Cherry Bakewell tart is a retro classic in the world of British baking. Shortcrust pastry, sweet cherry jam and a delightful frangipane topping smothered in glacé icing with a crown of candied cherries make this cherry and almond tart hard to resist.
Note: this tart should not be mistaken for Bakewell Pudding.
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My cherry Bakewell tart is a delightful little bake to serve for dessert or as a mid-afternoon snack alongside a cup of tea. There's crisp shortcrust pastry, a generous layer of quality cherry jam, soft and almondy frangipane and a light smattering of sweet glacé icing. Obviously, the vibrant cherries are mandatory.
Please note that this cherry Bakewell (nor the classic Bakewell tart) is not the same as a Bakewell pudding. The latter, which forms part of my collection of Midlands recipes, is an entirely different dessert and Bakewellians are not happy if naivety (or otherwise) leads anybody to suggest that the almond tart is the authentic Bakewell pudding. Don't say you haven't been warned.
What's the difference between a Bakewell tart, a cherry Bakewell and a Bakewell pudding?
- Bakewell tart comprises a shortcrust pastry shell with a layer of jam on the bottom (often raspberry). On top of this sits a generous layer of frangipane sponge. A scattering of flaked almonds and sometimes a light dusting of icing sugar adorns the top.
- Cherry Bakewell is a variation on this tart. It includes cherry jam and the top is adorned with almond-flavoured glacé icing and glacé cherries. Its popularity is the work of Mr Kipling, who has been making exceeding good individual cherry Bakewells since the 1970s.
- Bakewell pudding is an entirely different dessert which includes a puff pastry shell, jam of more or less any flavour, sometimes candied peel and an almond-flavoured custard. There is no garnish in the traditional presentation of this pudding.
I've taken a hybrid approach with my recipe for cherry Bakewell tart. I've included a scattering of flaked almonds on the top and a partial covering of glacé icing. It's easy to turn it into a true Bakewell tart by leaving the icing off and adding a few more flaked almonds. Likewise, the amount of icing could be doubled for a sweeter version of this cherry and almond tart.
If you love sweet tarts be sure to take a look at my coconut tart, Buxton pudding, Trentham tart and blackberry frangipane tart too.
Why you'll love this cherry Bakewell tart recipe
- Texture - there is so muchof it in this classic British tart. Crispy pastry, sticky jam, the soft frangipane topping and a little bite of crunchy almonds.
- Taste - almond and cherry are a classic flavour combination for good reason. This tart is also just the right side of sweet.
- Appearance - seriously, what's not to love about those bright red cherries. They practically ensure it's love at first sight.
- Nostalgic - if you're British and were an adult or grew up in the 1970s or 1980s then it's highly likely that you enjoyed the Mr Kipling cherry Bakewell fairly regularly. My recipe for cherry Bakewell tart brings this treat bang up-to-date for modern tastes and keen home bakers.
- Feeds a crowd - you'll cut 8-10 slices.
- Shortcuts can be taken - want to use store-bought pastry? Go for it.
Readers with a mild love for all things cherry Bakewell don't miss my Bakewell flapjack recipe. Its fun, sweet and sticky.
Ingredients notes
- Cherry jam: use the best quality jam that you can lay your hands on. One with at least 50% fruit per 100g is perfect. I've made this tart using my cherry jam recipe (omitting the alcohol) and I've made it using Sainsbury's Taste the Difference cherry jam. Both worked very well.
- Glacé cherries: also known as candied cherries, these are an integral part of this cherry & almond tart recipe and should not be left out. Pick them up in the supermarket or online.
- Almonds:
- Ground almonds - these are required to make the frangipane. These are usually found in the baking aisle of the supermarket. They are also known as almond meal but do not use almond flour as it is not the same product.
- Almond extract - I've also included a dash ofthis in the frangipane and icing, but this is optional.
- Flaked almonds are also required to adorn the top of this cherry Bakewell.
Equipment notes
When making this cherry Bakewell tart recipe use an 8-inch (20cm) circular tart tin with a depth of 1-inch (2.5cm). The ingredient quantities listed are perfect for this size of tin. Using a smaller/ larger tin will mean that there is too much/ too little pastry & filling to yield the best result.
Instructions
Full instructions and measurements are given in the printable recipe card at the end of this post.
Step 1. Put the plain flour, 30g icing sugar & salt into a bowl. Rub the butter in until it resembles breadcrumbs.
Step 2. Add 3 tablespoons of ice-cold water and stir with a blunt knife. Use your hands to gently form a ball with the dough, knead it briefly, then wrap & chill it for 30 minutes.
Step 3. Roll the dough out and line the tart tin with it. Prick the base with a fork. Cover and chill for 20 minutes.
