Bakewell Tart
Crisp shortcrust, a layer of raspberry jam and a soft almond sponge topped with flaked almonds.
- Prep
- 45 min
- Cook
- 55 min
- Total
- 1 hr 40 min
- Makes
- 8 servings
- Difficulty
- Medium
The Derbyshire town of Bakewell is famous for its Bakewell pudding: puff pastry, jam and a rich egg-and-almond filling. The Bakewell tart you find in British bakeries is its younger cousin, made with shortcrust and a cake-like frangipane.
It needs no special skill, only a little patience while the pastry case bakes blind.
Ingredients
Pastry
- 175gplain flour
- 100gcold unsalted butter, cubed
- 25gicing sugar
- 1egg yolk
- 1tbspcold water, plus a little more if needed
Filling
- 4tbspraspberry jam
- 150gunsalted butter, softened
- 150gcaster sugar
- 3eggs, beaten
- 150gground almonds
- 25gplain flour
- ½tspalmond extract
- 25gflaked almonds
Equipment
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- 23 cm loose-based tart tinHow to chooseShop on Amazon UK(affiliate link, opens in a new tab)
- Rolling pinHow to chooseShop on Amazon UK(affiliate link, opens in a new tab)
- Large mixing bowlHow to chooseShop on Amazon UK(affiliate link, opens in a new tab)
- Digital kitchen scalesHow to chooseShop on Amazon UK(affiliate link, opens in a new tab)
Method
- 1
Rub the butter into the flour and icing sugar until it looks like breadcrumbs. Add the yolk and water and bring together into a dough. Wrap and chill for 30 minutes.
- 2
Heat the oven to 200°C / 180°C fan / gas 6. Roll the pastry out and line a 23 cm loose-based tart tin. Prick the base, line with baking paper and baking beans, and bake for 15 minutes. Remove the paper and beans and bake for 5 minutes more until dry. Lower the oven to 180°C / 160°C fan / gas 4.
- 3
Spread the jam over the base of the pastry case.
Photo: Vouliagmeni · CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped) - 4
Beat the butter and sugar until pale, then beat in the eggs a little at a time. Fold in the ground almonds, flour and almond extract.
Photo: Yun Huang Yong · CC BY-SA 2.0 (cropped) - 5
Spoon the almond mixture over the jam and level it gently. Scatter over the flaked almonds and bake for 30–35 minutes, until golden and just firm in the centre. Cool in the tin.
Photo: Arnold Gatilao from Oakland, CA, USA · CC BY 2.0 (cropped)
Tips
Serve warm with custard or cream as a pudding, or cold in slices with a pot of tea. More ideas in British baking terms.
Iced version: once cold, leave off the flaked almonds and cover with thin white icing and a glacé cherry. This is how the famous shop-bought "cherry Bakewell" is finished.
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If it goes wrong
| Problem | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Soggy pastry base | Case not baked blind long enough | Bake until the base looks dry and sandy before adding the jam |
| Filling sinks in the middle | Underbaked | Bake until the centre springs back; cover loosely with foil if the top browns too fast |
| Jam bubbles through the top | Too much jam | Keep to a thin layer that does not reach the rim |
Guides for this recipe
Buying guide
Best Sandwich Tins for Victoria Sponge
How-to
Essential Equipment for British Baking
Buying guide
Baking Trays and Bun Tins: What You Need
Buying guide
Springform and Deep Cake Tins: A Guide
Buying guide
Kitchen Scales for Baking: What to Look For
Buying guide
Rolling Pins: Which Type Is Best for Pastry?
Buying guide
Mixing Bowls: Glass, Steel or Ceramic?
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