Classic Bakewell Tart Recipe (From Scratch) for 46p Per Slice

BAKING BRITISH CLASSICS BUDGET RECIPE DESSERT FROM SCRATCH 46P PER SLICE

💷 £3.75 TOTAL COST

46p PER SLICE

8 SERVINGS

30 min PREP TIME

55 min COOK TIME

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. Why this Bakewell tart recipe works
2. Watch the full recipe video
3. Full cost breakdown
4. Ingredients list
5. Making the sweet shortcrust pastry
6. Blind baking the tart case
7. Preparing the frangipane filling
8. Assembling and baking
9. Icing and the feathered pattern
10. Serving ideas and variations
11. What I learned mid-bake
12. FAQ

A proper Bakewell tart recipe from scratch feels like one of those bakes you think is going to be complicated — until you actually do it. There's crisp sweet pastry, a thin layer of jam, a soft almond frangipane filling, then that simple white icing with the pink-red feathering dragged over the top. It looks like it came from a bakery. It tastes even better than the ones from a bakery. And it costs £3.75 to make the whole thing.

That works out at 46p a slice if you cut it into eight. Which, honestly, is one of those facts that makes you never want to buy a Bakewell tart again.

If you've always bought them from a supermarket or a cafe, making one at home is a genuinely nice surprise. The smell when it's baking is something else. And cutting the first slice — seeing those clean layers of pastry, jam and almond filling — is the kind of moment that makes baking worth the washing up.

Why this Bakewell tart recipe works

A lot of Bakewell tart recipes either overcomplicate the pastry or skim over the blind baking step. This one doesn't. The method is broken into clear stages, and each stage has a reason behind it — not just "because that's how you do it."

The pastry uses half butter, half lard. That combination gives you a richer flavour than all-butter and a crispier bite than all-lard. The blind baking step (twice over — once with the baking rice in, once without) is what stops the soggy bottom problem. And piping the frangipane rather than spooning it keeps the jam layer clean underneath, which is what gives you those clear, neat slices when you cut into it.

Small things. But they make a difference to the finished result.

Watch the full recipe video

The video below walks through every step from pastry to icing. It's well worth watching before you start, especially if this is your first time blind baking or working with frangipane.

Full cost breakdown

Everything in this tart comes from standard supermarket ingredients. Ground almonds are the most expensive item, but they go further than you'd expect at 80g per tart. The rest is genuinely cheap — flour, sugar, eggs, lard, jam.

Ingredient	Amount Used	Cost
Pastry
Plain flour	200g	10p
Icing sugar	30g	3p
Butter	50g	38p
Lard	50g	10p
Egg	1	14p
Frangipane
Ground almonds	80g	80p
Almond essence	1 tsp	12p
Butter	100g	76p
Sugar	100g	12p
Eggs	2	28p
Plain flour	50g	3p
Jam & Icing
Jam	~50g	12p
Icing sugar	300g	75p
TOTAL		£3.75

💡 Tip: Don't want to use lard? Swap it for all butter, or use vegetable shortening. The method stays exactly the same — you're just choosing the texture you prefer. All butter gives a slightly softer, more crumbly bite.

Ingredients list

SWEET SHORTCRUST PASTRY

✓200g plain flour

✓30g icing sugar

✓Pinch of salt

✓50g butter

✓50g lard

✓1 egg

ALMOND FRANGIPANE

✓80g ground almonds

✓1 tsp almond essence

✓100g butter

✓100g sugar

✓2 eggs

✓50g plain flour

JAM LAYER & ICING

✓~50g jam

✓300g icing sugar

✓Cold water

✓Red food colouring

Making the sweet shortcrust pastry

This pastry is simple, but the feel of it matters. You're aiming for a dough that comes together cleanly without being wet. Also — because kitchens can run warm, especially if the oven's already on — chilling the dough is not optional. It makes rolling easier, and it stops the tart case from shrinking in the tin.

1

Mix the dry ingredientsAdd 200g plain flour, 30g icing sugar, and a pinch of salt to a bowl. Give it a brief stir to combine everything.

2

Rub in the fatsAdd 50g butter and 50g lard, then rub the fats into the dry mix between your fingertips. You're looking for it to resemble light, dry breadcrumbs.

3

Add the eggCrack and quickly whisk 1 egg, then pour it into the bowl. Mix with a spoon first, then bring it together with your hands.

4

Add water only if neededIf the dough still looks dry, add a tiny splash of cold water — a little at a time. Don't rush it. The egg usually does most of the work.

5

Shape and chillShape the dough into a flat round, wrap it in cling film, and put it in the fridge for about 1 hour.

At first it can feel like it won't come together. Then suddenly it does. Try not to knead it for ages — once it forms a dough, stop. Overworking it makes the pastry tough.

When rolling, lightly flour the surface and rolling pin, then roll the chilled pastry until it's bigger than your 9-inch tin — enough to cover the base and rise up the sides comfortably. The edges may crack a little. That's completely normal. Patch any gaps with spare bits of dough. After it bakes and gets filled, nobody will notice.