Step 4. Cover the pastry with baking parchment, fill with baking beans or dried lentils & beans and bake for 15 minutes. Remove the beans & parchment and bake for 5 minutes more.
Step 5. Cream the butter and sugar together.
Step 6. Add the eggs, beating well between each addition. Mix in the almond extract.
Step 7. Fold the ground almonds into the mixture.
Step 8. Spread the jam over the pastry jam and add the almond batter. Bake for 20 minutes then scatter the flaked almonds over the top and bake for another 20 minutes.
Step 9. Allow the tart to cool completely, then mix the icing sugar and almond extract with enough cold water to form an icing loose enough to drizzle thickly over the tart. Cut the cherries in half and press them into the icing.
Top Tip
To avoid a soggy bottomed tart blind bake your tart case. Using a dark tin and placing the tin on a baking sheet in the oven also helps to ensure the base is properly cooked.
Expert Tips
- Use digital scales and gram measurements for accuracy when baking. I cannot stress enough how imprecise the cup measuring system is. For that reason, I don't recommend it.
- Use the correct-sized tin otherwise, there will either be too much or too little of the ingredients to fill is properly.
- If you are short on time use readymade shortcrust pastry. You'll need around 300g to line an 8-inch tart tin.
- Scatter the almonds on the top of the tart midway through the baking time to avoid them browning too quickly.
- Wait until your cherry and almond tart has cooled fully before adding the glacé icing, otherwise it will soak in.
Variations
It's very easy to adapt this cherry Bakewell tart recipe to make it your own. Here are a few ideas:
- Individual - take a leaf out of Mr Kipling's recipe book and turn out some individual cherry Bakewell tarts. I suggest making them in a muffin tin to create lovely, deep tarts. Expect to make around 12 from the ingredients listed in the recipe card.
- Jam - vary the jam to suit your taste preferences or what you have open in the cupboard. Anything goes.
- Pistachio - ring the changes by swapping the ground almonds for ground pistachio nuts. The combination of cherry jam and pistachio frangipane is divine.
- Icing - double it for a fuller and thicker topping to your cherry Bakewell tart.
- Almonds - increase the amount of flaked almonds scattered over the top and don't add icing for a more traditional Bakewell tart recipe.
- Gluten-free - you'll need to use gluten-free shortcrust pastry then proceed with the rest of the recipe. You can either make your own gluten-free pastry or buy some.
- Dairy-free - you'll need to swap from butter to dairy-free butter then proceed with the recipe.
- Vegan - take a look at the recipe for vegan Bakewells by Domestic Gothess.
Frequently asked questions
If your tart is soggy in the middle then it has not been cooked for long enough. If after the suggested cooking time is still appears loose or underbaked, simply let it bake for longer until the centre appears firm. Cover the top loosely with foil after the suggested cooking time if you are worried about the top browning too much.
Cherry Bakewell tarts should be decorated with glacé cherries (also known as candied cherries). In this instance, the brighter the better, so I used some vibrant red ones that have been coloured rather than the naturally coloured ones, which are darker. Of course, it's up to you which type to go for.
Maraschino cherries could be used but be aware that the syrup that they are stored in will leak onto the tart making it slightly soggy in places.
Yes, you can. It's best to freeze this cherry and almond tart before the icing goes on though as the icing will deteriorate during the freezing & thawing process.
To freeze your Bakewell tart, wrap the cooled tart in food wrap then store it in a freezer-proof bag. Don't forget to label and date it. Store for up to 2 months and defrost fully at room temperature before serving it.
More classic British puddings to try out
And if you are intrigued by the notion of regional British bakes you may well enjoy my series about recipes from The Midlands (East Midlands and West Midlands).
Have you made this cherry Bakewell tart recipe? Please give the recipe a rating or leave a comment - I love to hear how you get along with my creations.
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Cherry Bakewell Tart
Equipment
- 1 x 8-inch (20cm) tart tin with a depth of 1-inch (2.5cm
Ingredients
For the shortcrust pastry
- 150 g Plain flour (all-purpose)
- 30 g Icing sugar
- 90 g Butter cold
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
- 3 tablespoons Ice-cold water
For the filling
- 115 g Butter room temperature
- 115 g Caster sugar
- 2 Eggs large, free-range at room temperature
- ¼ teaspoon Almond extract optional
- 115 g Ground almonds (almond meal)
- 125 g Cherry jam
- 1 tablespoon Flaked almonds
For the topping
- 75 g Icing sugar
- ⅕ teaspoon Almond extract
- Cold water
- 6 Glacé cherries
Instructions
Make the shortcrust pastry
- Put the plain flour, 30g icing sugar & salt into a bowl. Cube the butter, add it to the bowl and use your fingertips to rub it in until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
- Add 3 tablespoons of ice-cold water and stir with a blunt knife until it begins to clump together. Now use your hands to form a ball with the dough. Tip it onto a lightly floured work surface and knead it briefly until smooth. Wrap the dough in food wrap and chill it for 30 minutes.
