Today’s recipe for a vegan bakewell tart is at Duncan’s request. He was going away kayaking and I like to use his trips as an excuse to bake something and then give it to him for the trip so that I am not constantly tempted by a pile of sweet stuff sitting on my counter. I asked him what he wanted and a bakewell tart was his immediate answer.
I have done quite a few bakewell tart recipes in the past, including my very first attempt back in 2016 when the mixture exploded in my oven during initial testing, so I was a bit reluctant, but then realised that I have not made a traditional version yet so here it is. I also simplified my previous recipes by using a food processor to make the shortbread pastry and, encouraged by Serious Eats, I incorporated vodka into my pastry dough. While it makes the dough a touch sticker it produces really great result once baked so I would encourage you to try. If you don’t want to use alcohol dough, it’s all fine, simply use a bit more iced water to bring the dry ingredients together.
While you can use any fruit to make a mean vegan bakewell tart, I personally think that the fruit needs to be naturally tart for a really satisfying contrast between the fruit layer and the sweet frangipane (that’s what the almond filling is called) layer. I used shop bought jam to make the process quicker and easier but I would have preferred one that is less sweet personally. All that said the result is still delicious. I gave one of my tarts to Duncan and then made another, which I took round to my neighbours. My neighbour who is a man of few words was so excited seeing it, he could not close the door fast enough. It made me chuckle to myself. I hope you’ll make this beautiful summer dessert.
MORE ABOUT THE INGREDIENTS
FLOUR: I used plain flour to make the pastry case and to thicken the almond batter a little bit too. If you want to make this tart gluten-free, you totally can too. Use a well balanced gluten-free flour mix that contains a mixture of different gluten-free flours and starches, like this one. Additionally, you want to add xanthan gum to the gluten-free flour to help with binding.
VEGAN BUTTER: To make the pastry and the filling you want a block of vegan butter. My favourite one is Naturli, but Flora and Violife (two other brands available in the UK) are also great. What is important is that the butter comes in a hard block, rather than in a tub.
SUGAR: I used superfine white sugar (known as caster sugar in the UK) as it dissolves quickly in baking. You could try a different sugar but if it’s brown sugar, for example, it will change the colour of the finished bake.
JAM: I used shop-bought raspberry jam for speed and convenience, but homemade jam would be even better especially that you can adjust the amount of sugar to your liking. As the frangipane layer is sweet, I would encourage you to keep the jam quite tangy if you are making it yourself.
FRUIT: Traditionally, vegan bakewell tart is made with either raspberries or cherries. I think it would be even more amazing with sour cherries that are popular in continental Europe, but UK does not do them sadly. Use the fruit that matches the flavour of jam underneath, of course and pick a sour fruit ideally as the contrast between it and the sweet frangipane is what makes this vegan bakewell tart particularly delightful.
AQUAFABA: Aquafaba is simply chickpea brine. It’s legume cooking water and you can either make it yourself by cooking chickpeas from dry or simply use one chickpeas (or other beans but I like chickpeas best) come in. Aquafaba is a great no waste ingredient that can be used to replace eggs in many vegan or allergy friendly recipes. I have been using in my baking and cooking for years and when you know what you are doing and use it judiciously, it produces amazing results and it does not affect the taste either. That’s all just to say that if you are new to using aquafaba in your baking, don’t be worries, it’s safe to eat and works wonders – this recipe is a prime example of that.
ALMOND & VANILLA EXTRACT: Almond extract is an essential addition to this vegan bakewell tart as it is an almond based dessert after all and you want that beautiful aroma of almond to come through. Vanilla extract is optional but I am of the opinion that all baking goods benefit from the addition of vanilla so if you have it, add it. If you don’t, you can skip it safely.
ALMOND FLOUR: Almond flour is what makes this dessert so special. What you want is very finely ground almonds and this is what this ingredient is actually called here in the UK (ground almonds). In other parts of the world it is often referred to as almond meal or almond flour. While you technically can make it at home, I find that the grind is always a bit too coarse and so the result won’t be as good as when it’s done in a specialised machine.
BAKING POWDER: A touch of baking powder gives the filling a bit of a lift and aerates it a little.
FLAKED ALMONDS: Flaked almonds make for a beautiful finishing touch. You scatter them over this vegan bakewell tart raw and then get beautifully toasted while the tart bakes. Not only do they prettify an already fetching dessert, they also provide another texture to naje the eating experience even better.
HOW TO MAKE IT?
1) MAKE THE PASTRY
Cut cold butter into dry ingredients by using pulse function of your food processor. Once cut, trickle in enough cold liquid until the dry ingredients are moistened enough for the mixture to clump together when you squeeze it in the palm of your hand (see photo above). Once this happens, bring the dough together and refrigerate for an hour.
2) PRE-BAKE
Next, roll the pastry out on a lightly floured surface until it’s big enough to cover your tin, including the sides. Adding vodka to your pastry dough makes for a better pastry but it makes it a little trickier to work with as it makes it sticky. If you are struggling, try rolling it out between two sheets of baking paper. Also, do not attempt making pastry on a hot and humid day (like I did!). Once you line your tart case, prick the bottom all over with a fork and refrigerate for at least an hour. Line with a piece of crumpled baking paper and fill with baking beads and pre-bake until the bottom is no longer raw.
