Traditional Bakewell Tart

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.
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Elaine Lemm
Updated 09/17/20
Traditional Bakewell Tart

The Spruce
  • Total: 90 mins
  • Prep: 30 mins
  • Cook: 60 mins
  • Servings: 6 servings
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: 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 all-purpose (or plain flour)
  • 4 ounces 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 butter
  • 1/4 cup superfine sugar
  • 3 medium eggs (beaten) 
  • 1 egg yolk (beaten)
  • 1 3/4 cups 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. Preheat the oven 325 F / 170 C / Gas 3.

    Ingredients for pastry
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  2. Sift the flour into a bowl.

    Sift flour into a bowl
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  3. 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).

    Coarse dough mixture in bowl
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  4. 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. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill for a minimum of 15 to 30 minutes.

    Wet dough mixture in bowl, stirred with butter knife
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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.

    Rolled out dough on lightly floured wooden board
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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.

    Dough in tart pan with holes pricked in base
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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.

    Tart crust filled with parchment paper and 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.

    Tart crust with light egg wash
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  6. Spread the raspberry jam onto the base of the pastry case. Leave to cool.

    Tart crust with raspberry jam spread along the base
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  7. Cream the butter and sugar together until pale in color using an electric hand whisk.

    Butter and sugar in a bowl, creamed together until fluffy
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  8. Add the beaten eggs and egg yolk a little at a time.

    Add beaten eggs to the butter and sugar mixture
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  9. Gently fold in the ground almonds and lemon zest.

    Tart filling in bowl with wooden spoon
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  10. Pour the mixture into the pastry case and gently level the surface to ensure the whole case is filled.

    Tart pan filled with almond mixture
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  11. Bake for 20 minutes, then sprinkle the flaked almonds onto the top of the tart.

    Tart sprinkled with flaked almonds on wooden board
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  12. Bake for a further 20 minutes, or until golden and set.

    Baked tart cooling on wire rack
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  13. Leave to cool and serve with custard sauce or cream.

    Close-up of baked tart on wire rack
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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.

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