Soft Strawberry Crostata Recipe – An Italian in my Kitchen

06/01/2025

0 Views 0

SaveSavedRemoved 0

Soft Strawberry Crostata Recipe – An Italian in my Kitchen

This soft strawberry crostata features a tender cake-like base, is brushed with vanilla syrup, then filled with creamy mascarpone and sweet strawberries. It’s perfect for summer!

Strawberry crostata on a glass plate with a slice on a white plate.

This soft strawberry crostata is light, airy, and filled with mascarpone cream and fresh strawberries! It’s made with a moist and tender base that’s much softer and fluffier than a traditional Italian crostata made with pasta frolla.

I love strawberry season, and this recipe makes a beautiful strawberry dessert for any spring or summer celebration! If you love fresh strawberry pie but crave a creamy twist to it like in strawberry tiramisu, this crostata morbida crema e fragole is for you!

Why I Love This Recipe

A lighter crust: The base of this soft tart is similar to my fluffy strawberry cake and perfect for filling with cream and fresh strawberries!
Moist and flavorful: A simple sugar syrup flavored with vanilla adds moisture and a spongy texture to the extra soft Italian crostata cake to make it melt-in-your-mouth.

Ingredient Notes

Egg and egg yolk: To create a smooth, evenly mixed batter bring these to room temperature before using.
Granulated sugar: Sugar sweetens both the soft strawberry crostata base and the simple vanilla syrup that is used to brush over the baked cake.
Milk: Use 2% or whole milk for best added moisture and richness.
Vanilla extract: Adds a warm, sweet aroma to both the crostata and the cake bath.
Butter: Melted and cooled butter helps create a soft, tender crumb.
Flour: Cake flour, pastry flour, or 00 flour will give the crostata a delicate, airy texture.
Baking powder: Provides lightness and rise, helping the soft crostata stay fluffy.
Salt: Just a pinch enhances the flavors in the batter.

For the Filling

Mascarpone: Let the mascarpone sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes so it blends smoothly into the creamy topping.
Cream: Choose whole, heavy, or whipping cream with at least 30% fat for a stable, rich whipped topping.
Powdered sugar: Lightly sweetens the mascarpone cream without making it heavy.
Strawberries: Fresh, ripe strawberries are sliced and used to top the crostata.

How to Make a Soft Strawberry Crostata

In a large mixing bowl, beat the egg, egg yolk, and sugar together until the mixture is light, thick, and fluffy. Add the milk, vanilla, and melted then cooled butter. Beat to combine.

The eggs and sugar beaten in the mixing bowl.

Sift in the flour, baking powder, and salt, then beat on low just until smooth.

Sifting in the dry ingredients and beating to combine.

Pour the batter into your prepared pan and bake until a toothpick comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. Let the crostata cool completely in the pan.

The crostata before and after baking in the pan.

While the soft Italian crostata bakes, prepare the cake syrup by simmering the sugar and water together until the sugar dissolves and the mixture thickens slightly. Cool completely then stir in the vanilla extract.

For the mascarpone topping, beat together mascarpone, cream, and powdered sugar until thick, smooth and fluffy.

The mascarpone filling made in the mixing bowl.

Once the crostata has cooled, brush it generously with the vanilla syrup, then spread the mascarpone cream over top. Finish with the sweet sliced strawberries for a beautiful finish!

recipe tips

Pan type: An 8-inch tart or flan pan works best for this soft strawberry crostata recipe, but a regular pie plate can also be used.
Room temperature ingredients: For the best texture, make sure your eggs, milk, and butter are at room temperature before mixing the batter.
Don’t overmix: After adding the dry ingredients, mix just until smooth to keep the soft crostata tart light and tender.
Syrup and topping: Let the cake cool completely before brushing with the syrup or adding the mascarpone topping to prevent everything from melting.
Strawberries: If preparing ahead of time, wait to add the strawberries until just before serving for the freshest taste.

Strawberry crostata on a glass cake plate.

Variations

Strawberry jam glaze: Instead of the simple syrup, you can gently warm a few spoonfuls of strawberry jam and brush it over the cooled cake for extra fruity flavor.
Strawberry infused cake bath: Simmer a few chopped strawberries with the sugar and water cake bath, then strain the syrup before brushing it onto the cake.
Other berries: Swap the strawberries for fresh raspberries, blueberries, or a mix of seasonal berries.
Pastry Cream Filling: For a richer variation, you can replace the mascarpone topping with a layer of classic Italian pastry cream (crema pasticcera).

Storage

This soft Italian crostata with cream and strawberries is best enjoyed fresh, right after assembling. However, you can store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a few days. The cake may be more moist as the strawberries start to leak juices. I do not recommend freezing this cake.

More Strawberry Recipes

Nothing like a fresh strawberry dessert, and this Strawberry crostata is so good, everyone will love it. Enjoy!

FOR THE CROSTATA

1 large egg (room temperature)
1 large egg yolk (room temperature)
½ cup granulated sugar
¼ cup milk (2% or whole milk, room temperature)
1 teaspoon vanilla
¼ cup butter (melted and cooled)
1 cup +3 tablespoons flour (cake/pastry flour or 00 flour) (150g total, if you double the recipe then double this amount)
1¼ teaspoon baking powder
1 pinch salt

FOR THE CAKE BATH

¼ cup granulated sugar
¼-½ cup water
½-1 teaspoon vanilla extract

FOR THE TOPPING

1 cup mascarpone (remove from the fridge 30 minutes before using)
1 cup cream whole/heavy or whipping cream with at least 30% fat content
1½ tablespoons powdered sugar
1 pound strawberries (sliced and halved)

Pre-heat the oven to 350F/180C. Grease and flour or spray an 8 inch tart/flan pan or pie plate would work.
In the mixing bowl beat the egg, egg yolk and sugar 8-10 minutes or until light and thick, add the milk, vanilla and melted cooled butter and beat, sift in the flour, baking powder and salt, beat on low speed to combine until smooth, one minute.
Pour into the prepared pan and bake for approximately 15-20 minutes or until done, let cool in the pan. Brush or drizzle with the cake syrup, top with the mascarpone filling and place the strawberries on top. Enjoy!

FOR THE CAKE SYRUP

In a small pot add the sugar and water, cook on medium for approximately 3-5 minutes or until sugar has dissolved and the mixture has thickened a little. Let cool completely before adding the vanilla and using.

If you like more of a strawberry flavour, then you can add 2 mashed strawberries to the syrup while it is cooking, then strain it and brush on the cake.

Storing the Strawberry Crostata

This soft Italian crostata with cream and strawberries is best enjoyed fresh, right after assembling. However, you can store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a few days. The cake may be more moist as the strawberries start to leak juices.
I do not recommend freezing this cake.