BAKEWELL TART

Two delicious. experts go rolling pin to rolling pin on one of Britain’s best-loved sweet treats. May the best baker win!

TEAM TRAD

If you ask me, frangipane is one of the greatest inventions within the world of sweet baking. I can take or leave ganache, I’m indifferent to buttercreams and I shrug my shoulders at sponges. But nutty, rich, almond-filled frangipane is something special. And it’s best enjoyed in that icon of British baking – the bakewell tart.

HEAD OF FOOD TOM SHINGLER

TASTE OF SUMMER

A good bakewell is all about balance. You need just the right amount of jam to add enough acidity and sweetness to cut through the richness of the frangipane and pastry without it becoming sickly. It’s also one of those classic bakes that looks far humbler than it tastes; the golden brown finish can always do with a bit of jazzy icing to make sure it turns heads.

HOW I DID IT

There are just three main elements in a traditional bakewell tart – pastry, jam, frangipane – so you really have to nail each one. I’ve kept the pastry simple, enriched with a tiny bit of milk, egg and sugar, but this version is easy to work with and it’s rolled thick enough to accommodate both the fillings. The frangipane is made with room temperature eggs and butter, which is key to stop the mixture splitting and turning greasy.

The jam is where you can have the most fun, as there doesn’t seem to be a specific variety required for the traditional bakewell tart (although it’s almost always raspberry). Any berry-based jam will be great, but in homage to the great Mr Kipling I tend to use a cherry jam, which has just the right amount of sweetness and tang.