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Traditional British Bakewell tart with golden sliced almonds, raspberry jam and almond frangipane in a shortcrust pastry shell, served with tea.
Jane at Brit & Skillet

Traditional British Bakewell Tart Recipe

A classic British Bakewell tart with crisp homemade shortcrust pastry, a layer of raspberry jam and rich almond frangipane, finished with sliced almonds.
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Prep Time 35 minutes
Cook Time 55 minutes
Chill Time 40 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 10 minutes
Servings: 10 Slices
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: British
Calories: 404
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the Shortcrust Pastry
  • 1½ cups all-purpose flour 180g
  • ⅓ cup cold unsalted butter 75g, cut into small cubes
  • 2 tablespoons granulated or caster sugar 25g
  • Pinch of salt
  • 3–4 tbsp ice-cold water 45–60ml
For the Raspberry Layer
  • ⅓ cup raspberry jam 110g
For the Almond Frangipane
  • ½ cup unsalted butter 113g, softened
  • ½ cup granulated or caster sugar 100g
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 cup finely ground almond flour 100g
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 15g
  • ½ teaspoon almond extract
For the Top
  • ⅓ cup sliced almonds 30g

Equipment

  • 9-inch tart pan with removable bottom
  • Large mixing bowl
  • Rolling Pin
  • Parchment paper
  • Pie weight, dried beans or uncooked rice
  • Electric hand mixer
  • Spatula
  • Fork
  • Wire cooling rack

Method
 

Make the Shortcrust Pastry
  1. Combine the Flour and Butter
  2. Place the all-purpose flour, sugar and salt in a large mixing bowl.
  3. Add the cold cubed butter and rub it into the flour using your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs with a few small pieces of butter remaining.
  4. Add the ice-cold water 1 tablespoon at a time, gently mixing after each addition.
  5. Stop as soon as the dough begins to come together. You may not need all of the water.
  6. Gather the dough into a disc, wrap it and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Prepare the Tart Shell
  1. Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).
  2. Lightly grease a 9-inch (23cm) tart pan with a removable bottom.
  3. On a lightly floured surface, roll the chilled pastry into a circle large enough to cover the bottom and sides of the pan.
  4. Carefully transfer the pastry to the tart pan and gently press it into the corners and up the sides. Trim away the excess pastry around the top edge.
  5. Prick the bottom lightly with a fork.
  6. Place the pastry-lined pan in the refrigerator for another 10 minutes while the oven finishes heating.
Blind-Bake the Pastry
  1. Line the pastry shell with parchment paper and fill it with pie weights, dried beans or uncooked rice.
  2. Bake for 12 minutes.
  3. Carefully remove the parchment and weights, then return the pastry shell to the oven for another 5 minutes.
  4. The pastry should look dry and lightly set but doesn't need to be deeply golden yet, as it will continue baking once the filling is added.
  5. Remove from the oven and allow it to cool for about 10 minutes.
  6. Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F (175°C).
Make the Frangipane Filling
  1. Cream the Butter and Sugar
  2. Place the softened butter and sugar in a mixing bowl and beat together until pale and creamy.
  3. Add the Eggs
  4. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
  5. Don't worry if the mixture looks slightly curdled after adding the eggs — it will come together once the dry ingredients are added.
  6. Add the Almonds
  7. Add the almond flour, all-purpose flour and almond extract.
  8. Gently mix until everything is evenly combined and you have a soft, thick almond filling.
Assemble the Bakewell Tart
  1. Add the Raspberry Jam
  2. Spread the raspberry jam in a thin, even layer across the bottom of the partially baked pastry shell.
  3. Try to take the jam almost to the edges without getting it up the sides of the pastry.
  4. Add the Frangipane
  5. Carefully spoon the frangipane over the raspberry jam.
  6. Rather than dropping all of the filling into the centre and spreading it aggressively, add it in several spoonfuls across the tart. This makes it easier to spread without disturbing the jam underneath.
  7. Gently smooth the top.
  8. Scatter the sliced almonds evenly over the frangipane.
Bake the Bakewell Tart
  1. Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 35–40 minutes, or until the frangipane is risen, golden and set in the centre.
  2. A toothpick inserted into the almond filling should come out clean or with a few moist crumbs rather than wet batter.
  3. If the almonds or pastry edges begin browning too quickly, loosely cover the tart with foil for the remainder of the baking time.
  4. Allow the tart to cool in the pan for at least 20–30 minutes before carefully removing the outer ring.
  5. For the neatest slices, allow it to cool further before cutting.

Notes

Almond extract is powerful, so ½ teaspoon is plenty. The goal is to complement the almond frangipane without overpowering the raspberry and buttery pastry.
When adding the frangipane, spoon it over the jam in several places before gently spreading it. This helps keep the raspberry layer from being disturbed.
Allow the tart to cool before removing it from the pan, and cool it further before cutting if you want especially neat slices.
Brit & Skillet Tip: Keep the shortcrust pastry cold and handle it only enough to bring the dough together. Overworking or warming the pastry can make the finished crust tougher rather than tender and crisp.