From Nigel's Kitchen Table
Cherry Bakewell Tart
A fresh cherry Bakewell tart with crisp pastry, juicy cherries, almond frangipane, flaked almonds and a light icing.
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This cherry Bakewell tart is not the typical version found across Britain, but my very own recipe uses fresh cherries instead of jam and just a light icing on top.
Cherries and almonds are such a great match, which is shown off in this tart. It combines a crisp shortcrust base with a layer of fresh cherries, nutty frangipane, flaked almonds and icing.
I like to make my own sweet shortcrust pastry for this recipe, it’s not difficult to make, although it can be a little time-consuming when it comes to chilling the dough… but so worth it! Alternatively, you can use shop-bought shortcrust pastry.
If you can’t get fresh cherries, use cherry jam or any other flavour jam. Raspberry is the jam most frequently used for bakewell tart. Whichever jam you choose, be liberal.
If you like the sound of this recipe, you might also like my apple rose tartlets or my strawberry chocolate tart.
CONTENTS
RECIPE HIGHLIGHTS
- EASE: easy.
- TASTE & TEXTURE: a crisp pastry with fresh cherries and a spongy, nutty frangipane.
- SERVING: serve it with vanilla custard, ice cream, cream or even just on its own.
- QUANTITY: 10 slices
- TIME: 1 hour 5 minutes
INGREDIENTS
For this recipe, all you need are these ingredients:
- Sweet short pastry – is perfect and if you have the time well worth making your own alternatively, you can use shop bought if you prefer.
- Butter – adds structure and a rich butter flavour to the frangipane filling. I use a good quality salted butter for most of my baking as it intensifies the flavours, but feel free to use unsalted if you prefer, keeping in mind that good quality makes all the difference in taste. And for this recipe the butter should be soft so remove it from the fridge at least an hour before you intend to start baking.
- Eggs – add structure. Make sure they are at room temperature before you start.
- Ground almonds – help give this filling a lighter texture than using only flour.
- Plain or all-purpose flour – just a little used in the frangipane for stability when it rises.
Nigel Recommends
The Vanilla I Recommend
I recommend Taylor & Colledge vanilla products because they add a delicious depth of flavour while enhancing the other ingredients in the recipe. Choose from pure vanilla extract, vanilla paste or vanilla pods, depending on the recipe and the intensity of flavour you prefer.
- Flaked almonds – (optional) purely for decoration
- Fresh cherries – are the hero of this recipe, look for good quality juicy ones from farmers’ markets.
- Icing sugar – perfect for decorating and adding sweetness to the tart.
Nigel Recommends
Don’t Skip the Salt
I highly recommend adding a generous pinch of fine sea salt to sweet recipes. It balances sweetness and richness while helping flavours such as chocolate, vanilla and caramel stand out more clearly. Although it may seem contradictory, a little salt can also make a dessert taste sweeter by softening bitterness and creating a better balance between the different flavours. The key is to add just enough to enhance the recipe without making it taste salty.
WHAT VARIATIONS CAN I MAKE?
- Frangipane – is also one of those elements I like to adjust to get different flavours. I do this by swapping the ground almonds with ground hazelnuts or walnuts. Both nuts add a completely different taste to the final tart and I highly recommend trying it.
- Citrus fruit – for a bit of zing, add lemon, lime, or orange zest to the pastry or frangipane.
- Try different fruits or jams – this recipe works well with many other fruits. Try blueberries, raspberries, peaches or whatever’s in season.
Nutrition
Serving: one slice
Nutrition information is provided as an estimate and may vary depending on the ingredients and portion size used.
STORAGE AND FREEZING
This tart will keep well for up to 5 days in the fridge and can be eaten cold or warm.
Freezing: This tart freezes well without the icing for up to 2 months. Defrost in the fridge overnight, then decorate with the icing as per the recipe instructions.
TOOLS YOU’LL NEED
Here is a list of some kitchen equipment that I use and recommend for this recipe.
- Large mixing bowl – I recommend the 29 cm Mason Cash cream earthenware mixing bowl because it is sturdy, chip-resistant and has a generous four-litre capacity, making it ideal for everything from cake batters to bread doughs. It is also microwave, freezer and dishwasher safe. You can find this bowl and more of my favourite kitchen tools in my Amazon Baking Essentials collection.
- Measuring Spoons – I recommend these magnetic stainless steel measuring spoons for accurately measuring small quantities of ingredients. Their narrow shape fits comfortably inside most spice jars, while the magnetic handles keep the set neatly together for easy storage. You can find them and more of my favourite baking equipment in my Amazon Baking Essentials collection.
I like to use this type of pan for pies that I am going to serve out of the tin on a plate.
RECIPE TIPS
If you are making the sweet shortcrust pastry, remember, not to overmix it, doing so will overwork the glutens. Instead of light and crumbly, it will be very tough.
Use the least amount of flour when rolling out your dough to keep it from sticking to your kitchen worksurface. The more flour there is, the heavier your dough will be.
Don’t skip chilling the sweet shortcrust dough for as long as possible. If you’re in a rush, you can get away with freezing it for half an hour. Keep in mind that allowing it to rest for longer in the fridge gives time for the gluten in the dough to relax, making it easier to roll and decrease the amount of shrinking during baking. Make sure to let the dough come back to room temperature before you try rolling it out, or it is likely to break apart.
Make sure to drain the cherries well once pitted. This will avoid the pastry base becoming wet and we don’t like soggy pastry bottoms. 🙂
Cherry Bakewell Tart
- 23cm round fluted tart tin
INGREDIENTS LIST
Sweet shortcrust pastry
- 400 g homemade or store-bought sweet shortcrust pastry
Frangipane
- 150 g butter (softened)
- 150 g caster sugar
- 2 medium eggs (100g total)
- 150 g ground almonds
- 20 g plain flour (all-purpose)
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract or 1/4 tsp of vanilla paste
- 40 g flaked almonds
Filling
- 500 g fresh cherries, pitted (or 200g cherry jam)
For the icing
- 80 g icing sugar (US powdered sugar)
- 2½ tsp cold water
Preparation
- Sweet shortcrust pastry: Gently roll the dough out until it is about 3-4 mm (1/8 inch) thick and 26 cm in diameter. Carefully roll the dough around the rolling pin and place it into a 23cm (9 inch) tart tin.
- Gently press the dough into the corners and up the sides. There will be some overhang on the edges. Leave this hanging for now and place it in the freezer or the fridge for 30 minutes to rest.
- Preheat the oven to 180°C fan / 400°F / Gas 6.
- After 30 minutes, remove from the fridge and trim the top edge with a knife and prick the base with a fork.
- Line the pastry case with baking paper. Fill with baking beans and bake blind for 15 minutes, then remove the beans and baking paper and continue baking for another 3 minutes to dry out the base. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.
- Frangipane: In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugar together until pale and creamy. Add the ground almonds, and then add the eggs one at a time, beating between additions. Finally beat in the flour and the vanilla.
- Add the pitted cherries to the base of the cooled tart shell. Pour over the frangipane and sprinkle over the flaked almonds.
- Baking: Place on the middle shelf and bake for about 30-35 minutes or until the centre has a slight wobble. If the almonds seem to be browning too quickly, cover the tart loosely with foil.
- Once baked, remove from the oven and leave to cool.
- Icing: Sift the icing sugar into a bowl, stir in cold water, one teaspoon at a time until you have a thick paste. Drizzle the icing over the bakewell tart in a zig zag effect, using a spoon or use a piping bag.
FROM MY KITCHEN TO YOURS
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