Michelle Darmody: How to bake a Bakewell Tart — and the mistakes to avoid
The original Bakewell tart is an English confection which has been produced in cafés, shops and homes since the mid-1800s.
A Bakewell tart consists of a rich, buttery almond topping, covering a layer of sweet but tart raspberry jam, on a crisp pastry base.
The almond topping is better known as frangipane, which is made by combining butter, eggs, sugar and ground almonds. It is the basis for many desserts and cakes.
The original Bakewell tart is an English confection which has been produced in cafés, shops and homes since the mid-1800s.
It was adapted from a Bakewell pudding, which originated in the town of Bakewell, in Derbyshire, in England.
You can also find a smaller version called a Cherry Bakewell which is topped with icing and half a candied cherry.
The recipe featured here is baked in a larger tart case and is topped with slivered almonds.
I prefer this variation as it is not as sweet, since the icing and sugar-soaked cherry are omitted.
As a child, at home, we used to make an apricot version of a Bakewell tart, which entailed the frangipane spread over a layer of apricot jam.
It was delicious as the apricot and almond sit very well together. The main trick with the tart, no matter what type of jam you use, is to avoid a soggy bottom. Blind baking and sealing the pastry case with an egg wash helps with this.
Delight in this dense, traditional bakewell tart with raspberry jam and almonds, perfect with a pot of afternoon tea Servings Preparation Time Cooking Time Total Time Course Ingredients 225g flour 1 pinch of salt 140g cold butter, cut into cubes 55g plus 125g caster sugar 2 eggs, lightly beaten 125g butter at room temperature 125g ground almonds zest of 2 oranges 1 tsp almond essence 1 tbsp raspberry jam handful of slivered almonds Method Mix the flour and salt together and rub in the cold butter until it looks like rough breadcrumbs, do not over mix. Stir the 55g of sugar into one of the eggs, mix it lightly until it begins to dissolve. Add this to the flour with a fork. Bring everything together with your hands then rest the pastry for an hour in the fridge or overnight. Heat your oven to 200°C and prepare a 9in round tin. Roll the pastry to fit the tin and gently press it into the base. Cover with a layer of parchment and some beans to weight it down. Bake blind for a quarter of an hour and remove, set aside to cool a little. Cream the 125g of soft butter and 125g of caster sugar together until pale. Add the ground almonds, one egg, the orange zest and the almond essence and mix together well. Spread the jam over the pastry case and then spoon the almond mixture on top, level out with a palette knife. Sprinkle with the slivered almonds and bake at 180°C for 30 to 35 minutes until golden on top and a skewer comes out clean.Bakewell tart
- I find it best to use a metal tart tin rather than a silicone one. It is cooler to touch when you first take it out of the fridge, it also heats hotter and more evenly to make a nice crisp pastry base.
- If you are using a fluted tart tin, make sure you get into all the crevices with the butter. Add a teaspoon of flour into the greased tin and swirl it around so that all of the butter is then covered in flour.
- To ensure the tart comes out easily you can also line the base of your tin with a disc of parchment.
- It is best not to pull and stretch the pastry to fit your tin because it will shrink back when it is baking. Instead roll it bigger than you need for your tart case and then very gently nudge it into place.
- Adding a glaze to a blind baked pastry case stops the topping from seeping in and softening the pastry. it is important to complete this step to prevent a stodgy tart.
- The Bakewell keeps well at room temperature for about three days, once stored in a sealed container. It can also be kept in the fridge for about four days.
- You can freeze the tart, either whole or cut into slices. Allow to defrost at room temperature before serving.
- The tart is delicious served just warm with a dusting of icing sugar and a dollop of softly whipped cream, and some fresh raspberries on the side if you like.
Apricot goes very well with almond, and this simple substitution makes quite a different dessert.
In place of the raspberry jam use three tablespoons of apricot jam.
In this variation substitute the raspberry jam for three tablespoons of lemon curd.
You can also add the zest of an orange into the almond topping at the same time you add the almond essence.
This is a classic combination of peanut butter and jelly. You can swirl the four tablespoons of raspberry jam with 2 tablespoons of crunchy peanut butter.
I leave out the almond essence in the frangipane and in place of slivered almonds use 20g of finely chopped salted peanuts, which are sprinkled on top.
Read More
