tart

Vegan Bakewell tart – this vegan version of the classic almond and raspberry tart is easy to make and absoutely delicious! A crisp pastry shell is filled with raspberry jam, vegan frangipane, fresh raspberries and flaked almonds. The perfect dessert for any celebration! Eggless and dairy free.

This vegan Bakewell tart is a lovely summertime treat, it is perfect as part of an afternoon tea in the sunshine, for a garden party, or served for dessert with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Raspberry and almond is such a good flavour combination and you can’t go wrong with crisp pastry, sweet jam, soft almond frangipane and tangy raspberries!

What Is Bakewell Tart?:

Bakewell tart is a classic British bake consisting of crisp shortcrust pastry filled with a layer of jam topped with almond frangipane and a scattering of flaked almonds. (Those Mr Kipling fondant topped cherry Bakewells are NOT proper Bakewell tarts btw!).

It’s origins are somewhat contested but it is thought to be a variant of Bakewell pudding; the two are quite different however and should not be confused!

Bakewell pudding is made using puff or flaky pastry filled with jam and almond egg custard and is best served warm. It was invented in the Peak District town of Bakewell, hence the name.

Given that Bakewell tart generally contains several eggs and lots of butter it is not the simplest thing to veganize but I think that I’ve done a decent job!

Traditionally it wouldn’t be topped with fruit but I think that a scattering of fresh raspberries cuts through the sweetness nicely and adds lots of flavour.

How To Make Vegan Bakewell Tart:

(For ingredients and full instructions see the recipe card below)

Start by making the pastry. Place the flour, icing sugar and salt in a food processor and pulse to combine (or whisk together in a mixing bowl).

Add the cold, diced vegan butter and blend until it resembles fine breadcrumbs (or rub in to the flour using your fingertips).

Add the cold vodka (if using) and mix to combine. Gradually add enough cold water to bring the pastry together into a ball. Shape the pastry into a disc (don’t knead it), wrap and refrigerate for half an hour.

Roll the pastry out on a lightly floured surface into a circle big enough to line a 25cm round tart tin. Press the pastry right into the corners then roll over the top with a rolling pin to trim off the excess.

Prick the base of the pastry shell all over with a fork then place it in the freezer for 20 minutes until solid. Meanwhile preheat the oven.

Line the pastry case with tin foil, pressing it right into the corners, then fill with baking beans or dried rice, making sure that the sides are propped up.

Bake for 20 minutes then remove the tin foil and baking beans and return the tart shell to the oven for a further 10 minutes until pale golden. Remove from the oven and set aside.

To make the frangipane, whisk together the melted butter or oil and the sugar then whisk in the flour and cornflour.

Gradually whisk in the aquafaba or milk then finally whisk in the ground almonds, baking powder and almond extract.

Spread a layer of raspberry jam over the base of the pastry shell then spoon the frangipane on top and spread it level. Scatter over the fresh raspberries and flaked almonds.

Bake the tart for 30-45 minutes until golden and the filling is set. You can loosely cover the tart with tin foil for the last 10-15 minutes of baking if it starts to get too dark before the filling is cooked.

Top Tips:

For the best results make sure that you follow the recipe closely. As always, I highly recommend using the gram measurements (with a digital scale), rather than the cup conversions. Cup measurements are simply not accurate enough for baking and I cannot guarantee the best results if you use them.

Using a block butter/margarine rather than the spreadable kind in a tub will give you a much better texture as it has a higher fat content. I use Naturli Vegan Block, but Stork or Vitalite block, Tormor or Earth Balance Buttery Sticks will all work. It is also important that the butter is fridge cold, not room temperature.

For the best, crispy pastry, make sure that you don’t overwork it or let it get too warm. Freezing the tart shell prior to blind baking it helps to make the pastry crisp and stops it from shrinking too much.

Using a bit of vodka instead of water to bind the pastry also helps to keep it crisp, as vodka has a lower water percentage. You can use water if you don’t want to use vodka though (you can’t taste it and the alcohol burns off during baking).

To get aquafaba, just use the liquid drained from a tin of chickpeas or white beans.

The tart shell can be prepared and blind baked a day or two in advance of adding the filling. Once it has cooled store it in an airtight container.

Substitutions:

Instead of the aquafaba you can use unsweetened non-dairy milk in the frangipane. Soy would be best but any will work.

You can use frozen raspberries instead of fresh if you want but you will need to toss them with 1 Tbsp cornflour (cornstarch) first then shake off the excess. Do not defrost them before baking the tart, use them straight from the freezer.

The raspberries can be swapped for another type of berry if you want – blackberries, cherries and blueberries would all work well.

Raspberry jam is traditional, but you can use any kind of jam you like.

For the pastry you can use solid coconut oil instead of vegan butter but you will probably not need to chill it for as long before rolling it out. Coconut oil pastry becomes very hard to work with if it gets too cold.

For the frangipane I think that the best flavour comes from using vegan butter but you can use coconut oil instead. You can also use 80ml (1/3 cup) of mild olive oil or another neutral oil (such as sunflower).

How To Store Vegan Bakewell Tart:

This vegan Bakewell tart is best eaten on the day it is baked but it will keep for up to 3 days in an airtight container at room temperature. If it is very warm out it should be stored in the fridge instead.

More Vegan Tart And Pie Recipes:

Vegan pumpkin pie

Blueberry frangipane tarts

Vegan strawberry tart with coconut pastry cream

Vegan mince pies

Mini vegan apple pies

No-bake chocolate stem ginger tart

Starry mince pie tart

Blueberry pie with coconut oil pastry

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