When laying the pastry over the tin, lift and let it relax into place rather than pushing it down hard. Pushing can split it. Press it gently into the corners using a fingertip, trim the overhang with the back of a knife, then chill the lined tin again while the oven heats up.

⚠️ Watch out: Don't skip the second chill. Rolling warms the fat back up, and a warm pastry case shrinks more in the oven. Ten minutes back in the fridge makes a real difference.

Blind baking the tart case

Blind baking is the step that makes the whole tart feel proper. It sets the pastry before the filling goes in, so the jam and frangipane don't soak into it and make it soft. This is where a lot of home-baked tarts go wrong — they skip it, and the base ends up heavy and undercooked.

First, prick the base all over with a fork. Then line it with a sheet of greaseproof paper and fill it with baking rice or baking beans. Baking rice is worth using if you bake tarts often — it's reusable and stores away easily.

1

First bake (20 minutes)Bake at 175°C (347°F) for about 20 minutes with the baking rice in.

2

Remove the paper and riceCarefully lift out the greaseproof paper and baking rice together. The case will look slightly pale and soft — that's fine.

3

Second bake (10 minutes)Return the empty pastry case to the oven for a further 10 minutes. This is where it dries out properly and crisps up.

4

Cool before fillingLet it cool completely. Putting a warm filling into a warm case can cause the jam to run or the frangipane to slide.

💡 Tip: That extra 10 minutes without the baking rice is where the magic happens. The case turns properly crisp, and it makes getting clean slices much easier later on.

Preparing the almond frangipane filling

Frangipane should smell boldly of almonds. And it should sit up rather than pour like cake batter. This version is mixed to a texture that works in a piping bag — which is a small but genuinely useful technique, because it helps you fill the tart without dragging jam all over the base.

1

Cream the butter and sugarAdd 100g butter and 100g sugar to a bowl. Start combining with a fork, then whisk on low speed until combined. It doesn't need to be super fluffy.

2

Add the ground almondsBeat in 80g ground almonds slowly. The mixture will thicken up quite a lot here.

3

Add almond essence and eggsMix in 1 tsp almond essence. Then add 1 whole egg and 1 extra egg yolk. Mix again until it looks smoother.

4

Add flour to get the right textureAdd some of the 50g flour to thicken if needed. Go by feel. You want it firm enough to pipe and hold its shape, but not stiff like biscuit dough.

You're aiming for "firm but pipeable." If it looks a touch loose, add a bit more flour. For another reference point on frangipane ratios, this traditional Bakewell tart recipe on Allrecipes is worth a quick look.

Assembling and baking the Bakewell tart

Once the pastry case is cool, you can build the layers. Order matters here — and it's simpler than it sounds.

Step 1: Add the jam layer

Spoon jam onto the cooled base and spread it out. You want a thin, even coating — not a deep puddle. Too much jam and it bubbles up through the frangipane during baking, which makes the top look uneven.

Step 2: Pipe in the frangipane

Spoon the frangipane into a piping bag and cut a generous hole at the tip. Pipe it around the edges of the tart first to reach the corners, then fill in the middle. After piping, gently level it off — but don't smear it like you're spreading icing. A light touch here stops you from dragging jam up into the almond layer.

Step 3: Bake until golden

Bake at 170°C (340°F) for 20 to 25 minutes. Keep an eye on it — you want a golden colour, not a dark brown top. When it comes out, the frangipane might sit a little higher than the pastry edges. Don't worry. It settles back down as it cools.

💡 Tip: If you want to compare icing styles and finishing techniques, this traditional Bakewell tart guide from Movers and Bakers has some nice photos to reference.

Making the icing and feathered pattern

The icing is as simple as it gets — but you do need patience with the water. Add too much in one go and it goes runny fast. Then you're stuck adding loads more icing sugar to bring it back, and it ends up too thin to sit on the tart properly.

Mix the white icing

Add 300g icing sugar to a bowl. Stir in 3 tablespoons of cold water, then mix until smooth. If it's still stiff, add a tiny splash more — a teaspoon at a time. You want it thick enough to sit on the tart without sliding off the edges.

Make the red icing for feathering

Scoop a small amount of white icing into a separate bowl. Add red food colouring a little at a time, mixing until you get a strong, deep red. This loosens the icing slightly, so go carefully. Put it into a piping bag and snip the tiniest piece off the tip — you want thin lines, not ribbons.

Ice, stripe, then feather

Let the tart cool for 15 to 20 minutes before icing. If it's puffed up in the centre, you can gently press it down so there's room for the icing layer. Spread the white icing over the top with the back of a spoon, pushing it right to the edges. It doesn't have to be perfect. A slightly rustic look still slices and eats beautifully.

Pipe straight red lines across the tart. Then take a skewer or toothpick and drag it through the lines one way, then back the other way. That alternating drag is what creates the classic feathered Bakewell pattern.

Give the icing time to set before you slice. The first cut is always the messiest — honestly, just enjoy that bit.

Serving ideas and easy variations

Once the icing has set, cut into 8 slices. You should see three distinct layers when you look at the cut edge: the crisp pastry, a thin line of jam, and the soft almond frangipane — with the icing on top.

