it in/on to transport it easily???
Erren's Kitchen says
Hi Michele, best thing I can suggest is that you bake it in a cake tin that you can push the base up out of, so you can bake it in it and then once transported, take it out? Hope this helps!
Tina Karatz says
This turned out as delicious as it looked. For anyone baking in the UK, please note the correct conversion of 350F = 175-180C (not 160C as noted on the recipe conversion to metric); important as that can ruin your pastry!
Thanks for the wonderful recipe and happy baking to everyone