Traditional Bakewell Tart Recipe

Written by
Elaine Lemm
Elaine Lemm is a renowned British food writer, classically trained chef, teacher, and author with over 25 years of experience writing about British food and cooking.
Learn about our editorial process
Elaine Lemm
Elaine Lemm
Published on 06/12/19 by Elaine Lemm
Elaine Lemm is a renowned British food writer, classically trained chef, teacher, and author with over 25 years of experience writing about British food and cooking.
Learn about The Spruce Eats's Editorial Process

Updated 06/12/19

Traditional Bakewell Tart

The Spruce
  • Total: 90 mins
  • Prep: 30 mins
  • Cook: 60 mins
  • Yield: Serves 6
Nutritional Guidelines (per serving)
768 Calories
66g Fat
33g Carbs
18g Protein
See Full Nutritional Guidelines Hide Full Nutritional Guidelines
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: Serves 6
Amount per serving
Calories 768
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 66g 85%
Saturated Fat 26g 128%
Cholesterol 242mg 81%
Sodium 385mg 17%
Total Carbohydrate 33g 12%
Dietary Fiber 7g 27%
Protein 18g
Calcium 191mg 15%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

There are some great British tarts and puddings, and the Bakewell Tart is one of them. It originated in the picturesque town of Bakewell in the Derbyshire Peak District and is easy to make. It is a delicious dessert, and also makes a delightful afternoon treat, a​ pudding, or simply a snack with a cup of tea.

Ingredients

  • For the Pastry
  • 2 1/4 cups/200 grams all-purpose (or plain flour)
  • 4 ounces/115 grams butter (or an equal mix of butter and lard, cubed)
  • Pinch of salt
  • 2 to 3 tablespoon water (cold)
  • For the Filling
  • 1 egg white (lightly beaten)
  • 2 tablespoon raspberry jam
  • 5 ounces/150 grams butter
  • 1/4 cup/55 grams caster sugar
  • 3 medium eggs (beaten) 
  • 1 egg yolk (beaten)
  • 1 3/4 cups/150 grams ground almonds
  • 1 medium lemon (zested)
  • 2 tablespoons flaked almonds

Steps to Make It

Note: while there are multiple steps to this recipe, this Bakewell dessert is broken down into workable categories to help you better plan for preparation and baking.

Make the Pastry

  1. Gather the ingredients

    Ingredients for pastry
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  2. Heat the oven 325  F/170 C/ Gas 3.

  3. Sieve the flour into a bowl.

    Sieve flour into a bowl
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  4. Add the butter and salt and rub into the flour with your fingertips until the mixture resembles sand (working as quickly as you can so the dough does not get warm).

    Adding butter to flour
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  5. Add the water to the mixture a little at a time and, using a cold knife, stir until the dough binds together. You should have a soft, but not sticky dough that has formed. 

    Add water to the mixture
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  6. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill for a minimum of 15 to 30 minutes.

Make the Filling and Prepare the Tart

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients for tart
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  2. Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured board to 1/4-inch thick.

    Rolling out pastry
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  3. Grease and then line an 8-inch deep tart tin with the pastry. Prick the base all over with a fork. Chill in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.

    Grease and line pan
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  4. Line the tart case with parchment paper and fill with baking beans. Cook for 15 minutes or until the pastry is a pale golden color.

    Fill with baking beans
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  5. Remove the baking beans, lightly brush the inside of the pastry case with a little egg white, and cook for a further 5 minutes.

    Light egg wash
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  6. Spread the raspberry jam onto the base of the pastry case. Leave to cool.

    Spreading raspberry jam onto the base
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  7. Cream the butter and sugar together until pale in color using an electric hand whisk.

    Cream butter and sugar together
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  8. Add the beaten eggs and egg yolk a little at a time.

    Add beaten eggs
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  9. Gently fold in the ground almonds and lemon zest.

    Gently fold in the ground almonds
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  10. Pour the mixture into the pastry case and gently level the surface to ensure the whole case is filled.

    Pour mixture into pastry cas
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  11. Bake for 20 minutes, then sprinkle the flaked almonds onto the top of the tart.

    Baked
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  12. Bake for a further 20 minutes, or until golden and set.

    Cooling tart
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  13. Leave to cool and serve with custard sauce or cream.

    Leave to cool
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  14. Serve and enjoy!

Tip

  • Make as individual tarts if you prefer. For this, use a 12-hole muffin tin instead of a tart tin and follow the methods as above.