- On a floured work surface roll the dough out to 2-3mm thickness and line the tart tin with it. Prick the base with a fork. Cover and chill for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 180c/ 350F and put a baking sheet into it to heat up.
- Cover the pastry with baking parchment, fill it with baking beans or dried lentils & beans and place it on the baking sheet in the oven to bake for 15 minutes. Remove the beans & parchment and bake for 5 minutes more. Set it aside.
Make the filling
- Cream the butter and sugar together using electric beaters until light and fluffy.
- Add the eggs, beating well between each addition. If using, mix in the almond extract.
- Fold the ground almonds into the mixture using a large metal spoon.
- Spread the jam over the pastry jam and add the almond batter, spreading it out to completely cover the jam.
- Slide the tart onto the hot baking sheet in the oven and bake it for 20 minutes. Scatter the flaked almonds over the top and bake for another 20 minutes until golden and set.
- Set aside to cool completely.
Decorate the tart
- Mix the icing sugar and almond extract with 1½ teaspoons of cold water using a blunt knife. Keep adding more water in ¼ teaspoon increments until the icing is loose enough to fall from the knife slowly but without help.
- Drizzle the icing over the tart, cut the cherries in half and press them into the icing. Let the icing set for 30 minutes before slicing into the tart.
Notes
- To avoid a soggy bottomed tart blind bake your tart case. Using a dark tin and placing the tin on a baking sheet in the oven also helps to ensure the base is properly cooked.
- Use digital scales and gram measurements for accuracy when baking. I cannot stress enough how imprecise the cup measuring system is. For that reason, I don't recommend it.
- Use the correct-sized tin otherwise, there will either be too much or too little of the ingredients to fill is properly.
- If you are short on time use readymade shortcrust pastry. You'll need around 300g to line an 8-inch tart tin.
- Scatter the almonds on the top of the tart midway through the baking time to avoid them browning too quickly.
- Wait until your cherry and almond tart has cooled fully before adding the glacé icing, otherwise it will soak in.
- To freeze your Bakewell tart wrap the cooled tart in foodwrap then store it in a freezer-proof bag. Don't forget to label and date it. Store for up to 2 months and defrost fully at room temperature before serving it.
- Individual - take a leaf out of Mr Kipling's recipe book and turn out some individual cherry Bakewell tarts. I suggest making them in a muffin tin to create lovely, deep tarts. Expect to make around 120 from the ingredients listed in the recipe card.
- Jam - vary the jam to suit your taste preferences or what you have open in the cupboard. Anything goes. But might I suggest my Amaretto cherry jam if you would like to add an indulgent adult feel to your dessert.
- Pistachio - ring the changes by swapping the ground almonds for ground pistachio nuts. The combination of cherry jam and pistachio frangipane is divine.
- Icing - double it for a fuller and thicker topping to your cherry Bakewell tart.
- Almonds - increase the amount of flaked almonds scattered over the top and don't add icing for a more traditional Bakewell tart recipe.
Steph says
No mention of eggs needing to be room temp for the frangipane or it doesn’t work and no mention of how to get the frangipane filling onto the jam without it all sliding everywhere ?
Jane Coupland says
Hi Steph, thanks for raising the point about the eggs being room temperature. To be honest, I never store mine in the fridge so it's not crossed my mind before. As for getting the frangipane onto the jam filling, spooning it on and then gently spreading it out with a blunt knife is all that is required (step 4 of the filling section in the recipe card) - see the step by step section for images to see how the frangipane should look as it goes on top of the jam. I hope this helps with your future baking.
MKC says
Shortcrust pastry is 2 to 1 flour to fat. No sugar and no egg and a little cold water.
Sweetcrust has the addiction of sugar and maybe egg. They are Different.
I don’t think this is a USA/Uk thing
Jane Coupland says
Thank you for your comment. Personally, I have never hear the term sweetcrust. I'm not one to get too hung up on technical terms. What I have presented here is a slightly sweetened shortcrust pastry (I have replaced a small proportion of the flour with icing sugar) - but there is no egg included in the pastry recipe as your comment suggests. It still gives a short pastry in line with the 2:1 ratio of fat to dry ingredients. You can by all means go with a classic, unsweetened shortcrust pastry if the addition of a small amount of sugar goes against the grain for you.
Elan says
If I’m using shop bought pastry do I still need to bake it before putting in the filling?
Jane Coupland says
Hi Elan, that's a great question. Raw pastry, whehter shop-bought or homemade will need to beblind-baked. If you purchase a cooked pastry tart shell there is no need to blind bake this. I hope that you enjoy the recipe.