Classic Bakewell Tart with Raspberry Jam & Almond Frangipane

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

The great English tea-shop tart, built for a home oven: a crisp sweet shortcrust shell, a layer of tart raspberry jam, and a soft almond frangipane that bakes up golden and fragrant. Finish it the traditional way with a feathered white icing, or keep it rustic with toasted flaked almonds. Every step is do-ahead friendly, and the only special gear you need is a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom.

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (160 g), plus more for rolling
• 2 tbsp granulated sugar
• 1/4 tsp fine salt
• 8 tbsp cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1 tbsp ice water, plus up to 1 tbsp more

• 2/3 cup good raspberry jam
• 1 tsp fresh lemon juice

• 8 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar (135 g)
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 1 1/4 cups almond flour (125 g)
• 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 3/4 tsp almond extract
• 1/4 tsp fine salt
• 1 tsp finely grated lemon zest (optional)

• 1/3 cup sliced or flaked almonds
• 1 cup powdered sugar, sifted (115 g)
• 4 tsp water or lemon juice, plus more as needed
• 1 tsp raspberry jam, strained, for feathering

Instructions

1. Make the pastry: In a food processor, pulse the 1 1/4 cups flour, 2 tablespoons sugar, and 1/4 teaspoon salt to combine. Add the cold cubed butter and pulse 10 to 12 times, until the largest pieces are the size of peas. Whisk the egg yolk with 1 tablespoon ice water, drizzle it in, and pulse in short bursts until the dough just begins to clump; add up to 1 more tablespoon water only if it stays powdery. (By hand: rub the butter into the flour with your fingertips, then stir in the yolk mixture with a fork.)
2. Turn the dough onto the counter, press it into a 5-inch disk without kneading, wrap tightly, and refrigerate at least 1 hour or up to 2 days.
3. On a lightly floured counter, roll the dough to a 12-inch round about 1/8 inch thick, turning it a quarter turn every few passes. Drape it into a 9-inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom and ease it into the corners without stretching. Press the dough up the sides so it stands slightly above the rim, then trim the overhang. Patch any cracks with scraps. Prick the base all over with a fork and freeze the shell for 20 minutes.
4. Heat the oven to 375°F with a rack in the lower third. Line the frozen shell with a crumpled sheet of parchment and fill it to the top with pie weights or dried beans. Bake 20 minutes, then lift out the parchment and weights and bake 6 to 9 minutes more, until the base looks dry and the edges are pale gold. Set on a rack and reduce the oven to 350°F.
5. Make the frangipane while the shell bakes: Beat the softened butter and 2/3 cup sugar with a mixer on medium-high for 2 to 3 minutes, until pale and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating 30 seconds after each (a little curdled look is fine). On low speed, mix in the almond flour, 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, almond extract, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and lemon zest just until smooth — stop as soon as it comes together.
6. Stir the 2/3 cup jam with the lemon juice to loosen it, then spread it over the warm tart base in an even layer all the way to the pastry edge, leaving no bare spots.
7. Dollop the frangipane over the jam and spread it gently with an offset spatula, working from the center outward so the jam stays put. Level the top; it should come just below the pastry rim. If finishing with almonds, scatter them evenly over the surface now.
8. Bake at 350°F for 35 to 45 minutes, until the top is deep golden, springs back lightly when pressed in the center, and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out with no wet batter. If the almonds darken too fast, tent loosely with foil after 25 minutes.
9. Cool the tart in its pan on a rack for at least 1 hour, then remove the outer ring. Cool completely — at least 2 hours total — before slicing; the frangipane firms up as it sets.
10. For the traditional iced finish (skip if you used almonds): whisk the powdered sugar with 4 teaspoons water or lemon juice until it's thick but pourable, like honey. Pour it over the cooled tart and spread quickly to the edges. Immediately pipe 4 or 5 thin parallel lines of strained jam across the icing using a toothpick-poked corner of a zip-top bag, then drag a toothpick through them in alternating directions, 1 inch apart, to feather the stripes. Let the icing set 30 minutes before cutting.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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