British Bakewell Tart

Ingredients

• 1 unbaked 9-inch pie crust (store-bought or homemade)
• 1/3 cup raspberry jam
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup almond flour
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp almond extract
• 1/4 cup sliced almonds, for topping

Method

1. Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Fit the crust into a tart pan and spread the jam evenly over the bottom.
2. Beat the butter and sugar until fluffy, then beat in the eggs one at a time.
3. Fold in the almond flour, all-purpose flour, and almond extract, then spread the mixture over the jam.
4. Scatter the sliced almonds on top and bake for 30–35 minutes, until golden and set.
5. Cool before slicing.

The Tale of British Bakewell Tart

Story updated September 19, 2026

The Bakewell tart's story begins with a different dish, the Bakewell pudding. In the usual story, the landlady of the White Horse Inn in Bakewell, Derbyshire, Mrs. Greaves, asked her cook for a jam tart, and the cook spread the egg-and-almond mixture over the jam instead of stirring it into the pastry, producing a rich almond custard by accident. The story's date and details are uncertain. Eliza Acton printed a Bakewell pudding recipe in Modern Cookery for Private Families in 1845. Around 1900 the tart developed, with a firmer almond filling over jam in a shortcrust shell. There is little solid evidence the tart itself began in Bakewell.