The flavour is exactly why this is such a classic. The almond comes through strongly, the jam adds a bit of fruitiness to lift it, and the sweet icing ties everything together. Rich, but not heavy in a bad way. A strong coffee alongside makes a lot of sense — something slightly bitter helps balance the sweetness.

One more idea that comes out of the same mixture: turn this into individual Bakewell-style tarts. Make them in muffin cases — add jam, fill with frangipane, then ice. You'd likely get around six or seven depending on the size of your cases. Great for a bake sale or just for sharing.

💡 Tip: Don't worry if the frangipane rises high in the oven. It settles as it cools, and the icing hides a lot. It's one of those things that looks alarming mid-bake and then sorts itself out.

For a slightly different take on the almond and jam balance, King Arthur Baking's Bakewell tart recipe is a good comparison if you want to see how another approach handles the filling ratio.

What I learned making this

The pastry surprised me. It felt like it might be too dry at first — crumbly and unwilling — and I nearly added water out of habit. Holding off was the right call. Once the egg is properly worked in, the dough often sorts itself out almost all at once. A bit of patience is all it needs.

Rolling was the messy moment. The edges cracked a bit, and for a second I thought I'd ruined it. Then I remembered the simple fix: lift the pastry and let it relax into the tin rather than forcing it, and patch any gaps with tiny bits of spare dough. After baking, you genuinely can't tell.

Piping the frangipane made more difference than I expected. Spreading it with a spoon can drag jam up into the almond layer, which muddies the layers when you slice it. Piping first, then gently levelling off, kept that jam line neat. It's one of those small steps that feels a bit fussy, but it actually makes the finished tart look cleaner.

And finally — icing is all about patience. I had to stop myself from tipping in more water. A thick icing spreads better than you'd think, and it sets with that proper Bakewell look. The feathering felt a bit wobbly at first too, but once you drag the skewer through a couple of times, it suddenly looks right. Funny how that happens.

⭐ VERDICT

This is a proper Bakewell tart. Not a shortcut version, not a simplification — the real thing, made from scratch for £3.75. The pastry is crisp, the frangipane is genuinely almond-forward, the jam layer is clean, and the icing sets with that classic feathered look.

For 46p a slice, it's one of the best-value bakes on this site. And it's easier than it looks once you take it step by step.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make this Bakewell tart without lard?

Yes, absolutely. Swap the lard for the same weight of butter, so 100g butter total in the pastry. It'll be slightly softer and a bit more crumbly, but it still works well. Vegetable shortening is another option if you prefer to keep things dairy-free in the pastry.

Why does the frangipane rise so much in the oven?

The eggs in the frangipane cause it to puff up as it bakes — much like a cake would. It's nothing to worry about. As the tart cools, the filling settles back down to a flatter level, and the icing hides any unevenness anyway. Just leave it alone while it cools.

What jam works best in a Bakewell tart?

Raspberry is traditional and gives the classic Bakewell flavour — slightly tart and fruity against the sweet almond filling. Strawberry works well too and is usually cheaper. If you want something sharper, apricot jam is a nice alternative. Avoid anything too watery, as it can bubble up through the frangipane during baking.

How do I stop the pastry from shrinking in the tin?

Two things help most: chilling the dough before rolling, and chilling the lined tin again before baking. Rolling warms the fat back up, so that second chill is important. Also, don't stretch the pastry when you lay it into the tin — lift and ease it in gently. Stretched pastry pulls back as it bakes.

Can I make the icing thicker or thinner?

Yes — it's all in how much water you add. A thicker icing (less water) sits up better and sets with a slightly matte finish. A thinner icing flows more easily but can drip off the sides. For the feathered look, thicker is better because the lines stay defined when you drag the skewer through them. Add water a teaspoon at a time and stop when it just drops off the spoon slowly.

How long does a homemade Bakewell tart keep?

Kept in an airtight container at room temperature, it'll stay good for 3 to 4 days. The pastry softens slightly over time as it absorbs moisture from the filling, but the flavour is still excellent. You can also refrigerate it — it'll last up to 5 days that way — just bring it back to room temperature before serving.

Can I freeze a Bakewell tart?

Yes, but freeze it before icing. The icing doesn't defrost well and can go sticky or weep. Bake the tart, let it cool fully, then freeze it wrapped tightly. When you want to serve it, defrost at room temperature, then add fresh icing on top. It keeps well in the freezer for up to 2 months.

To wrap up

This Bakewell tart hits all the right notes: crisp sweet pastry, a proper almond frangipane, a thin jam layer, and that classic iced top with the feathered pattern. It's also budget-friendly at £3.75 total — which makes it an easy bake to justify on a random afternoon, not just for special occasions.

The steps are longer to read than to do. Once you've made the pastry and put it in the fridge, everything else moves fairly quickly. Keep the icing thick, watch the tart as it turns golden, and don't stress over the small cracks in the pastry. They disappear.

If you give this one a go, let me know in the comments below. And one question to leave you with — what would you put underneath the frangipane next time: raspberry jam, strawberry, or something sharper like apricot?

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