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My cherry bakewells feature a buttery tart crust, a delicate frangipane filling, sweet lemon glaze, and, of course, candied cherries. They’re a fancy, delicate treat my family RAVES over!
We love bite-sized desserts, so try my petit fours, cake pops, and cheesecake bites next.
Table of Contents
Occasionally, I like to surprise my family with desserts they wouldn’t normally expect. When I have a jar of candied cherries in my fridge, my mind instantly goes to Bakewell tarts!
These individual tarts are sweet, buttery, and plain addictive. I developed a slight obsession with them during my time living in London, so learning how to make them was a no-brainer.
What are bakewell tarts?
Bakewell tarts are a British dessert named after the northern town of Bakewell in Derbyshire, England. It traditionally features layers of fruit jam and frangipane (almond-flavored custard) that’s baked on a pastry crust and topped with glaze.
Why I love this recipe
- Gorgeous textures. The crust is buttery and firm, the frangipane is smooth, and the cherry adds a sweet, fruity burst.
- Everything’s made from scratch. From the crust to the custard, everything is made by your own two hands.
- Perfect for sharing. Whenever I’m hosting, it’s bite-sized desserts all the way!
- They are surprisingly easy to make. Don’t let the multiple steps fool you; I made sure this recipe was simple and easy to follow.
Key Ingredients
- Butter. You’ll want to use unsalted butter that’s been softened to room temperature to make the dough and the filling.
- Sugar. I strongly prefer caster sugar (AKA superfine sugar) as it has a more delicate consistency, but granulated white sugar will work if that’s all you have.
- Eggs. I used one egg yolk plus whole eggs to bind the tart pastry and almond filling together.
- All-purpose flour. You need both plain flour and almond flour to make the tart pastry and frangipane.
- Almond flour. This lends a nutty flavor to the tart shell and frangipane filling. I highly recommend blanched almond flour over almond meal, as the latter has a coarse, gritty texture.
- Cherry jam. This is layered underneath the frangipane as a sweet and fruity surprise.
- Cherries. I like to place half of a candied cherry on top of each tartlet for a beautiful yet simple presentation.
- Confectioners’ sugar. Also known as icing sugar, this is essential for the lemon glaze.
- Lemon juice. To flavor the glaze.
How to make cherry bakewell tarts
I’ve included step-by-step photos below to make this recipe easy to follow at home. For the full printable recipe instructions and ingredient quantities, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Make the pastry. Using a hand mixer, beat the sugar and egg yolk, then slowly add both flours.
Chill. Place the dough on a lightly floured work surface and knead until smooth. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate briefly.
Blind bake. Preheat the oven and grease a tart tin. Roll out the dough and cut it into circles to fit the tin. Press each circle into the muffin tin to make the crust, then cover each with a circle of parchment paper. Fill with dried rice and bake.
Make the frangipane. Beat butter and sugar until fluffy, then add the eggs and both flours and continue beating.
Assemble and second bake. Divide the jam among the fully cooled crusts, then add the frangipane on top of the tarts. Bake the tarts until golden, then let them cool completely.
Add glaze. Mix the confectioners’ sugar with lemon juice, drizzle over the tarts, and top each with half a glace cherry.
Arman’s recipe tips
- Save time. When I’m on a time crunch, I’ll use store-bought, pre-baked mini pastry shells.
- Always chill the dough! Those 30 minutes the dough spends in the fridge are crucial! The cold temperatures help solidify the butter and prevent the crust from becoming oily or soggy in the oven.
- Roll the dough between two sheets of parchment. This is my #1 hack for when I want perfectly thin dough with no mess to clean up after!
- Work quickly! You don’t want the rolled dough to get too warm as you cut it into circles and push them into the muffin tin.
- Seal in the jam layer. Once I add the frangipane, I like to spread it using a butter knife, so it completely seals in the jam. Otherwise, it’s likely to bubble over in the oven and make a mess.
Frequently asked questions
Your pastry may be crumbly if the dough is too dry. Try breaking it up into chunks and gently mixing in liquid (1 tablespoon at a time) and knead until you have a smooth, rollable dough.
Absolutely! Follow the same steps, but assemble the tart in a 9-inch tart pan instead of a muffin tin. Bake at 350ºF for about 35 to 45 minutes.
This can happen when the dough is overworked. Overmixing the ingredients or kneading the dough too many times will cause more gluten to form, thus making the dough shrink in the oven.
More cherry-infused desserts
Cherry Bakewells
Video
Ingredients
- 6 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons superfine sugar
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup almond flour
- 2-3 tablespoons cherry jam
- 12 glace cherries
Filling
- 1/2 cup butter softened
- 1/2 cup superfine sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 3/4 cup almond flour
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
Glaze
- 1 cup confectioners sugar
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
Instructions
- Beat the butter superfine sugar and egg yolk with a hand mixer until combined. Slowly add the flour and almond flour.
- Lightly flour a kitchen surface. Transfer the dough onto it and knead several times until smooth. Wrap the pastry in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 160C/320F.
- Use a pastry cutter to 12 10-cm circles out of the pastry. Press the circles into the muffin tins, ensuring they stick to the sides and slightly over the top. Push out any creases.
- Cut some sheets of baking paper and press them into each muffin tin. Fill with dried rice or beans and blind bake for 20 minutes, removing the muffin tin halfway through to discard to beans/rice. Let them cool completely.
- Make the almond filling by beating the butter and superfine sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then add almond flour and all purpose flour.
- Divide the jam amongst the muffin tins, then add the filling on top.
- Bake the tarts for 20 minutes or until golden.
- Remove the tarts from the oven and neaten the sides if needed. Cool completely.
- Mix the confectioners' sugar with lemon juice and spread over the top of the cooled tarts. Top with half a glace cherry.
Notes
- Infuse flavours into the dough. Add 1 teaspoon of almond extract or vanilla extract.
- Substitute the fruit. Change the base flavor by using different jams and fruit garnish. My family LOVES when I use raspberry jam!
- Or skip the jam and add sliced bananas or a spoonful of melted chocolate instead.
- To store: Store the bakewells in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week.
- To freeze: Let the tarts cool completely, then place them in a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to six months.
Nutrition
Originally published May 2023, updated and republished December 2024
Perfect dessert for someones birthday? Thanks?
Such a lovely look. Really creative person you are!
Looks sooo sweet! Very nice look of this desert. It can also be “romantic” recipe that I can make for my girlfriend!
Made these for Christmas- they were such a hit!!
Love this cherry bakewell recipe. So easy and so flavorful!!
Thanks, Alla!