Every summer when strawberries are at their peak, I find myself making this Tarte de Morango recipe. It is one of those desserts that looks impressive but comes together with ingredients you likely already have in your kitchen. My family cannot get enough of it, and I have a feeling yours will feel the same way!
What is Tarte de Morango?
Tarte de Morango is a Portuguese strawberry tart made with a soft, buttery cake batter topped with fresh strawberries and a cinnamon sugar crust. Unlike a traditional flaky pastry tart, this one bakes up golden and tender — somewhere between a cake and a tart. It is a humble, homestyle dessert that shows up at family gatherings throughout Portugal and in Azorean homes here in New England all summer long.
How to Make This Tarte de Morango Recipe
The batter comes together quickly with a hand mixer — cream the butter and sugar, add your eggs and vanilla, then fold in the flour mixture. Pour it into a springform pan or a deep dish pie plate, arrange your fresh strawberries on top, squeeze a little lemon juice over everything, and finish with a cinnamon sugar coating before it goes in the oven. Forty-five minutes later you have a gorgeous golden tart that smells like summer.
Tips for the Best Tarte de Morango
- Use fresh strawberries. This is not the recipe for frozen. Fresh strawberries at peak ripeness make all the difference in both flavor and texture.
- Room temperature ingredients matter. Make sure your butter and eggs are at room temperature before you start — it helps the batter come together smoothly and evenly.
- Don’t skip the lemon juice. It brightens the strawberry flavor and balances the sweetness of the cinnamon sugar topping.
- Springform pan vs. pie plate. A 9-inch springform pan gives you clean sides and an easy release. A deep dish pie plate works just as well — just give it a good grease. Maria uses an 11½-inch pie plate and adds a handful of blueberries on top for extra color.
- Let it cool before cutting. The tart needs time to set after coming out of the oven. Slice it too soon and it will fall apart. Worth the wait.
- Serve it with ice cream. Maria’s family tradition — a scoop on the side takes this from simple to unforgettable.
A good springform pan makes this recipe much easier to work with and gives you that clean presentation. I use mine constantly for tarts and cakes alike — here’s one you might like.
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Serving and Storing
This tart is best served the day it is made, either at room temperature or slightly warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. If you have leftovers, cover the pan with plastic wrap and store it in the refrigerator for up to two days. Let it come back to room temperature before serving — the texture is much better when it isn’t cold straight from the fridge.
PrintStrawberry Tart / Tarte de Morango
