Mary Berry’s Bakewell Tart Recipe with a twist! (2024)

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Bakewell tart is such a British classic, and Mary Berry’s got the best recipe, but I’ve made a few changes for those of us in the US. Thanks to a friend’s suggestion, I’ve also discovered that using up leftover mincemeat instead of jam, makes a fabulous treat!

Mary Berry’s Bakewell Tart Recipe with a twist! (1)

For those of you in the UK, Mary Berry is a household name, but this is not the case in the US.

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EDIT: This post was written before the Great British Bakeoff made it BIG in the USA!

Mary Berry’s Bakewell Tart Recipe with a twist! (2)

Mary Berry’s Bakewell Tart Recipe with a twist! (3)

Click to buy Mary Berry’s cookbook.

If you live outside the UK, you may not know who Mary Berry is. She is an extremely accomplished baker, cookbook author, and celebrity in the UK, as she is a judge in a highly popular TV show called The Great British Bakeoff, and she just happens to have been born exactly one year, to the day, before my Dad! You needed that piece of information, right?

Updated: I met Mary Berry and “hung out” with her, Paul Hollywood and James Martin in the VIP room at the BBC Good Food Show Scotland! I even rode in the same taxi with them when we went out for dinner!

Mary Berry’s Bakewell Tart Recipe with a twist! (4)

I love Mary’s English style and classic British recipes, like her Bakewell tart. Most of you in the US have probably never even heard of a Bakewell tart, let alone have tried one, so this is the recipe I decided to share with you.

Mary Berry’s Bakewell Tart Recipe with a twist! (5)

Bakewell tart begins with a homemade crust which is partially baked, then the bottom is covered in jam (please see below for a very delicious alternative filling to use up your Christmas mincemeat).

Bakewell tart is very simple almond flavored, cake-like filled (frangipane) tart, which is topped with sliced almonds and drizzled with icing. Mary Berry’s Bakewell tart recipe is fantastic. When the tart has cooled, it’s drizzled with a plain sugar icing. Need I say more?

Mary Berry’s Bakewell Tart Recipe

adapted for US kitchens (and to my taste) and to make a larger, 9″ tart serves 10

FULL PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW

Tart Shell

  • flour
  • salt
  • butter
  • sugar

Filling

  • jam or mincemeat
  • butter
  • sugar
  • ground almonds
  • eggs
  • almond extract (optional)

Topping

  • flaked almonds
  • confectioner’s sugar
  • water or milk

Special equipment: tart dish(I like this one as it’s made in France, but I have a less expensive option in above)

Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6 (180C fan).

Making the pastry

Placethe flour and salt into a bowl and rub in the butter with your fingers until the mixture looks likefine breadcrumbs.

Mary Berry’s Bakewell Tart Recipe with a twist! (7)

Add the sugar, then add the water and mix gently to make asoft dough. (Or you can make it in a food processor,like this.)

Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface, then line a 9″in tart tin. Using a fork, press the tines into the bottom and sides of the pastry in the tin.

Mary Berry’s Bakewell Tart Recipe with a twist! (8)

Refrigeratefor 30 minutes.

Bake for about 15 to 20 minutes, until cooked, but not completely (it’s going back in the oven.) Remove and set aside.

Spread the jam or mincemeat on the bottom of the crust then make the frangipane filling.

Making the filling and baking the Bakewell tart

Melt the butter in a pot,remove fromheat and stir in the sugar, ground almonds, egg and almond extract (if using.) Pour the mixture over the jam or mincemeat andsprinklethe flaked almonds on top.

Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F(180°C) and bake forabout 30 minutes, until golden-brown and a skewer pushed into the middlecomes out clean. Remove from the oven and leave to cool completelyin the pan. Drizzle with icing and allow to set.

Finally, cut the Bakewell tart into slices and enjoy! If you enjoy Mary Berry’s Bakewell tart recipe in it’s original form, then give my mincemeat version a try, too!

