Cherry Bakewell Tart (Simple, Classic, Done Properly)
Cherry Bakewell Tart is a classic British dessert—rich, sweet, and built on simple layers of pastry, jam, and almond filling.
Done properly, it’s all about balance: crisp pastry, soft frangipane, and just enough sweetness.
👉 Simple ingredients. Classic baking. from scratch.
🍒 What is a Bakewell Tart?
A Bakewell Tart is a traditional British dessert made with shortcrust pastry, a layer of jam, and an almond-based filling known as frangipane.
👉 Finished with icing and cherries, it’s a staple of classic baking.
🧠 Why This Recipe Works
- buttery pastry gives structure
- frangipane adds richness
- jam brings acidity and balance
👉 Each layer has a purpose.
🔪 Method (Quick Overview) cherry bakewell recipe
- Make and rest pastry
- Blind bake base
- Prepare frangipane
- Layer jam + filling
- Bake until golden
- Cool and finish
Cherry Bakewell Tart
A classic Cherry Bakewell Tart made simple. Buttery pastry, sweet raspberry jam, and soft almond frangipane, finished with icing and cherries.
Print Recipe
Ingredients
For the Pastry:
- 200 g Plain Flour All Purpose
- 30 g Icing Sugar
- 100 g Chopped Cold Unsalted Butter
- 1 Egg Yolk
- 1 tsp Cider Vinegar or Lemon Juice
- 2-4 tsp Cold Water
For the Frangipane:
- 100 g Soft Unsalted Butter
- 100 g Caster Sugar
- 2 each Eggs
- 50 g Plain Flour
- 85 g Ground Almond
- ¼ tsp Almond Extract
- Raspberry Jam or any flavour!
To Finish
- 300 g Icing Sugar
- Cold Water
- Glace Cherries
Instructions
1. Make the Pastry
- Rub butter into flour and icing sugar until crumbly.Add egg yolk, lemon juice, and enough water to bring together.👉 Don’t overwork it.
2. Rest & Line
- Wrap and rest for 30 minutes.Roll out, line tart tin, chill again.
3. Blind Bake
- Bake at 180°C for 10–15 mins until lightly set.
4. Make the Filling
- Cream butter and sugar.Add eggs, then fold in flour, almonds, and almond extract.
5. Assemble
- Spread jam over pastry.Top with frangipane.
6. Bake
- Bake at 160°C for 30–40 mins until golden.
7. Finish
- Cool, then drizzle icing and top with cherries.
⚡ Kooks TIPS
👉 Keep pastry cold = better texture👉 Don’t overfill with jam👉 Bake until just set—not dryKOOK’S SECRETS
Nutrition
Calories: 68kcalCarbohydrates: 2gProtein: 3gFat: 6gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.1gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.3gCholesterol: 25mgSodium: 1mgPotassium: 3mgFiber: 1gSugar: 0.4gVitamin A: 34IUCalcium: 25mgIron: 0.5mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
⚡ Chef Tips
- Chill pastry before baking
- Don’t overload the jam layer
- Bake until just set
- Let it cool fully before icing
❌ Common Mistakes
- overworking pastry
- skipping resting time
- underbaking filling
- icing while warm
🍽️ How to Serve
Serve:
- slightly warm or fully cooled
- with cream or custard
- or simply on its own
💡 Kook’s Insight
Classic baking isn’t about complexity.
👉 It’s about getting the basics right.
🔗 Explore More
- 🍰 More classic desserts
- 🧁 Baking basics
- 🍫 Ingredient guides
