Bakewell Tart is one of my favorite UK treats. It’s a sweet, melt in your mouth treat that can be made a few ways, here’s my version.
A Bakewell Tart is essentially a fangipane tart. Flaky pastry filled with an almond filling made of butter, sugar, ground almonds, all-purpose flour and lemon zest. A necessary layer of raspberry preserve goes between the pastry and the filling and it can be topped in a number of ways. For this recipe, I went with the simplest topping, a sprinkling of almonds, but there are other options such as a layer of confectioner’s sugar glaze or another layer of pastry. I love Bakewell Tarts for this reason, no matter how you make it, it’s always delicious.
I have been eating Bakewell Tarts practically all of my life. My first introduction was a huge slice as part of my school lunch. The cooks at my high school, we called them dinner ladies, made really tasty desserts and treats. As I grew older I bought my own, usually Mr. Kipling’s Cherry Bakewells. They were delicious too, although a little too sweet for me now.
Today I’m very partial to Pret a Manger’s Bakewell Slice. Always fresh and spot on. Pret a Manager is usually my first and last stops when I visit London. On arrival I buy two, sometimes three Bakewell Slices, and when leaving I can usually find a Pret in the airport where I buy up to six, much to the shock of the sales person. If I take my time I can enjoy Pret’s Bakewell Slice with two cups of tea. If I take my time.
Whenever I bake I usually share my sweet treats with all and everyone around me, but I must admit that I kept this wonderful treat to myself. Stealing away a slice once or twice a day, I was wicked!
Bakewell Tart
Ingredients
Pastry
- 1 large egg
- 2 tbsp heavy cream
- 1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup powdered sugar
- 1/2 tsp fine salt
- 8 tbsp cold unsalted butter cut into tablespoons
Almond Cream
- 8 tbsp softened unsalted butter
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 1 1/2 cup ground almonds
- 1 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp lemon zest
- 4 tbsp raspberry preserve
- 2 tbsp almond slices
Equipment & Utensils
- Mixer
- Plastic wrap
- Rolling pin
- Rectangle tart pan 14 x 4.5 inches or round tart pan (9 inches)
- Parchment paper
- Pie weights
Instructions
Pastry
- Whisk together egg and heavy cream.
- Place flour, sugar and salt in mixer and mix on low.
- Add butter and pulse or mix on low until you arrive at a cornmeal consistency.
- While mixer is on low add egg mixture and mix until at least 2/3 of the ingredients form a dough.
- Tip out dough onto a floured surface and mold dough into a circle shape.
- Cover dough with plastic wrap and place in fridge for 30 mins.
- Remove from fridge and roll out to at least an inch larger than the tart pan on all sides.
- Fold dough in half, then in half again, then carefully place it in the middle of the tart pan and unfold dough to cover tart pan
- Carefully push dough into the corners and edges and trim excess dough by rolling pin on top of the tart pan.
- Prick base with a fork a few times then place in the fridge for 30 mins.
- After 30 minutes remove tart pan from the fridge.
- Cut a piece of parchment paper the size of the tart pan and place on top of the dough, then carefully tip pie weights on top.
- Place tart pan in a preheated oven at 350 and cook until golden.
- Once pastry is golden remove from oven and set aside.
Almond Filling
- Whisk together butter and sugar until fluffy.
- Add eggs one at a time whisking as you add each one.
- Fold in ground almond, flour and lemon zest.
- Once all ingredients are combined remove pie weights and parchment paper from on top of pastry.
- Brush raspberry preserve on the base of the pastry, then pour almond filling on top.
- Evenly sprinkle almond slices on top of almond cream and place in the oven with temperature still at 350.
- Cook until almond filling is set (approx. 30-40 mins)