Mincemeat Bakewell Tart

Here is a photo of the mincemeat Bakewell Tart. The homemade mincemeat combined with the other flavors works really well, and it was perfect in January to use up some leftover mincemeat from the holidays.

In the meantime, I am flying to Scotland today, so I hope you’ll understand I won’t be posting much here on my site whilst traveling, but I’ll be much more active on Facebook, and Instagram.

I hope you will follow me home to Scotland–first on the agenda is the Scottish Baking Awards at Mar Hall this Sunday! I cannot wait!

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Mary Berry’s Bakewell Tart Recipe with a twist! (11)

Mary Berry's Bakewell Tart

Yield: one 9" tart

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 35 minutes

Total Time: 55 minutes

A classic British tart which has a jam base, cake like frangipane filling and almonds and icing on top. Delicious!

Ingredients

Tart Shell

  • 2 cups (9 oz) all purpose flour
  • (pinch of salt -my addition)
  • one stick (4 oz) good quality butter (I use Kerrygold)
  • (1 1/2 tsp sugar -my addition)
  • 4 to 5 tbsp ice-cold water

Filling

  • 3 to 4 tbsp raspberry jam, or any other flavor (you can also use mincemeat for a delicious twist)
  • 1 1/2 stick (6 oz) butter
  • 3/4 cup (6 oz) sugar
  • 3/4 cup (6 oz) ground almonds
  • 2 eggs (preferably organic), beaten
  • 1/2 tsp. almond extract (I omitted this as it's not my favorite flavor)
  • 1/2 cup (3 oz) flaked almonds

Icing

  • 2/3 cup (3 oz) confectioner's sugar
  • 2 to 3 tablespoons water or milk

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 200C/400F

PASTRY-

  1. Place the flour and salt into a bowl and rub in the butter with your fingers until the mixture looks like fine breadcrumbs. Add the sugar, then the water and mix gently to make a soft dough. (Or you can make it in a food processor, like this.)
  2. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface, then line a 9"in tart tin. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
  3. Using a fork, press the tines into the bottom and sides of the pastry in the tin, then bake for about 15 to 20 minutes, until cooked, but not completely (it's going back in the oven.) Remove and set aside.

FILLING

  1. Spread the jam or mincemeat on the bottom of the crust then make the frangipane filling.
  2. Melt the butter in a pot, remove from heat and stir in the sugar, ground almonds, egg and almond extract (if using.) Pour the mixture over the jam or mincemeat and sprinkle the flaked almonds on top.
  3. Bake for about 35 minutes. If the almonds begin to brown too quickly, cover the tart loosely with aluminum foil.

ICING

  1. Place the confectioner's sugar into a bowl. Stir in cold water or milk. Using a knife or spoon (any kitchen cutlery would probably work), drizzle the icing all over the cooled tart (make sure it isn't warm or the icing will not look as pretty as it should.) Allow the icing to set before serving.
  2. Cut into slices and enjoy!

Notes

Leave off the icing if you prefer a less sweet tart (my mum prefers it this way).

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 10Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 197Total Fat: 3gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 42mgSodium: 46mgCarbohydrates: 37gFiber: 1gSugar: 13gProtein: 5g

Nutrition information is only estimated.

Did you make this recipe?

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Mary Berry’s Bakewell Tart Recipe with a twist! (2024)

FAQs

What is the difference between a Cherry Bakewell and a Bakewell Tart? ›

When topped with half a candied cherry, the Bakewell Tart is then known as a Cherry Bakewell. Cherry Bakewells are usually small, designed as individual portions. Bakewell Tarts, on the other hand, are generally 8-9 inches across and designed to be shared in slices.

How do you make Mary Berry Bakewell Tart? ›

For the filling, spread the base of the flan with 4 tablespoons of raspberry jam. Cream the butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy. Add the ground almonds, egg and almond extract and mix together. Spoon the mixture into the pastry case and level out with a palette knife.

