Traditional Bakewell Tart

By
Elaine Lemm
Elaine Lemm
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' Editorial Process
Updated on 06/22/21
Tested by
Carrie Parente
Carrie Parente
Tested by Carrie Parente
on 06/16/21
Carrie is a freelance food stylist and culinary producer who loves having a table full of guests.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Recipe Testing Panel
Traditional Bakewell Tart

The Spruce
Prep: 30 mins
Cook: 60 mins
Chill Time: 45 mins
Total: 2 hrs 15 mins
Servings: 8 servings
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
620 Calories
45g Fat
44g Carbs
13g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 8
Amount per serving
Calories 620
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 45g 58%
Saturated Fat 18g 91%
Cholesterol 150mg 50%
Sodium 270mg 12%
Total Carbohydrate 44g 16%
Dietary Fiber 5g 16%
Total Sugars 10g
Protein 13g
Vitamin C 1mg 5%
Calcium 114mg 9%
Iron 3mg 18%
Potassium 311mg 7%
*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.

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"I'm always looking for an excuse to bake something, especially with ingredients I already have in my pantry. I didn't have almond flour or almond meal, however. I did have whole almonds, so I whizzed them up in a food processor to make my ground almonds." —Carrie Parente

Traditional Bakewell Tart Tester Image
A Note From Our Recipe Tester

Ingredients

For the Pastry:

  • 2 1/4 cups (270 grams) all-purpose flour

  • 4 ounces (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, or an equal mix of butter and lard, cubed

  • Pinch of salt

  • 4 to 5 tablespoons cold water

For the Filling:

  • 1 medium egg white, lightly beaten

  • 2 tablespoons raspberry jam, or more

  • 5 ounces (10 tablespoons) unsalted butter

  • 1/4 cup superfine sugar

  • 3 medium eggs, beaten

  • 1 medium egg yolk

  • 1 3/4 cups ground almonds, or almond flour

  • 2 teaspoons lemon zest

  • 2 tablespoons sliced almonds

  • Custard or cream sauce, for serving, optional

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 Bakewell Tart pastry
    The Spruce

  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
    The Spruce

  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
    The Spruce

Make the Filling and Prepare the Tart

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients for tart filling
    The Spruce

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

    Rolled out dough on lightly floured wooden board
    The Spruce

  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
    The Spruce

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

    Tart crust with raspberry jam spread along the base
    The Spruce

  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
    The Spruce

  9. Gently fold in the ground almonds and lemon zest.

    Tart filling in bowl with wooden spoon
    The Spruce

  10. Pour the mixture into the pastry case and gently level the surface to ensure the whole case is filled. Place the tart tin on a baking sheet,

    Tart pan filled with almond mixture
    The Spruce

  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.

    Baked Traditional British Bakewell Tart Recipe
    The Spruce

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.
  • For the ground almonds in the filling, you can use store-bought almond flour, or you can grind up almonds (whole, slivered or sliced) in a food processor, pulsing until finely ground.
  • If you are using almonds or almond flour with the skin still on, keep in mind that the tart will appear darker than the recipe photo.

Recipe Variations

  • For a sweeter crust, add 1 to 2 tablespoons sugar to the pastry.
  • The amount of jam specified in the recipe is just enough to cover the bottom of the tart. However, feel free to double the amount of jam for a more distinct and flavorful jam layer.
  • Try adding 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon almond extract to the filling to enhance the almond flavor.