About This Recipe

Bakewell tart is one of the most recognisable and most loved British pastry preparations, a combination of crisp sweet pastry, raspberry jam, and almond frangipane filling that has been made in the Derbyshire town of Bakewell and across British home kitchens for over a century. It is not to be confused with Bakewell pudding, which is a different and older preparation from the same town. The tart format, with its pressed shortcrust base and the characteristic flat, iced or flaked-almond top, is the version that became a British institution.

The frangipane filling is the heart of the tart and the preparation that most requires care. Ground almonds, butter, sugar, and eggs beaten together produce a dense, slightly moist, intensely nutty sponge that bakes over the jam layer to produce a filling that is simultaneously light and substantial, with the almond flavour permeating every bite. The butter must be genuinely softened and the beating must be thorough to produce a filling with the right texture.

The raspberry jam layer between the pastry and the frangipane is not merely a flavour addition but a structural one. It creates a barrier that prevents the pastry from absorbing moisture from the frangipane during baking, keeps the pastry crisp, and provides the acidic, fruity contrast that prevents the almond filling from being overwhelmingly sweet. A generous tablespoon per tart is the right quantity.

History and Origins

Bakewell tart developed from the older Bakewell pudding, which legend says was created accidentally in the 1820s when a cook at the White Horse Inn in Bakewell spread egg and almond paste over jam in a pastry case rather than mixing them into the pastry as intended. The tart version, with its frangipane filling and characteristic glazed icing or flaked almond top, became popular throughout Britain in the 20th century and is now one of the most widely made British tarts.

Why It Is Good For You

Ground almonds provide vitamin E, magnesium, calcium, and healthy monounsaturated fats. Raspberries provide vitamin C and anthocyanins. Almonds are one of the most nutritionally dense nuts and provide meaningful quantities of these nutrients per serving.

Bakewell Tart

Recipe by By butter u0026 berriesCourse: Pie u0026amp; Tart

Servings

8

servings

Prep time

25

minutes

Cooking time

35

minutes

Calories

3360

kcal

Ingredients

• •tFor pastry: 200g plain flour, 100g cold butter, 50g icing sugar, 1 egg yolk, 1 to 2 tbsp ice water

• •t4 tbsp good quality raspberry jam

• •tFor frangipane: 150g unsalted butter softened, 150g white sugar, 3 large eggs, 150g ground almonds, 2 tbsp plain flour, 1 tsp almond extract

• •tFlaked almonds for top

• •tFor icing: 150g icing sugar and 2 tbsp water

Directions

• Make sweet pastry, line a 23cm tart tin, blind bake at 190C for 12 minutes weighted then 5 minutes without. Cool.
• Spread raspberry jam over the pastry base.
• Beat butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time.
• Fold in ground almonds, flour and almond extract.
• Spread frangipane over jam layer. Scatter flaked almonds over the top.
• Preheat oven to 180C. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until golden and a skewer comes out clean.
• Cool completely. Mix icing sugar with water and drizzle over. Allow to set before serving.

Notes

• The almond extract is the flavour that most characterises a Bakewell tart. Use a good quality extract not essence.
  Cool the tart completely before adding the icing. Warm tart melts the icing and it runs off rather than setting.
  A generous layer of jam is correct. A thin scraping of jam produces an underflavoured tart.
  The frangipane should be slightly underdone in the centre when removed from the oven and will set as it cools.

Make Ahead Tips

The pastry case can be blind baked 24 hours ahead. The baked tart keeps at room temperature for 3 days and refrigerated for 5 days. The icing is best applied on the day of serving.

Storage and Serving

Store at room temperature for up to 3 days or refrigerate for up to 5 days. The pastry softens slightly in the fridge. Bring to room temperature before serving. Freeze without icing for up to 3 months. Apply icing after thawing.

Variations and Substitutions

Use apricot or strawberry jam instead of raspberry. Add the zest of a lemon to the frangipane. Replace the icing with a generous dusting of icing sugar. Make individual tartlets in 10cm cases for elegant individual servings at a dinner party.

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