James Martin Bakewell Tart

James Martin Bakewell Tart is a classic British dessert made with crisp shortcrust pastry, a layer of fruity jam, and a rich almond frangipane filling. The tart bakes to a golden finish with a soft, moist centre and a delicate nutty flavour. It is a lovely bake for afternoon tea or a traditional dessert served with cream. Although it looks impressive, the recipe is quite straightforward and usually takes about 1 hour and 20 minutes from start to finish.

Ingredients

For the Shortcrust Pastry

• 200g plain flour
• 100g cold unsalted butter, cubed
• 2 tbsp icing sugar
• 1 egg yolk
• 2–3 tbsp cold water

For the Filling

• 150g unsalted butter, softened
• 150g caster sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 150g ground almonds
• 1 tsp almond extract
• 50g plain flour

For the Base and Topping

• 4–5 tbsp raspberry jam
• 40g flaked almonds
• Icing sugar, for dusting

How to Make James Martin Bakewell Tart

• Prepare the oven: Preheat the oven to 200°C or 180°C fan. Place a shelf in the middle of the oven so the tart cooks evenly and the top colours nicely.
• Make the pastry: Place the flour and cold butter into a bowl and rub together with your fingertips until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Stir in the icing sugar.
• Form the dough: Add the egg yolk and enough cold water to bring the mixture together into a soft dough. Wrap in cling film and chill in the fridge for 20 minutes.
• Roll out the pastry: Roll the chilled dough on a lightly floured surface and use it to line a 23cm tart tin. Trim the edges and prick the base with a fork.
• Blind bake the base: Line the pastry with baking parchment and baking beans. Bake for 12 minutes, remove the beans and paper, then bake for another 5 minutes until lightly golden.
• Spread the jam: Remove the pastry case from the oven and allow it to cool slightly. Spread the raspberry jam evenly over the base.
• Prepare the frangipane: Beat the butter and caster sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
• Finish the filling: Fold in the ground almonds, almond extract and plain flour until smooth and fully combined.
• Fill the tart: Spoon the almond mixture over the jam layer and gently level the surface. Sprinkle the flaked almonds evenly on top.
• Bake the tart: Reduce the oven temperature to 180°C or 160°C fan and bake for 30 to 35 minutes until golden and set in the centre.
• Cool and serve: Allow the tart to cool in the tin before removing. Dust lightly with icing sugar before slicing.

Tips for the Best Bakewell Tart

How do I stop the pastry from shrinking?

Chilling the dough before baking helps relax the gluten and prevents the pastry from shrinking in the oven.

Can I use shop bought pastry?

Yes, ready made shortcrust pastry works well if you want to save time. Roll it out and line the tart tin in the same way.

Why is my frangipane filling dense?

Make sure the butter and sugar are well creamed together before adding the eggs. This helps create a lighter texture.

What jam works best for Bakewell tart?

Raspberry jam is the traditional choice because its sharp flavour balances the sweetness of the almond filling.

Serving Suggestions

• Serve slightly warm with fresh cream
• Add a scoop of vanilla ice cream for dessert
• Enjoy with a cup of tea for afternoon tea
• Top with fresh raspberries for extra fruit flavour

Storage

Room Temperature

Store the tart in an airtight container for up to 2 days in a cool kitchen.

Refrigerator

It can be kept in the fridge for up to 4 days. Allow slices to come to room temperature before serving for the best flavour.

Freezing

Bakewell tart freezes well for up to 3 months. Wrap slices tightly and thaw overnight in the refrigerator.

Nutrition

• Calories: 420 kcal
• Carbohydrates: 42g
• Protein: 7g
• Fat: 25g
• Saturated Fat: 11g
• Sodium: 180mg

Nutrition values are estimates and may vary depending on ingredient brands and portion sizes.

FAQs

James Martin Bakewell Tart

Recipe by Milli RoseCourse: DessertCuisine: BritishDifficulty: Easy

Servings

4

servings

Prep time

30

minutes

Cooking time

40

minutes

Calories

300

kcal

Total time

1

hour 

10

minutes

A classic British Bakewell tart with crisp pastry, raspberry jam and a soft almond frangipane filling, finished with flaked almonds.

Ingredients

• 200g plain flour

• 100g cold unsalted butter, cubed

• 2 tbsp icing sugar

• 1 egg yolk

• 2–3 tbsp cold water

• 150g unsalted butter, softened

• 150g caster sugar

• 3 large eggs

• 150g ground almonds

• 1 tsp almond extract

• 50g plain flour

• 4–5 tbsp raspberry jam

• 40g flaked almonds

Directions

• Preheat oven to 200°C (180°C Fan).
• Rub flour and butter together until breadcrumb texture forms.
• Add icing sugar, egg yolk and water to form dough. Chill 20 minutes.
• Roll pastry and line a 23cm tart tin. Prick base.
• Blind bake with parchment and beans for 12 minutes then 5 minutes uncovered.
• Spread raspberry jam evenly over pastry base.
• Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
• Beat in eggs then fold in almonds, almond extract and flour.
• Spread filling over jam, sprinkle flaked almonds and bake 30–35 minutes.

Notes

• Use good quality raspberry jam for best flavour.
• Allow tart to cool before slicing so the filling sets.
• Serve with cream or custard for a traditional dessert.