Anna Louise The Bakewell tart is one of Britain’s most beloved bakes — a crisp sweet pastry case filled with a layer of raspberry jam and a rich, golden almond frangipane that sets to a soft, slightly dense, intensely flavoured filling during baking.
It is named after the Derbyshire town of Bakewell where a version of this pudding has been made for centuries, and it remains one of the finest things British baking has ever produced.
Mary Berry’s Bakewell tart recipe is the definitive home baker’s version. The pastry is a proper sweet shortcrust — light, crisp, and slightly more delicate than a plain shortcrust because of the icing sugar.
The jam layer is generous. The frangipane is rich with ground almonds and butter, fragrant with almond extract, and topped with flaked almonds that toast to golden during baking.
The result is a tart that slices cleanly, keeps well, and tastes completely wonderful for days after making.
What Makes a Great Bakewell Tart
A properly blind-baked pastry case. The pastry must be cooked through and crisp before the filling goes in — a soggy base ruins everything. Blind baking is the step most people skip and the one that makes the biggest difference.
A generous jam layer. The raspberry jam is not a thin smear — it should be a proper layer that you can see and taste in every slice. Use a good quality jam with real fruit flavour.
Almond extract in the frangipane. Ground almonds alone give flavour and texture. Almond extract adds the distinctive, slightly intense almond fragrance that makes Bakewell tart immediately recognisable. Use it — sparingly, but use it.
Ingredients for Mary Berry Bakewell Tart
For the Sweet Shortcrust Pastry
- 200g plain flour, sifted
- 25g icing sugar, sifted
- 100g unsalted butter, cold and cubed
- 1 large egg yolk
- 2–3 tbsp cold water
- Pinch of fine salt
For the Filling
- 4 tbsp good quality raspberry jam
- 175g unsalted butter, softened
- 175g caster sugar
- 3 large eggs, beaten
- 175g ground almonds
- 50g self-raising flour, sifted
- ½ tsp almond extract
- 50g flaked almonds
To Finish
- Icing sugar for dusting
How to Make Mary Berry Bakewell Tart — Step by Step
Step 1 — Make the Pastry
Pulse the flour, icing sugar, salt, and cold butter in a food processor until fine breadcrumbs. Add the egg yolk and pulse. Add cold water one tablespoon at a time until the dough just comes together.
If making by hand — rub cold butter into flour, icing sugar, and salt until fine breadcrumbs. Mix in egg yolk and enough cold water to bring the dough together.
Flatten into a disc, wrap in cling film, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Step 2 — Line and Blind Bake
Preheat your oven to 200°C / 180°C fan / Gas 6. Roll the chilled pastry on a lightly floured surface to 3mm thickness. Line a deep 23cm loose-bottomed tart tin, leaving a slight overhang. Prick the base all over with a fork. Refrigerate for 20 minutes.
Line with baking parchment and fill with baking beans. Blind bake for 15 minutes. Remove the beans and parchment and bake for a further 8 to 10 minutes until pale golden and dry on the base. Trim the pastry edges while warm.
Reduce the oven temperature to 180°C / 160°C fan / Gas 4.
Step 3 — Add the Jam
Spread the raspberry jam evenly over the base of the blind-baked pastry case. Be generous — a thin layer disappears during baking. Set aside.
Step 4 — Make the Frangipane
Beat the softened butter and caster sugar together with an electric hand whisk for three to four minutes until pale and fluffy. Add the beaten eggs a little at a time, beating well after each addition.
Fold in the ground almonds, sifted self-raising flour, and almond extract until just combined. The frangipane should be smooth and slightly thick.
Step 5 — Fill and Top
Spoon the frangipane carefully over the jam layer. Spread gently and evenly to the edges — be careful not to disturb the jam underneath. The frangipane should completely cover the jam.
Scatter the flaked almonds evenly over the surface.
