A Bakewell tart is a classic British dessert made with a shortcrust pastry base, a layer of fruit jam (often raspberry), and a topping of frangipane—a soft, almond flavored sponge mixture. It’s usually finished with a scattering of flaked almonds or, in some versions, a layer of icing with a cherry on top (commonly called a Cherry Bakewell).
The combination of crisp pastry, sweet and tangy jam, and the nutty, moist sponge makes it a well-loved treat in the UK, often served with tea or as part of a dessert course.
Ingredients:
For the sweet crust pastry:
250g plain/all purpose flour
2 tbsps icing/powdered sugar plus extra to decorate
156g cold grated butter
1 egg yolk
4-6 tbsps ice cold water
(If you do not want to make the pastry you can use pre-made shortcrust pastry but but it will be slightly less sweet)
For the frangipane filling:
180g softened unsalted butter - cubed
180g caster sugar (UK) granulated sugar (USA)
180g ground almonds
3 eggs
1 tsp almond extract
30g flaked almonds
1 jar of raspberry jam
Method:
Place flour and grated butter in mixing bowl and rub together until texture is similar to fine breadcrumbs. Alternatively use a stainless steel pastry blender or food processor to crumble
Mix one egg yolk and 4 tbsps of ice cold water into a firm dough. You may need to use a little extra cold water if its too crumbly
Wrap in cling film and chill in the fridge for 15 minutes
Roll out pastry onto a floured surface until it is 1.5mm-2mm thick and line a 23cm/9” fluted tart tin and chill for 15 minutes
Heat oven to 180°C, Fan 160°C, 350°F gas mark 4 and bake pastry blind for 15 minutes. Remove the paper and baking beans and cook for another 4-5 minutes until the pastry is a light golden colour. Leave to cool
For the frangipane filling cream together cubed soften butter with caster/granulated sugar until lighter in colour
Add 1 tsp of almond extract
Egg 3 eggs separately making sure each egg is mixed well before adding the next
Add ground almonds and mix well
Spread as much jam as you prefer over the bottom of the cooked pastry bottom and spoon the frangipane mixture on top, smooth and sprinkle with flaked almonds
Bake for 35-40 minutes until the filling is firm and golden brown with a slight wobble
Either eat while warm or leave to cool and decorate with icing/powdered sugar mixed with a tsp of water to form a ribbon like texture and zigzag it across the top to decorate