Classic Bakewell Tart with Almond Frangipane

A Derbyshire Classic, and What It Is Not

Ask a room of bakers to define a Bakewell tart and you will get several answers. Strictly speaking, the Bakewell pudding is the older relation — a pastry case spread with jam and topped with a set egg-and-butter custard, said to have come about in the Derbyshire town by happy accident. The tart most of us picture, with its crisp shell, raspberry jam and thick cushion of almond frangipane, is a later refinement. It is also the more rewarding one to make at home.

What makes it worth a Saturday morning is how much it gives back for relatively little effort. The pastry can be made the day before, the frangipane comes together in one bowl, and the finished tart improves after a few hours' rest. The two things that separate a good Bakewell from a mediocre one are restraint with the jam and patience with the pastry. Get those right and the rest follows.

Start With a Shortcrust That Holds Its Shape

For a 23cm loose-bottomed tart tin, you will need:

• 200g plain flour
• 25g icing sugar
• A good pinch of fine salt
• 100g cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1–2 tbsp ice-cold water

Rub the butter into the flour, icing sugar and salt until it resembles fine breadcrumbs, or pulse it briefly in a food processor. Add the yolk and a tablespoon of water, then bring the mixture together with a knife and finally your fingertips. Stop as soon as it forms a ball; overworking makes the pastry tough. Flatten into a disc, wrap it and chill for at least 30 minutes.

Roll to about 3mm thick and line the tin, pressing the pastry into the fluted sides without stretching it. Leave the excess hanging over the rim. Chill for 20 minutes, then prick the base all over with a fork, line with crumpled baking parchment and fill with baking beans. Blind bake at 190°C fan (200°C, gas 6) for 15 minutes, then remove the beans and paper and bake for 5 minutes more, until pale gold and dry to the touch. Brush the warm base with a little beaten egg and return it to the oven for 2 minutes — this seals it against the jam. Trim the overhang with a sharp knife while the pastry is still warm.

Jam First, Then the Frangipane

Use 4–5 tablespoons of good raspberry jam, ideally seedless and not too firm; warm it briefly if it refuses to spread. Aim for an even layer roughly 4mm deep. Too much and the base steams; too little and the tart eats dry.

For the frangipane you will need:

• 125g soft unsalted butter
• 125g caster sugar
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 125g ground almonds
• 1 tbsp plain flour
• ½ tsp almond extract
• Finely grated zest of ½ lemon

Cream the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Beat in the eggs one at a time, adding a spoonful of ground almonds with the second to guard against curdling. Fold through the remaining almonds, the flour, the almond extract and the lemon zest. Spoon over the jam and spread level — do not stir the two together. You want a layer roughly 2cm deep.

Baking, Topping and the All-Important Cool

Scatter 25g flaked almonds across the surface and bake at 180°C fan (190°C, gas 5) for 35–40 minutes. The tart is ready when it has risen well, is deep golden and a skewer pushed into the centre comes out with a few moist crumbs clinging to it, but no wet batter. If the almonds threaten to catch, lay a sheet of foil loosely over the top.

Cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then lift it out onto a wire rack. Let it cool completely before slicing; warm frangipane crumbles at the knife. Finish with a heavy dusting of icing sugar, or mix 75g icing sugar with a little lemon juice or water and drizzle it over in thin lines. A handful of fresh raspberries on the side is no bad thing.

Troubleshooting the Common Pitfalls

• Soggy base: the pastry was underbaked or the jam layer was too generous. Blind bake until properly dry, and seal with egg.
• Curdled frangipane: cold eggs added too quickly. Bring them to room temperature and add them gradually.
• Sunken middle: usually underbaking. Give it another 5 minutes rather than pulling it out early.
• Shrunken pastry: it was stretched when lining the tin or not chilled before baking.
• Cloyingly sweet: use a sharper, less sugary jam and hold back slightly on the icing sugar finish.

Make It Ahead and Make It Yours

The pastry case can be baked and cooled a day ahead, then kept tightly wrapped. A finished tart keeps for three days in an airtight tin, or up to five in the fridge — bring it back to room temperature before serving, as the flavour of the almonds only opens up once it has warmed a little. Both the empty case and the whole baked tart freeze well for up to three months; defrost overnight in the fridge and refresh in a low oven for 10 minutes.

Once you have the method, variations are easy. Cherry or blackberry jam works beautifully, as does lemon curd with extra zest in the frangipane. Swapping a third of the ground almonds for ground hazelnuts adds depth, and a handful of dark chocolate chunks scattered over the jam before the frangipane goes on makes a richer, more grown-up tart. For petites fours, line a 12-hole bun tin with pastry and bake for 20–22 minutes. Whichever way you go, give it the afternoon to settle. It is a tart that rewards a little forward thinking.