Step 6 — Bake
Bake for 30 to 35 minutes until the frangipane is set, deep golden brown, and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. The flaked almonds should be toasted and golden.
Leave to cool in the tin for 20 minutes before removing. Dust with icing sugar before serving.
My Top Tips For Mary Berry Bakewell Tart
Blind bake the pastry properly. It must be pale golden and completely dry before the filling goes in. An underbaked base will be soft and soggy beneath the moist frangipane. Take the time to blind bake properly.
Be generous with the jam. Four tablespoons is the minimum. The jam layer needs to be thick enough to taste and see in the finished tart — a thin smear just disappears.
Use almond extract sparingly. Half a teaspoon is correct. More and it becomes overpowering and synthetic. Less and you lose the characteristic Bakewell flavour. Half a teaspoon is exactly right.
Spread frangipane gently over the jam. Spooning the frangipane directly onto the jam in dollops and then spreading gently prevents the jam from being pushed to the edges or mixing into the frangipane.
Cool before slicing. The frangipane sets as it cools and slices much more cleanly at room temperature than when warm.
Serving Suggestions
At room temperature with a dusting of icing sugar and a cup of tea — perfect. As a dessert with a spoonful of clotted cream or crème fraîche.
At an afternoon tea spread alongside sandwiches and scones. As a gift — it travels and keeps extremely well.
How to Store Mary Berry Bakewell Tart
At room temperature: Store in an airtight container for up to 4 days. The frangipane stays moist and the pastry remains crisp for the first two days.
In the freezer: Freeze in slices for up to 3 months, wrapped individually in cling film. Defrost at room temperature.
Mary Berry Bakewell Tart Recipe
Ingredients
Method
- Make pastry: pulse flour, icing sugar, salt, and cold butter to fine breadcrumbs. Add egg yolk and cold water until dough just comes together. Wrap and chill 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 200°C / 180°C fan / Gas 6. Roll pastry to 3mm. Line a 23cm tart tin. Prick base. Chill 20 minutes. Blind bake with beans 15 minutes, remove beans, bake 8–10 minutes until pale golden and dry. Trim edges. Reduce oven to 180°C / 160°C fan / Gas 4.
- Spread jam generously over blind-baked base.
- Beat butter and sugar 3–4 minutes until pale and fluffy. Add beaten eggs gradually. Fold in ground almonds, flour, and almond extract.
- Spoon frangipane carefully over jam. Spread gently to edges. Scatter flaked almonds over the top.
- Bake 30–35 minutes until golden and a skewer comes out clean. Cool 20 minutes. Dust with icing sugar.
Notes
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between a Bakewell tart and a Bakewell pudding?
The Bakewell pudding — the original Derbyshire dish — has a puff pastry base and a filling made with egg and almond paste. The Bakewell tart — the more widely known version — has a shortcrust pastry base and a frangipane filling. Both are wonderful and distinctly different things.
Can I use a different jam?
Yes — strawberry, apricot, or blackcurrant all work well. Raspberry is the most traditional and the sharpness of the raspberry works particularly well against the rich, sweet frangipane.
Why is my frangipane dense and heavy?
Either the butter and sugar were not creamed sufficiently, or the eggs were added too quickly causing the mixture to curdle slightly. Beat the butter and sugar for a full three to four minutes and add the eggs very gradually.
Can I make individual Bakewell tarts?
Yes — use a 12-hole shallow bun tin lined with small rounds of pastry. Fill each with a small amount of jam and frangipane. Reduce the baking time to 18 to 22 minutes. They look wonderful for afternoon tea.
Why did my jam bubble up through the frangipane?
The oven temperature was too high or the jam layer was too thick. Reduce the oven temperature slightly and use the recommended four tablespoons of jam — not more.
Can I make this gluten-free?
Yes — use gluten-free plain flour for the pastry and gluten-free self-raising flour in the frangipane. The ground almonds are naturally gluten-free and make up the majority of the filling.
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