Michelle Darmody: How to bake a classic frangipane — and the mistakes to avoid

"Frangipane can be used in many different ways. It is probably most well known in a bakewell tart or bun."

Frangipane can be used in many different ways. It is probably most well known in a bakewell tart or bun. 

The addition of almond extract adds a floral aroma to the topping into which you can sink any fruit you wish.

Stone fruits work well as they share the same heritage as an almond. 

Despite their common label as a nut, almonds are technically a stone fruit. What we tend to call the nut is the seed or pit from within the fruit. 

The fruit resembles a peach while it is growing then, as it approaches maturity and ripens, the outer covering splits open, revealing a stone in the centre containing the seed.

The extract is then made from cold pressed bitter almond oil combined with alcohol and water. 

An extract is deeper in flavour to an essence which is often a synthetic version. A lot of commercial almond extract you find in shops is not actually made from almonds but from other stone fruit pits. 

Either an extract or essence has a surprisingly strong effect on baking and can utterly change the mood of a cake. Fans of marzipan or amaretto often tend to like almond extract as it provides the base flavour for both.

Frangipane

recipe by:Michelle Darmody

The addition of almond extract adds a floral aroma to the topping into which you can sink any fruit you wish.

Servings

10

Preparation Time

 20 mins

Cooking Time

 25 mins

Total Time

 45 mins

Course

 Baking

Ingredients

• 170g butter

• 170g caster sugar

• 110g ground almonds

• 55g plain flour

• 1 tsp almond extract

• 3 eggs, lightly beaten

• 200g puff pastry

• 200ml plum jam

• 200g plums, stones removed and sliced

Method

1. Line the base of your tin with baking parchment and grease and flour the sides. A ten inch round loose based tin works well.

2. Preheat your oven to 180ºC/gas mark 4.

3. Beat the butter, sugar, ground almonds, flour and extract until they are combined.

4. Slowly add the eggs.

5. Roll your puff pastry into a disc bigger than your tin and gently nudge it into place so that the base and sides are covered. Trim the edges if needed.

6. Spread the plum jam over the base.

7. Scoop the frangipane mixture on top of the jam.

8. Dot the sliced plums on top of the frangipane.

9. Bake in the centre of your oven for 25 minutes until the pastry and frangipane are both golden.

Baker's Tips

It is best not to beat too much air into the frangipane. You want the ingredients to be combined but not have big air bubbles. Overmixing can lead to the mixture rising too quickly then collapsing towards the end of the baking time.

Almond extract is quite strong so it is advised to be careful when adding it. Your bottle of extract is best stored in a cool, dry place, making sure it is well sealed. Ideally you should use your almond extract within a year

Ground almonds are quite absorbent and are good at soaking up the juices of sliced fruit however I would not add plums that are completely soft and mushy. It is good to have a bit of bite to them.

To stop your frangipane from sinking try not to open the oven particularly for the first 15 minutes of baking.

If your oven is too hot your frangipane may end up under-baked as it turns golden on the top too quickly but is raw on the inside. It should rise and form a golden dome but have just set in the centre. When you stick a toothpick or skewer in the middle, it should come out clean with only a few moist crumbs attached.

I find it is best to store a frangipane at room temperature in a cool room rather than in the fridge. It dries out and becomes hard if stored in the fridge. It is best eaten within two days.

3 delicious variations

Apricot frangipane

This is delicious. Add 250g of apricot jam in the same way as instructed in the plum recipe. 

Then you can either sprinkle some sliced apricots on top of your frangipane mixture as done with the plums, or you can use about 100g extra puff pastry and create a lattice on top of the tart by crisscrossing strips of pastry.

Apple & raisin frangipane

For this version stir in 50g of golden raisins and add 1 tablespoon of dark rum towards the end of the mixing the frangipane. 

Add 150g of sliced apples to the top of the frangipane before baking.

Cherry frangipane

I think that cherries and almonds are a perfect pairing. These two flavours help to enhance each other and make for a delicious dessert. 

This version works very well with a sweet shortcrust pastry in place of the puff pastry base. 

You can add the frangipane mixture directly onto whatever base you choose then add 300g of stoned and halved cherries on top.