Mary Berry Bakewell Traybake Recipe

Mary Berry's Bakewell traybake has a shortbread base, raspberry jam, and a rich almond frangipane — the most crowd-pleasing traybake there is.

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Prep Time 25

Cook Time 40

Cooling Time 1

Total Time 2 5

Servings: 20 Squares

Course: Dessert, Side Dish

Cuisine: British

Calories: 310

Shortbread Base: 250g unsalted butter softened 100g icing sugar sifted, 350g plain flour sifted, 1 tsp vanilla, pinch of salt
Jam Layer: 200g good quality raspberry jam
Frangipane: 175g unsalted butter softened 175g caster sugar, 3 large eggs beaten, 175g ground almonds, 50g self-raising flour sifted, ½ tsp almond extract
Top: 50g flaked almonds icing sugar for dusting

Preheat oven to 180°C / 160°C fan / Gas 4. Grease and line a 30x23cm tin. Beat butter, icing sugar, and vanilla until smooth. Add flour and salt — mix to a soft dough. Press firmly and evenly into base. Bake 12–15 minutes until pale golden. Cool 10 minutes.
Spread raspberry jam evenly over cooled base — use all of it.
Beat butter and caster sugar 3–4 minutes. Add eggs gradually. Add almond extract. Fold in ground almonds and flour.
Spoon frangipane in small dollops over jam. Spread gently to cover completely. Scatter flaked almonds.
Bake 28–32 minutes until golden and a skewer comes out clean. Cool completely — 1 hour. Dust with icing sugar. Cut into squares.

Cool shortbread base before adding jam — warm base makes jam soak in.

Spoon frangipane in small dollops then spread gently — avoids disrupting the jam layer.

Use all 200g of jam — it must be a generous, clearly visible layer.

Use almond extract — it is the flavour that makes this distinctly Bakewell.

Cool completely before cutting — warm frangipane cuts messily.

Stores 4 days in an airtight container. Freezes individually for 3 months.