Bakewell Tart
A Derbyshire classic named for its town: crisp sweet pastry, a red seam of raspberry jam, and a golden almond frangipane that bakes to a soft, marzipan-scented crumb. Scattered with flaked almonds and cut into thin, greedy slices.
Ingredients
200 g plain flour
100 g cold unsalted butter, cubed
50 g icing sugar
1 large egg yolk
2 tbsp ice-cold water
175 g unsalted butter, softened
175 g caster sugar
175 g ground almonds
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1 tsp almond extract
200 g good raspberry jam
30 g flaked almonds
Method
- 1
Rub the flour, cold butter and icing sugar together until it looks like fine sand. Add the yolk and just enough water to bring together to a smooth dough. Chill for 30 minutes.
- 2
Roll the pastry out to line a 23 cm tart tin. Prick the base and chill for another 15 minutes. Line with paper and baking beans and bake blind at 190°C for 15 minutes, then remove the beans and bake for 5 more minutes until pale gold.
- 3
Beat the softened butter and caster sugar until pale, then beat in the eggs one at a time, followed by the almond extract. Fold in the ground almonds.
- 4
Spread the raspberry jam evenly over the pastry base, then spoon the frangipane on top and smooth over. Scatter the flaked almonds across the surface.
- 5
Bake at 180°C for 35–40 minutes until deeply golden and just firm to the touch. Cool in the tin before slicing.
Cook's notes
A traditional Bakewell has no icing on top — that is the modern Bakewell 'tart' in the supermarket sense. Purists finish it only with flaked almonds; sinners add a drizzle of icing and a glacé cherry.