Anna Louise Manchester tart is one of those puddings that brings back strong memories for anyone who went to a British school in the 1970s and 80s.
It was a regular on school dinner menus — a crisp pastry case, a layer of raspberry jam, a thick vanilla custard filling, and a generous scattering of desiccated coconut on top, sometimes with a glacé cherry in the centre.
It sounds simple, because it is, but made properly at home with a good pastry case and a real vanilla custard rather than the institutional versions of both, it is considerably better than most people remember.
I love making this because it is both nostalgic and genuinely delicious. When I serve it, everyone immediately recognises it and immediately wants a slice. It is one of those British recipes that deserves to be made at home much more than it is.
Ingredients for Mary Berry Manchester Tart
For the Shortcrust Pastry Case
- 200g plain flour, sifted
- 100g cold unsalted butter, cubed
- 1 tbsp golden caster sugar
- Pinch of fine salt
- 2–3 tbsp cold water
For the Vanilla Custard Filling
- 4 large egg yolks
- 75g golden caster sugar
- 2 tbsp cornflour
- 400ml whole milk
- 100ml double cream
- 1 vanilla pod, split and scraped — or 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 30g unsalted butter — stirred in at the end for richness
For the Assembly and Topping
- 4 tbsp good quality raspberry jam — spread over the pastry base
- 75g desiccated coconut — scattered generously over the set custard
- 6 glacé cherries, halved — placed decoratively over the coconut
How to Make Mary Berry Manchester Tart
Step 1 — Make and Blind Bake the Pastry Case
Pulse the flour, salt, sugar, and cold butter in a food processor until the mixture looks like fine breadcrumbs. Add cold water one tablespoon at a time until the dough just comes together. Flatten into a disc, wrap, and chill for 30 minutes.
Preheat your oven to 190°C / 170°C fan / Gas 5. Roll the chilled pastry on a floured surface to 3mm thick. Line a deep 23cm loose-bottomed tart tin. Prick the base. Chill for 20 minutes.
Line with baking parchment and baking beans. Blind bake for 15 minutes. Remove beans and parchment — bake a further 8 to 10 minutes until pale golden and completely dry. Leave to cool completely in the tin.
Step 2 — Make the Vanilla Custard
Whisk the egg yolks, caster sugar, and cornflour together in a large bowl for two to three minutes until pale and thick.
Heat the milk, cream, and vanilla pod and seeds in a saucepan over a medium-low heat until just steaming — do not boil. Pour slowly onto the egg yolk mixture, whisking constantly.
Return everything to the saucepan over a low heat. Stir continuously for eight to ten minutes until the custard is very thick — considerably thicker than a pouring custard — and holds its shape when a spoon is dragged through it. Remove from the heat. Stir in the butter until melted. Remove the vanilla pod.
Leave the custard to cool for ten minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent a skin forming.
Step 3 — Assemble
Spread the raspberry jam evenly over the base of the completely cooled pastry case — going right to the edges.
Pour the slightly cooled custard over the jam layer — spreading gently to the edges. The custard should be warm enough to spread but not so hot it melts the jam.
Leave to cool at room temperature for 30 minutes, then refrigerate for at least two hours until the custard is completely set and firm.
Step 4 — Finish
Scatter the desiccated coconut generously and evenly over the set custard — covering the entire surface. Arrange the halved glacé cherries decoratively over the coconut.
Slice and serve cold.
My Top Tips For Perfect Mary Berry Manchester Tart
Make the custard very thick. A Manchester tart needs a thick, set custard rather than a pouring one. If the custard is too thin when it goes into the pastry case it will not set firmly enough to slice cleanly. Cook it until a spoon dragged through leaves a clean line that holds its shape.
Cool the custard slightly before pouring over the jam. Very hot custard melts the jam layer below and gives an uneven, mixed result rather than the clean separate layers that are part of the appeal.
Let the pastry case cool completely before assembling. Warm pastry softens where the jam touches it. A completely cooled, properly blind-baked case stays crisp under the jam and custard layers.
Be generous with the coconut. The desiccated coconut is one of the defining characteristics of a Manchester tart. A light scattering looks mean and does not give the right textural contrast. Cover the custard surface completely.
Refrigerate for at least two hours before slicing. The custard sets firmly overnight and the tart slices perfectly cleanly. I always make it the day before I plan to serve it.
Serving Suggestions
Cold from the fridge in generous slices. At a retro-themed bake sale or school reunion. As a nostalgic pudding for anyone who grew up eating it at school dinner.
How to Store Mary Berry Manchester Tart
In the fridge: Store covered for up to 3 days. The pastry softens slightly after the first day but the tart remains delicious. Freezing is not recommended — the custard and coconut both deteriorate on defrosting.
Mary Berry Manchester Tart Recipe
Ingredients
Method
- Make pastry — pulse to crumbs, add cold water, wrap and chill 30 minutes. Blind bake at 190°C: 15 minutes with beans, 8–10 minutes without. Cool completely.
- Whisk egg yolks, sugar, and cornflour 2–3 minutes until pale and thick. Heat milk, cream, and vanilla to just steaming — pour slowly onto egg yolks whisking constantly. Return to pan over low heat — stir 8–10 minutes until very thick and holding its shape. Stir in butter. Cool 10 minutes.
- Spread raspberry jam over cooled pastry base. Pour slightly cooled custard over jam — spread gently to the edges. Cool at room temperature 30 minutes — refrigerate 2 hours minimum until set.
- Scatter desiccated coconut generously over the set custard. Arrange glacé cherries decoratively. Slice cold.
Notes
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use strawberry jam instead of raspberry?
Yes — strawberry jam gives a slightly sweeter, slightly less sharp result. Raspberry is the most traditional but any good jam works well.
Can I use ready-made custard?
A thick, set custard made from scratch gives by far the best result. Ready-made custard is too thin to set properly in the tart case. If using shop-bought, choose a thick, chilled custard pot rather than a pouring variety.
Can I make individual Manchester tarts?
Yes — line six 10cm individual tart tins with the pastry. Reduce the blind baking time to 12 minutes with beans and 6 minutes without. Fill and refrigerate as directed.
Can I add a layer of sliced banana under the custard?
Yes — this is actually a traditional variation. Thinly sliced banana laid over the raspberry jam before the custard goes on gives additional sweetness and a slightly banana-custard character.
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