Bakewell Tart

Ingredients

• 320 g sweet shortcrust pastry
• 120 g raspberry or strawberry jam
• 150 g soft butter
• 150 g caster sugar
• 3 eggs
• 150 g ground almonds
• 30 g plain flour
• 80 g icing sugar, for the topping

Method

1. Line and blind bake

   Line a 23 cm tin, chill it, then blind bake at 190°C for 20 minutes with beans and 8 minutes without. The frangipane is wet, so the case has to be cooked and dry before it goes in.

   28 min

2. Make the frangipane

   Beat the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy, then add the eggs one at a time, then fold in the ground almonds and flour. If it looks curdled after the eggs, a spoonful of the flour brings it straight back.

3. Jam first, cold

   Spread the jam over the cooled base in an even layer. A hot base melts the jam and it seeps into the pastry instead of staying as a distinct red line.

4. Spread carefully

   Spoon the frangipane over in blobs and level it gently so you do not drag jam up into it. It rises as it bakes, so do not fill past about 1 cm below the rim.

5. Bake

   Bake at 170°C until golden and firm with only the faintest wobble, about 35 minutes. Cover loosely with foil if the top browns before the centre is set.

   35 min

6. Ice when cold

   Cool completely, then mix the icing sugar with a very little water to a thick paste and spread it thinly over. Iced while warm, it melts and runs off the sides.