This Classic British Tart Is Sweet, Nutty, and Steeped in History—Here’s How to Bake It Well

Bakewell tarts are a comforting and nostalgic bake for many Brits. The pastry is a staple at British cafés, where it is often sold by the slice. The tart has a crisp, subtly sweet crust that’s topped with a thin layer of jam, plenty of fragrant almond cream, and crunchy sliced almonds. I had my first Bakewell tart in 2019, when I moved to London for pastry school. The nutty, buttery filling was a wonderful complement to the sweet, tart strawberry jam, making it the perfect accompaniment to a cup of tea. I quickly developed a soft spot for the tart, and it wasn’t long before I created my version at home.

A Brief History of the Bakewell Tart

This quintessential British baked good was reportedly inspired by Bakewell pudding, a puff pastry–crusted pie filled with strawberry jam and an almond custard. The pudding’s backstory is hazy, but sometime in the 1800s, the proprietress of the White Horse Inn in Bakewell, Derbyshire, reportedly asked the inn’s cook to make a strawberry tart. The cook misunderstood her instructions and came up with a Bakewell pudding instead. It’s possible that this happy accident occurred as early as 1820, if it occurred at all; however, the first published Bakewell pudding recipe didn’t appear until it was included in Eliza Acton’s 1845 book, Modern Cookery for Private Families. While it remains unclear when exactly the Bakewell tart was invented, the Bakewell Tart Shoppe in Derbyshire claims to have been selling the pastry for more than 100 years. 

The Bakewell tart shares many similarities with the pudding, but there are several key differences. Instead of puff pastry, the tart is made with a tender shortcrust; raspberry jam is used in place of strawberry jam; and the filling consists of almond cream instead of custard. Most contemporary Bakewell tarts are made using a round, fluted pan; however, you may sometimes spot rectangular tarts called Bakewell slices at bake sales and picnics. And while raspberry jam remains the most traditional, you’ll also find variations made with cherry, rhubarb, or apricot preserves. (The Bakewell tart should not be confused with the cherry Bakewell, a mass-produced cake with plum and raspberry jam, almond sponge, and white fondant icing that’s available in British grocery stores. )

If you live in the UK, purchasing a ready-made Bakewell tart is easy. But if you, like me, live outside of Britain and want to recreate this classic British baked good at home, fret not: Here’s how to make a bakery-worthy Bakewell tart at home.

Key Techniques for Making a Bakewell Tart

Don’t Overwork the Dough

To make a tender shortcrust pastry, you’ll need to use your hands to bring the dough together, but try not to squeeze or knead it too much, as this encourages gluten to form. The result is a dense, tough pastry that may shrink during baking when the gluten contracts. Stop working the dough as soon as it’s sturdy enough to form a ball, even if it still seems slightly crumbly.

Don’t Skip Par-Baking the Tart Shell

To create a solid base for wet fillings, such as mousses, curds, and pastry creams, many bakers par-bake their tart shells by lining them with parchment paper or foil, then filling them with dried beans, raw rice, granulated sugar, or pie weights. The weights minimize the risk of the crust shrinking away from the edges of the tin or puffing up, and the par-baking ensures that the crust is thoroughly cooked and sturdy enough to hold the fillings, preventing the tart from having a soggy bottom. I recommend baking the pastry just until it becomes a light golden brown, as it will continue to bake and darken once it is filled.

Fold the Almond Flour in by Hand

Though I use an electric mixer to beat the butter, sugar, eggs, and almond extract, I prefer to fold in the almond flour using a rubber spatula, which gives me a better sense of the almond cream’s texture. In my testing, I found that my almond cream often split and became greasy when I beat it for too long with an electric mixer. That may not be the case for you, but to err on the side of caution, I recommend folding the almond flour in as gently as possible. If you prefer to use an electric hand mixer or stand mixer to incorporate the almond flour, do so on low speed and mix as briefly as possible, stopping as soon as the batter comes together.

Use Seedless Jam

For seamless spreading, opt for a seedless jam with no large pieces of fruit and whisk it thoroughly. You can also experiment with other flavors—I really enjoyed the version I tested with cherry jam. If you only have jam with seeds on hand, simply push the preserves through a fine-mesh sieve to remove the seeds. 

Once the tart is baked and cool, you can give it a generous dusting of confectioners’ sugar and a drizzle of almond icing. Or borrow a note from the Bakewell pudding playbook and serve your slices with ice cream or whipped cream. It’s delicious either way. 

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