Bakewell Tart

This is my version of the traditional British Bakewell Tart. It has an irresistible buttery crust that is filled with a delicious almond filling on top of a thin layer of raspberry jam and finally sprinkled with toasted almonds.

Bakewell Tart Recipe

This Bakewell Tart will steal the show at your family gatherings! A classical and traditional tart with a buttery shortcrust filled with raspberry jam and an almond filling, what’s not to love? Baking is my passion and while I don’t usually make tarts often, this one is so worth it. It’s so impressive and pretty to look at, but best of all, it’s so good, you’ll love it!

What is a classic Bakewell tart you ask? Well, it a popular dessert in the UK, named after the Derbyshire town of Bakewell. It consists of a crust pastry filled with a layer of jam, frangipane, and then usually topped with toasted almonds or glacé icing. Although not traditional, I will enjoy it with a dollop of whipped cream on top or even a scoop of vanilla ice cream!

For The Crust

• Flour – You’ll need plain all-purpose flour for the crust.
• Sugar – You’ll need some powdered sugar. This gives the shortcrust the perfect hint of sweetness.
• Salt – A little bit of salt will enhance all the flavors of the crust.
• Butter – You’ll need cold, cubed, unsalted butter. Keeping the butter as cold as possible is the key to achieving that perfect flakiness. If you only have salted butter, use that, you just don’t have to add any additional salt to the crust.
• Eggs – Make sure to only use the yolk part of the egg.

Filling

• Butter – For the filling, you’ll want to use unsalted butter that is softened.
• Sugar – You’ll need plain white granulated sugar to provide a bit of sweetness.
• Eggs – I used large beaten eggs, either white or brown, there’s no difference.
• Almond extract – You will want to use some almond extract to enhance the almond flavor of the frangipane.
• Salt – A little bit of salt makes all the difference, without it, your filling will taste bland.
• Almond meal – You can use either almond meal or almond flour. Almond meal is made from raw unpeeled almonds and almond flour is made from blanched peeled almonds.

Shortcrust

1. Combine flour, sugar and salt. Add the flour, icing sugar, and salt to a food processor and then pulse it until it is combined.
2. Make the shortcrust. Add the cold butter and pulse again until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Then add most of the beaten egg yolk and pulse until the dough starts to hold together. Finish by adding the remaining egg yolk and continue to pulse until the dough turns into a big clump. You can add a dash of water, if necessary. Note: if the dough is too dry it will be crumbly, it should hold together when pressed.
3. Chill the dough. Transfer the dough from the food processor to a clean work surface and use your hands to form into a ball then press down so it looks like a thick disc. Wrap the disc in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to 2 days.
4. Bring the dough to room temperature. You want to take the dough from the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature for up to 10 minutes. You’ll require this to soften the dough a bit, so that you can roll it out.
5. Roll the dough. Roll out the disc using a rolling pin. If your dough is sticking to the surface or to the rolling pin add a bit more flour as necessary. Roll it until it’s about ⅛ of an inch in thickness. 
6. Place dough in tart pan. Place the dough lightly into a 9-inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom. I usually roll it on the rolling pin and unroll it over the tart pan. Cut off any excess dough (see Tips for an easy way to do this). Place the tart pan back in the refrigerator for another 30 minutes.
7. Preheat the oven. Preheat the oven to 375°F.
8. Prick pastry and add pie weights. Remove the tart pan from the refrigerator and prick the bottom of the pastry with a fork. Place a piece of parchment paper onto the pastry and fill it with pie weights or dried beans.
9. Bake and remove pie weights. Transfer the tart pan to the oven and bake for 15 minutes. Remove the pie weights and parchment paper carefully and bake for an additional 5 minutes.
10. Allow crust to cool. Remove the tart from the oven and let it cool.

Frangipane

1. Adjust oven temperature. Adjust the oven temperature to 350°F.
2. Cream butter and sugar. Add the butter and sugar to the bowl of your mixer and mix until fluffy and light. Mix in the almond extract and salt.
3. Finish the almond filling. With the mixer on medium-low speed, gradually add the beaten eggs and mix until well combined. Fold in the ground almonds and flour using a spatula to form a thick batter.

Assemble The Tart

1. Fill tart with raspberry jam and frangipane. Spread the raspberry jam evenly over the bottom of the crust. Spoon the almond mixture over the jam and gently spread it carefully to not mix it with the jam. Sprinkle with sliced almonds.
2. Bake. Transfer the tart to the oven and bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until it has lightly risen, the top begins to brown and is firm to the touch. If the almonds begin to brown too much, cover the tart with aluminum foil and continue baking until done.
3. Cool the tart and serve. Remove the tart pan from the oven and allow it to cool in the tart pan until cooled completely before unmolding from the pan. Lightly dust with icing sugar and serve.

What Is Frangipane?

Frangipane, also known as almond cream, is made with almond flour or almond meal. It’s more or less like a pie filling but frangipane is never consumed raw because it contains raw eggs.

What’s The Difference Between Almond Meal and Almond Flour?

Almond meal is typically made from raw unpeeled almonds, and almond flour is made from blanched peeled almonds. Compared to almond meal, almond flour has a finer texture and lighter color.

What Is Blind Baking?

Blind baking basically means baking your pie crust before filling it and baking the entire pie. If you want to prevent your crust from becoming soggy, you need to partially bake it before adding some fillings.

Should I Prick The Crust Before Blind Baking?

It’s a good idea to prick the crust before baking it because it prevents the crust from puffing up while baking, ensuring you end up with an even surface for your filling.

Storing Your Bakewell Tart

You can store this tart in an airtight container for 2 days, for best results.

Freezer

Make sure the tart is completely cooled before freezing. Wrap the first with plastic wrap, place it in an airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months.

More Tarts And Pies To Try

• Pear and Almond Cream Tart
• Fig Tart with Pecans and Goat Cheese
• Strawberry Rhubarb Pie
• Perfect Peach Pie
• Classic Apple Pie
• Homemade Cherry Pie
• Lemon Chess Pie
• Tomato Pie
• Canadian Butter Tarts
• Egg Tarts (Hong Kong Style)