Bakewell Tart (Mary Berry’s Recipe with a Mincemeat Option)
Bakewell tart is such a British classic, and Mary Berry’s got the best recipe, but I’ve made a few changes for those of us in the US. Thanks to a friend’s suggestion, I’ve also discovered that using up leftover mincemeat instead of jam, makes a fabulous treat!
For those of you in the UK, Mary Berry is a household name, but this is not the case in the US.
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EDIT: This post was written before the Great British Bakeoff made it BIG in the USA!
Click to buy Mary Berry’s cookbook.
If you live outside the UK, you may not know who Mary Berry is. She is an extremely accomplished baker, cookbook author, and celebrity in the UK, as she is a judge in a highly popular TV show called The Great British Bakeoff, and she just happens to have been born exactly one year, to the day, before my Dad! You needed that piece of information, right?
Updated: I met Mary Berry and “hung out” with her, Paul Hollywood and James Martin in the VIP room at the BBC Good Food Show Scotland! I even rode in the same taxi with them when we went out for dinner!
I love Mary’s English style and classic British recipes, like her Bakewell tart. Most of you in the US have probably never even heard of a Bakewell tart, let alone have tried one, so this is the recipe I decided to share with you.
Bakewell tart begins with a homemade crust which is partially baked, then the bottom is covered in jam (please see below for a very delicious alternative filling to use up your Christmas mincemeat).
Bakewell tart is very simple almond flavored, cake-like filled (frangipane) tart, which is topped with sliced almonds and drizzled with icing. Mary Berry’s Bakewell tart recipe is fantastic. When the tart has cooled, it’s drizzled with a plain sugar icing. Need I say more?
Mary Berry’s Bakewell Tart Recipe
adapted for US kitchens (and to my taste) and to make a larger, 9″ tart serves 10
FULL PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW
Tart Shell
- flour
- salt
- butter
- sugar
Filling
- jam or mincemeat
- butter
- sugar
- ground almonds
- eggs
- almond extract (optional)
Topping
- flaked almonds
- confectioner’s sugar
- water or milk
Special equipment: tart dish (I like this one as it’s made in France, but I have a less expensive option in above)
Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6 (180C fan).
Making the pastry
Place the flour and salt into a bowl and rub in the butter with your fingers until the mixture looks like fine breadcrumbs.
Add the sugar, then add the water and mix gently to make a soft dough. (Or you can make it in a food processor, like this.)
Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface, then line a 9″in tart tin. Using a fork, press the tines into the bottom and sides of the pastry in the tin.
Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Bake for about 15 to 20 minutes, until cooked, but not completely (it’s going back in the oven.) Remove and set aside.
Spread the jam or mincemeat on the bottom of the crust then make the frangipane filling.
Making the filling and baking the Bakewell tart
Melt the butter in a pot, remove from heat and stir in the sugar, ground almonds, egg and almond extract (if using.) Pour the mixture over the jam or mincemeat and sprinkle the flaked almonds on top.
Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F(180°C) and bake for about 30 minutes, until golden-brown and a skewer pushed into the middle comes out clean. Remove from the oven and leave to cool completely in the pan. Drizzle with icing and allow to set.
Finally, cut the Bakewell tart into slices and enjoy! If you enjoy Mary Berry’s Bakewell tart recipe in it’s original form, then give my mincemeat version a try, too!
Mincemeat Bakewell Tart
Here is a photo of the mincemeat Bakewell Tart. The homemade mincemeat combined with the other flavors works really well, and it was perfect in January to use up some leftover mincemeat from the holidays.
In the meantime, I am flying to Scotland today, so I hope you’ll understand I won’t be posting much here on my site whilst traveling, but I’ll be much more active on Facebook, and Instagram.
I hope you will follow me home to Scotland–first on the agenda is the Scottish Baking Awards at Mar Hall this Sunday! I cannot wait!
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Mary Berry's Bakewell Tart
A classic British tart which has a jam base, cake like frangipane filling and almonds and icing on top. Delicious!