What is the original Bakewell Tart? ›

The Bakewell Tart, on the other hand, was developed as a variant of the Pudding later in the 20th century. The Tart's base is made from sweet shortcrust pastry, which is then layered with seedless strawberry jam and finished with a pale, fluffy frangipane sponge filling of eggs, almonds and sugar.

Why does my Bakewell Tart sink in the middle? ›

Cakes sink in the middle due to several reasons. One reason is that the cake batter might be too moist, causing it to collapse during baking. Another reason could be that the oven temperature is too low, leading to uneven baking. Opening the oven door too frequently while baking can also cause cakes to sink.

Is frangipane the same as Bakewell tart? ›

Frangipane is also a key component in Bakewell Tart, where it teams up with jam as a filling between layers of pastry. And it's imperative in Bostock, a breakfast pastry made by saturating slices of day-old brioche with sugar syrup, then slathering on frangipane and baking until golden.

What is a fun fact about the Bakewell tart? ›

The Bakewell tart is an English classic of shortcrust pastry with layers of jam, frangipane, chopped almonds and icing. It dates back to the 19th century when a woman named Mrs Greaves, who was the landlady of the White Horse Inn in Derbyshire, created the Bakewell pudding.

Why is it called frangipane tart? ›

The word frangipane is a French term used to name products with an almond flavour. The word comes ultimately from the last name of Marquis Muzio Frangipani or Cesare Frangipani. The word first denoted the frangipani plant, from which was produced the perfume originally said to flavor frangipane.

What to eat with Bakewell tart? ›

What do you serve with Bakewell tart? Bakewell tart is best served warm, with either ice-cream to contrast, or custard to complement. Bakewell tart is also sometimes served with cream.

Is Bakewell pudding the same as Bakewell tart? ›

What differentiates a Bakewell tart from a pudding is that a Bakewell pudding is made with puff pastry, whereas the Bakewell tart is made with shortcrust, but both share common ingredients in the filling.

What is the Flavour of Bakewell Tart? ›

It's a real 'make your tummy happy' tart. What's not to love? Buttery crisp shortcrust pastry base, squidgy almondy frangipan middle, and soft runny icing with delicate feathering and the finishing touch is literally “the cherry on top”.

What is the flavor of Bakewell? ›

It originated in Bakewell, England, and consists of a buttery short-crust pastry foundation, a delectable layer of fruit preserves, usually raspberry, and an almond frangipane filling. This delicious fusion exemplifies the art of balancing flavors and textures.

What is frangipane filling made of? ›

What is frangipane? A creamy mixture of ground almonds, butter, sugar and eggs that is sometimes used to fill tarts. Halved stone fruit, such as apricots and plums, can be baked on top to make a delicious dessert.

Is Bakewell tart eaten hot or cold? ›

We would recommend the tart to anyone who would prefer to eat a cold dessert, but if you prefer a hot dessert, go for the pudding. However, despite what some people might say, there is no wrong way to enjoy either of them and the best way is whatever way that you enjoy them the most.

Why does my tart have a soggy bottom? ›

Soggy bottoms

This normally happens when the oven is not hot enough or the pastry is not baked for long enough. However, it can also be because too much water was added to the dough.

Is Bakewell tart from Bakewell? ›

A Bakewell tart is an English confection consisting of a shortcrust pastry shell beneath layers of jam, frangipane, and a topping of flaked almonds. It is a variant of the Bakewell pudding, closely associated with the town of Bakewell in Derbyshire.

Do they make Bakewell Tarts in Bakewell? ›

Quality fresh food to eat in and take away in the heart of Bakewell. In addition to the fantastic assortment of Bakewell Tarts and Puddings, the Bakewell Tart Shop offers a mouth-wateringly delicious range of pies, cakes, local jams, biscuits, confectionery and freshly baked bread.

What came first Bakewell pudding or Bakewell tart? ›

Unique to Bakewell, the Bakewell Pudding is the original Bakewell dessert, made by Mrs Greaves, the landlady of The White Horse Inn around 1820.

References

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