Tasted: Five of the City’s Best Tarts

Cascadia's Butter Tart

Victoria, BC

In a town where coffee and tea shops reign supreme, good pastries must always be close at hand. Pies and tarts have stood the test of time, weathering mainstream dessert trends while maintaining a steadfast presence in diners, bakeries and cafes. Here are 5 of our city’s finest.

1. Lemon Meringue Tart, Wildfire Bakery

All-organic ingredients and the wood burning oven really make this tart stand out among its citrusy contemporaries. Gently browned peaks of featherlight meringue crown the round pate sucree crust; the lemon curd is pleasantly zingy which holds up well to the richer pastry.

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2. Butter Tart, Cascadia Bakery

Any good butter tart requires a sturdy shell to prevent implosion during the hand-to-mouth journey. Cascadia has the physics down pat with their cloverleaf shaped confection. Honest ingredients like pure vanilla extract, brown sugar, raisins and whole eggs keep this classic tasting exactly as it should, no plate required.

3. Sour Cherry Tart, The Dutch Bakery & Coffee Shop

Wrapped neatly in a signature Dutch Bakery doily, this sweet-pastry shell is filled with aromatic house-made almond paste, topped with glazed sour cherries and finished with buttercream piping.

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4. Mile High Apple Pie––As Seen On The Food Network,  John’s Place

If the name seems like a mouthful, try the pie. Over a dozen layers of peeled Granny Smith apples are baked in a sour cream, cinnamon and brown sugar sauce inside a house-made piecrust with a deliciously unconventional granola-nut topping.

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5. Chocolate Pecan Tart, Pure Vanilla Bakery & Cafe

An ode to those who won’t eat dessert if it doesn’t contain chocolate. Pecans and coarsely chopped dark chocolate pieces are suspended in butter tart sauce and baked in a round house-made pastry shell. Decadent.

– By Deanna Ladret