3) MAKE THE FILLING
While the pastry is baking, make the filling. Whisk cooled melted butter and sugar in a large bowl until it’s well combined. Add both extracts, then fold in dry ingredients until you get a thick batter.
4) LAYER
Assemble this vegan bakewell tart by covering the bottom of the pre-baked tart case with a layer of jam. Next, layer on the almond batter. As the batter is thick, your best bet is to either use a piping bag or to spoon small amounts of batter on top of the jam. You do not want to move the almond mixture too much as it will displace the jam layer underneath. Top the tart with fresh fruit and finally flaked almonds.
4) BAKE
Bake the tart until the top is golden, but I do recommend protecting the pastry edges with a thin strip of aluminum foil as they tend to brown very quickly in comparison with the filling – this what it looks like in this recipe. Once baked, allow the tart to cool down completely before cutting.
- 250 g / 2 cups plain flour
- 50 g / ¼ cup caster (superfine) sugar
- ½ tsp fine salt
- 125 g / 4.4 oz vegan butter, I used Naturli
- 30 ml / 2 tbsp cold vodka (or more iced water)
- 30 ml / 2 tbsp iced water (more if making pastry by hand)
FILLING
- 50 g / ¼ cup vegan butter (or oil), melted & cooled
- 130 g / heaped ½ cup raspberry jam
- 100 g / ½ cup caster sugar
- 60 ml / ¼ cup aquafaba (chickpea brine)
- ½ tsp almond extract
- 10 ml / 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 150 g / 1½ cups almond meal OR finely ground almonds
- ½ tsp baking powder
- 15 g / 2 tbsp plain flour
- 100 g / 3.5 oz fresh (or frozen) raspberries
- 20 g / handful of flaked almonds
PASTRY
- Cut cold vegan butter into small cubes and pop it into the freezer for 10 minutes. Place 60 g / 2.1 oz of vegan butter for the filling in a small pot and melt over low heat. Once melted set aside to allow it to cool down.
- Combine flour, sugar and salt in the bowl of a food processor (if making pastry by hand – see notes). Pulse all the ingredients a couple of times. Add cubed butter and pulse 10-15 times until the mixture resembles wet sand.
- Combine cold vodka with 2 tbsp (30 ml) of iced water. Gradually trickle the liquid into the food processor while running – you likely won’t need all of it, 3 tbsp of liquid what I found is needed, but you may need a little less or more and it is key not to add too much. To check if you’ve added enough, try squeezing the pastry in the palm of your hand. It should clump together easily but not feel wet to the touch.
- Empty the food processor onto a clean work surface and bring the mixture together with your hands gently, do not knead. Form it into a disc and wrap in cling film and place in the fridge for minimum 60 minutes.
- Roll chilled pastry out on a lightly floured surface until you get a circle large enough to cover your entire tart case, about 2-3 mm in thickness. Btw, vodka makes the pastry dough more sticky, if you are struggling roll it out between two sheets of baking paper.
- Place the rolled-out dough over a tart case and gently line the inside of it with the pastry. Tuck the pastry in well, ensuring that it fits snugly into the tart case. Trim the excess pastry with a sharp knife and patch any holes with the cut-off excess.
- Pierce the bottom of the pastry with a fork in a few places and chill the pastry-lined tart case in the fridge for about another 60 minutes.
- 45 min into pastry chilling time, preheat the oven to 175° C / 350° F. Line the pastry case with a large piece of crumpled baking paper and fill with baking beads or rice for a blind bake.
- Blind bake the pastry for 15 minutes. Remove the paper and beads and bake for another 5-10 minutes – you want the bottom cooked without any colour.
FILLING
- While the pastry cases are baking, prepare the filling. Cooled melted butter and sugar with an electric whisk. Add aquafaba, small amount at a time. Whisk well after each portion of aquafaba, finally whisk in almond and vanilla extract.
- Combine almond flour, plain flour and baking powder in a bowl, then fold them gently into the wet ingredients. You should end up with a thick batter.
- Fill the precooked pastry case with a layer of jam first. Place a layer of almond batter on top. As it’s a thick batter so you can either use a piping bag or gently spoon it on top of them jam using a small dessert spoon. You can smooth with a spatula but be very gentle or else you will displace the jam layer underneath.
- Place raspberries on top of the filling, push them in only a tiny bit as the filling will rise during baking. If using frozen raspberries, dip each raspberry into cornflour / cornstarch (or flour) first as frozen fruit releases more water during baking.
- I recommend protecting the pastry edges with a thin strip of aluminum foil as they tend to brown very quickly in comparison with the filling – this what it looks like in this recipe.
- Bake the tart for about 35-40 minutes, until the filling is nicely browned. Remove from the oven and allow the tart to cool down before removing it from the tin and cutting it into slices. The top will crisp up nicely as the tart cools down.
This recipe has been adapted from my earlier recipes, this one, this one and that one.
To make the pastry BY HAND, cut cubes of cold butter into the dry ingredients using a pastry cutter or two knifes. Add ice-cold liquids gradually until the dough just comes together. In my experience, you may need to add a bit more liquid when making the pastry by hand as human hands are not as efficient at cutting in butter as a food processor is. Add it very gradually though as adding too much will ruin the dough.