Bakewell Tart is a grand dessert made of a sweet shortcrust pastry that is filled with a wonderful layering of raspberry jam, frangipane and flakes of almond. You will love this tart for its texture, decadence and flavor.
If I am not mistaken, this is the first tart recipe on the blog for the year. Wow. I cannot grasp the fact that we are about to hit the holiday season. And the presence of pies and tarts on the blog signals that yes, the colder weather is close by and the year will shortly come to a close.
Help me absorb that one. The months are sweeping by fast, the days fleeting. This Bakewell tart is my way of easing myself into the reality that soon, the flowery, vibrant colors of summer will be gone and there are the colors of fall, golden and deep, for us to welcome.
I love to think that making pies and tarts are perfect for the colder season. You add warmth to the house as you let the oven bake the crusts to golden perfection. Then, every bite of the warm, homey pies envelopes you like a comfortable blanket, the burst of sweetness like a much-needed hug.
Bakewell tart is especially an exception. It is not only a comforting, delicious dessert. To me, it is a grand tart, a grand pastry that wins in flavor, in decadence, and in texture.
Can you imagine that inside that sweet pastry hides a layering of raspberry jam, a sweet mix of almond batter and toppings of crisp slivered almonds?
I have been in awe of what is inside this dessert, and if you are eager to experience the deliciousness, then let us go make Bakewell Tart.
Making Bakewell Tart
The Tart Crust
Making the tart crust starts with creaming softened butter and icing sugar using the stand mixer or handheld mixer. Add egg yolks and water and continue to beat until incorporated. Add flour and more water and mix until a dough is formed. Turn it over on a floured board and knead just until the dough has gathered together nicely.
Wrap this in plastic and refrigerate for at least 8 hours.
The Bakewell Filling
This is a simple mixture of butter, sugar, eggs, ground almonds and a mixture of rice flour and self-rising flour. It starts off by creaming the butter and sugar as well, then incorporating the rest of the ingredients until all are mixed well.
This filling can be made a day ahead, the same day as the tart crust. It will make the assembly much easier if you have prepared this ahead.
Assembly and Baking of the Bakewell Tart
- On the day of baking, take out the chilled tart dough from the fridge and let it rest for 5 minutes or so in the counter.
- On a floured board, roll it out into 1/8 inch thickness.
- Lay a tart ring from an 11-inch tart pan over the dough and trace a circle that is 3/4 inch larger than the ring all around.
- Cut the dough using a knife.
- Use a rolling pin to gently lift the circle dough and lay it over the tart pan. To do this, let the rolling pin roll over the dough, gently wrapping the dough around it as you go.
- Lift the dough and position it over the tart pan, gently unrolling the dough as you lay it over the pan.
- Gently press the dough to fit it into the edges and corners of the pan.
- To cut the excess dough overhang, roll the rolling pin along the edges of the tart pan.
- Chill this assembled tart dough in the fridge for two hours.
- Next, we need to blind bake the crust. To blind bake is to bake the crust without any filling. Preheat oven to 325 F.
- At this point, take out the bakewell filling from the fridge too so that it comes to room temperature. This will make spreading it on the crust much easier.
- Cut a large piece of parchment paper, set it on top of the crust to cover its surface, then top that with uncooked rice. The rice serves as pie weights to keep the surface of the tart from puffing up as it bakes.
- Place the tart pan on a baking sheet to catch any drippings later. Bake the crust at 325 F for 25-35 minutes, or until the crust is lightly golden.
- Take it out from the oven, carefully remove the parchment paper and the pie weights. Lower the oven temperature to 310 F.
- Spread the raspberry jam on the tart crust. Cover it with the bakewell mix.
- Bake the tart at 310 F for 10 minutes, then take it out from the oven and sprinkle the slivered almonds on top.
- Bake for another 30-40 minutes, or until the filling is set and firm to the touch, but not hard and the top is golden.
And here you have it! I had immense joy eating this tart. Every slice is full of enjoyment and delight. There is something addictive about the combined textures of the sweet jam, the flavorful, nutty filling, and the crisp almonds. So if you should indulge, whether during the cold season or hot, make sure every bite is so worth it. This Bakewell tart is exactly that.
Do you love tarts and pies? Then check these out:
- Easy Egg Pie
- Mocha Tart with Chocolate Crust
- Milk Tart
- Apple Tart
- Cheese Tart
- Mango Mousse Tart
- Pecan Pie
- Ube Pieremove
Bakewell Tart
Ingredients
For the Tart Crust
- 2 sticks unsalted butter softened
- 1 cup icing sugar
- 2 large egg yolks
- 2 cups all-purpose flour sifted
- 4 tsp water
For the Bakewell Filling
- 2 sticks butter softened
- 1 and 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 and 1/3 cup ground almonds
- 1/2 cup rice flour
- 1/2 cup self-rising flour
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup raspberry jam seedless
- 1 cup slivered almonds
Instructions
Make the Tart Crust
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In the bowl of a stand mixer (or use a handheld mixer), cream the butter and sugar until smooth and fluffy. Add the egg yolks and 2 teaspoons of water and mix just until incorporated. Add the sifted flour and the remaining water and mix until a dough is formed. Turn the dough over on a floured working surface. Knead just until it gathers together then wrap it in plastic. Chill in the fridge for at least 8 hours.
Make the Bakewell Filling
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In a bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the ground almonds, the rice flour, and the self-rising flour and beat well. Add the eggs and mix until combined. Cover the mixture and store in the fridge until needed. Tip: You can make this a day ahead, the same day as the tart crust.
Assemble and Bake the Tart
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Take the tart dough out of the fridge and let it sit on the counter for about 5 minutes. On a floured surface, roll the dough until it is 1/8 inch thick. Lay an 11-inch tart ring over the dough and use that as a guide to cut a circle that is 3/4 inch bigger all around.
-
Use a rolling pin to lift the circle dough and place it on top of the tart pan. Gently press down the dough so that it fits the corners of the tart pan. Roll the rolling pin over the edges of the pan to cut any excess dough. Chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours.
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Preheat oven to 325 F. Take the bakewell filling out of the fridge. This is important to let it come to room temperature for easy spreading. Cut a big piece of parchment paper and lay it over the tart crust to cover it. Place some uncooked rice on the parchment paper to cover the surface of the tart pan. Set the tart pan on a baking sheet and bake the crust for 25-35 minutes, or until the crust is lightly browned. Take the tart out of the oven and lower the temperature to 310 F.
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Remove the parchment paper and the rice. Spread the raspberry jam on the tart crust. Cover with the Bakewell filling. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and sprinkle the almonds on top. Bake for another 30-40 minutes until the filling is set and firm to the touch and the top is golden.
Recipe Notes
Recipe from World Class Cakes by Roger Pizey
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