Raspberry Bakewell tart
I have been a fan of Bakewell tart for a long time, so it was fun to develop this recipe for an event focussing on traditional English puddings.
Bakewell tarts are a classic teatime treat – all you need is buttery pastry, a delicious almond frangipane filling, and either some fruit, jam or a compote, and the sourer the better in my opinion.
This is a multi-step recipe, and I know that people are often put off by all the steps to make pastry. My advice is to take it in stages.
You can make the pastry well ahead of time, wrap it well in clingfilm and either keep it in the fridge for a couple of days or freeze it for a few months. Similarly, every stage can be worked into your day – the pastry can be rolled out and kept in the fridge or freezer, and the compote can be made a few days ahead as can the frangipane, just keep both in sealed containers in the fridge and take them out a bit before you want to use them.
The tart really is best if you make it on the day you want to eat it, but all you’ll then need to do is blind bake the pastry, put the filling in and bake it again. Easy!
Do let me know if you give this a try – I’d love to know how you get on.
Enjoy!
Raspberry Bakewell Tart
Ingredients
For the compote
250g fresh or frozen raspberries
25g caster sugar
Juice of ½ lemon
For the pastry
250g plain flour
100g icing sugar
200g unsalted butter, fridge cold, cubed
Zest of 1 lemon
Pinch of salt
2 egg yolks
For the frangipane
110g unsalted butter, at room temperature, cubed
110g caster sugar
Zest of 1 lemon
2 eggs, beaten
110g ground almonds
25g plain flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
Pinch of salt
1 punnet of fresh raspberries
20g flaked almonds to garnish
Tart tin: 35x12cm rectangular or 23cm round tin
Method
- For the compote, bring the raspberries, sugar and lemon juice to a simmer in a small saucepan for 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thickened slightly. Set aside to cool and refrigerate if you are making this ahead of time.
- For the pastry, place the flour, icing sugar, butter, lemon zest and salt together in a food processor and mix until the butter is broken up and the texture resembles sand.
- Add the yolks and pulse to combine. Tip the pastry out onto the work surface, bring together with your hands, shape in a disk and wrap in clingfilm. Refrigerate for at least an hour and up to 2 days, or put in the freezer for 20 minutes if you are in a hurry!
- Grease the tart tin all over with a little butter.
- On a floured surface, roll the pastry out to a size larger than the tin and with a thickness of approx. 5mm. Lift it carefully over the tin, and working quickly, lift and ease the pastry down until it fits snugly in the tin with the edges overhanging. Roll the rolling pin over the tin to cut the overhang off. (You can use the excess pastry for another tart – it will keep wrapped in the freezer for a few months.)
- Neaten the pastry in the tin if necessary, and put in the fridge for at least 30 minutes or up to a day, or the freezer for 10 minutes if you’re in a hurry.
- Preheat the oven to 170C. Line the pastry with baking paper and fill with baking beans. Blind bake for 15-20 minutes, until lightly golden. Then carefully remove the paper and baking beans (they will be HOT!) and bake the pastry for a further 5 minutes, or until the base is a light golden colour.
- For the frangipane filling, using electric whisks or the paddle attachment of a mixer beat the butter, sugar and zest together until light pale and fluffy.
- Add the eggs in stages, followed by the dry ingredients, and mix until smooth.
- Spread the compote over the base of the pastry case, and spread or pipe the frangipane on top. Sit most of the fresh raspberries on top of the tart, putting some aside for later. Bake for around 25 minutes, sprinkling the almonds over after 15 minutes. Remove from the oven when puffed up and a light golden colour. Leave to cool for 10 minutes in the tin, then transfer to a wire rack. The Bakewell tart is best on the day that it is made, but will keep for a few days.
- Serve warm or at room temperature with fresh raspberries and a cup of tea.
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