I don’t believe many Americans are familiar with the humble Bakewell Tart – unless you are an avid fan of The Great British Baking Show (as I am)!
A Bakewell Tart features a buttery shortcrust pastry tart shell, jam of your choosing (which you can make yourself, if you’re feeling fancy, but it’s definitely not a requirement!), and almond frangipane. It can be topped simply with flaked almonds and powdered sugar, or it can be covered in icing. I prefer the icing – it tastes better, in my opinion, and it’s so pretty!
I love to feather the icing on top for extra flare, but you can just leave it plain, or throw a few berries or glazed cherries on top, matching your chosen jam.
This recipe is adapted from Luis Troyano, who was one of my favourite contestants on the Great British Bake Off several years ago, and sadly passed away recently.
What Type of Jam Should I Use for my Bakewell Tart?
My favourites are cherry or raspberry jam, but you can use blueberry or other jams, too – just watch out for overly-sweet options, and try to pick jams with a little more of a tartness to them.
If you’re feeling extra ambitious, make your own jam! The best Bakewell I’ve ever tried (humble brag alert) was made with my own homemade raspberry jam (and it was made with homegrown raspberries – so fun!!). Here’s the King Arthur Baking recipe I used for my jam – but I pureed my raspberries beforehand and painstakingly strained them, so it was a seedless jam, since that’s my preference.
How to Feather the Icing on Top
If you don’t feel confident about how to feather, either eliminate the coloured icing in the recipe below entirely, and place a couple raspberries or glazed cherries in the middle of the tart instead!
If you wish to recreate the look seen here, learn how to create the feathered icing look in this YouTube video.
More Recipes You’ll Love:
Bakewell Tart
Ingredients
For the Shortcrust Pastry:
- 215 grams all-purpose flour
- 30 grams powdered sugar
- 120 grams butter, cold, cubed
- 2 egg yolks, at room temperature, lightly beaten
- 2 Tablespoons ice cold water, approximately
For the Filling:
- 5 Tablespoons jam, I prefer cherry or raspberry
- 75 grams unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 75 grams granulated sugar
- 75 grams almond flour, (aka ground almonds)
- 1 Tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
- 1 egg white, at room temperature
For the Icing on Top:
- 200 grams powdered sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
- A few teaspoons of milk
- A little pink or red gel food colouring
Instructions
- This recipe requires a 23cm / 9-inch round tart tin, preferably with a loose bottom. If you don't have a loose-bottomed tin, line your round 9-inch pan with parchment paper or nonstick foil, making sure there's plenty sticking out, so you'll be able to remove the tart later.
To Make the Shortcrust Pastry:
- In a large bowl, mix the flour and powdered sugar together. Cut in the butter with a pastry cutter or fork, until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
- Add the beaten egg yolks, and about half the cold water. Mix briefly, just beginning to bring the mixture together. Add the remaining water, little by little, kneading very gently, until the dough holds together and is smooth.
- Wrap in plastic wrap and place in the fridge for at least 1 hour.
- Preheat the oven to 355°F / 180°C.
- Dust your surface with flour. Roll your pastry into a circle a little larger than your tart tin, and place carefully in the tin, working it carefully into the fluting of the tin. Prick the surface of the pastry all over with a fork. Place a piece of parchment or nonstick foil on top on your pastry, and fill the centre with baking beans or rice, ensuring you fill all the way to the top.
- Blind bake for 15 minutes. Once baked, remove your baking beans or rice, and parchment or foil, and set aside to cool slightly.
- Once your shortcrust has cooled slightly, spread the jam evenly over the base.
To Make the Frangipane:
- In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Stir in the almond flour, all-purpose flour, almond extract, and egg white, and spread the mixture carefully over the jam layer (or I prefer to pipe this on, for easier smooth layers). If needed, smooth out the top.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes. When done, the top should look a little golden, and a skewer inserted in the centre should come out clean.
- Place entire tart, still in its tin, on a wire rack to cool completely. When the tart is completely cooled, remove it carefully from the tin.
To Make the Icing & Decorate:
- In a medium bowl, place powdered sugar and stir in the almond extract. Add a little milk (1 teaspoon at a time) until you have a thick, smooth icing. Place 2 tablespoons of the smooth icing in a small bowl and colour pink or red (just use a tiny bit of coloring at a time – you can always add more, but you can't take it out!). Spoon the coloured icing in a small piping bag.
- Pour the white icing carefully across the top of the tart, spreading right to the edge. Be careful to avoid overflowing.
- Pipe horizontal, parallel lines of coloured icing across the tart. Feather by dragging a toothpick across the lines, evenly, and alternating directions with every line (link to video demonstrating this method in the post above).
- Allow to chill in the fridge until the icing has set, at least 1 hour, before slicing and serving.