Ingredients
Tart Shell
- 2 cups (9 oz) all purpose flour
- (pinch of salt -my addition)
- one stick (4 oz) good quality butter (I use Kerrygold)
- (1 1/2 tsp sugar -my addition)
- 4 to 5 tbsp ice-cold water
Filling
- 3 to 4 tbsp raspberry jam, or any other flavor (you can also use mincemeat for a delicious twist)
- 1 1/2 stick (6 oz) butter
- 3/4 cup (6 oz) sugar
- 3/4 cup (6 oz) ground almonds
- 2 eggs (preferably organic), beaten
- 1/2 tsp. almond extract (I omitted this as it's not my favorite flavor)
- 1/2 cup (3 oz) flaked almonds
Icing
- 2/3 cup (3 oz) confectioner's sugar
- 2 to 3 tablespoons water or milk
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 200C/400F
PASTRY-
- Place the flour and salt into a bowl and rub in the butter with your fingers until the mixture looks like fine breadcrumbs. Add the sugar, then the water and mix gently to make a soft dough. (Or you can make it in a food processor, like this.)
- Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface, then line a 9"in tart tin. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Using a fork, press the tines into the bottom and sides of the pastry in the tin, then bake for about 15 to 20 minutes, until cooked, but not completely (it's going back in the oven.) Remove and set aside.
FILLING
- Spread the jam or mincemeat on the bottom of the crust then make the frangipane filling.
- Melt the butter in a pot, remove from heat and stir in the sugar, ground almonds, egg and almond extract (if using.) Pour the mixture over the jam or mincemeat and sprinkle the flaked almonds on top.
- Bake for about 35 minutes. If the almonds begin to brown too quickly, cover the tart loosely with aluminum foil.
ICING
- Place the confectioner's sugar into a bowl. Stir in cold water or milk. Using a knife or spoon (any kitchen cutlery would probably work), drizzle the icing all over the cooled tart (make sure it isn't warm or the icing will not look as pretty as it should.) Allow the icing to set before serving.
- Cut into slices and enjoy!
Notes
Leave off the icing if you prefer a less sweet tart (my mum prefers it this way).
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 10 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 197Total Fat: 3gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 42mgSodium: 46mgCarbohydrates: 37gFiber: 1gSugar: 13gProtein: 5g
Nutrition information is only estimated.
I accidentally made a crust for a 11 inch tart that didn’t turn out. I have too much filing, can I freeze the rest. I starting the crust over with your recipe.
Hi Evelyn, if you mean the frangipane filling when raw, then no, I wouldn’t freeze it given there are raw eggs in it. I would keep it in the fridge for a couple of days though. Hope that helps.
I’m hosting an English Afternoon Tea this Saturday and I’m wondering I’m wondering if I can make tart shell a day ahead so I have more time to make lemon squares and pain au chocolate. Plus my little crustless sandwiches.
Thank you !
Absolutely Linda! You can even make the Bakewell tart a day ahead. It’s one of those treats that is possibly even better after a day or two! Enjoy your afternoon tea, and here are my cucumber sandwiches and classic scones, if you would like to try them.
Hi Christina, I find the dough very crumbly when trying to form it to refrigerate. Does that mean the consistency is off? I’ve been using 5 tablespoons of ice cold water but the dough feels very dry and not stable. Any suggestions?
Add more water until it comes together. SHould only take a little more.
Can I use almond flour? I have a bag that I got from Costco. I also have whole almonds but they have skin on. Is there a reason you recommend without skin? Is it just color? If you had to choose one or the other, which of my options would be better? I want to make this tomorrow morning if possible.
Yes, almond flour will work fine. Yes, it’s for the color, but since you have the almond flour already, just use that. You’ll love the tart, Cheryl. Let me know what you think! :)
Christina, brandy and rum are traditional add in to mincemeat in NEw England, you could try those as alternative extracts for the Mincemeat version. See how you like them or the real thing if you prefer. About the same measurment I would think. For the jam based tarts vanilla or a fruit extract that matches or enhances the jam used. I would think that leftover fruit curds would work as a filling for the bottom too.
Hi MaryAnn, I’m a bit confused by your comments. It sounds like you’re advising someone who’s asked some questions? If you are just suggesting these options, thanks so much!
I want to make this for my book club. You said you grid your own almonds but my question is what type of almonds? Are they raw, slivered, blanched whole etc? Guidance please because we can’t buy ground almonds in the states! Thanks!
Hi Nanci, I do occasionally grind my own almonds, but I’m in Los Angeles and have no issue buying ground almonds, too. Do you live near a Trader Joe’s? That’s where I’d suggest looking for the ground ones (they also have every other kind of almond). Definitely use almonds without the skin, and you’ll have to be careful if you over process you’ll end up with a paste. I think using toasted might be better, but doesn’t matter if they’re whole, sliced or chopped since you’re grinding them down. Do check at TJs though as it will be much easier. Let me know how it turns out :) CC
Great suggestion….I will do this!
Yay!