This lemon bakewell tart feels a bit revolutionary to be honest with you. I did quite a bit of research into bakewell tarts and nearly every recipe blind bakes the pastry. Now if I am going to completely bake a pastry case and then fill with something that needs to set in the fridge or chill, like a ganache, then I would have no choice but to bake it blind.
However, I hate blind baking pastry and if you’ve followed this blog for any length of time, you may have noticed that I don’t have very many recipes where pastry is baked completely blind.
The reason for this is because it’s something I really haven’t mastered and I always get shrinkage, or my pastry isn’t the neatest. I don’t know if it’s my technique – I chill the pastry before rolling, I roll it out on a marble board without stretching or handling it too much, I push the pastry well into the sides of the tin and push it above the tin edge a little. I rest the lined tin in the fridge, I then prick the tart (always makes me laugh) with a fork, line with baking parchment and baking beans and then cook in the oven.
It always comes out shrunk or disappointing, I know this means I should try making this kind of pastry more and more till I master it and you’re right, I should. However I don’t know if it’s because of my job (I’m a software tester), but I’ve come up with a workaround :-).
As long as your fillings aren’t too wet, you can bake this lemon bakewell tart without having to blind bake your pastry and the pastry in the bottom will be cooked. Just be sure to leave your tart to cool in the tin, so the residual heat continues to cook the pastry. You can even stand your tart tin on a baking tray that has been warmed in the pre-heated oven to cook.
I’ve used this method successfully with my quince frangipane tart with ginger curd and this is what gave me the idea to try it with the lemon bakewell tart. When you’re going to bake the tart filling anyway, It feels like a bit of an annoying pointless step to go to the hassle of blind baking as well.
So, if you try this method with your lemon bakewell tart, let me know if it worked for you. I really don’t think my oven or tins are anything that others don’t have in their home. So in future I am no longer going to blind bake for quiches etc and see what results I get.
Another problem people might have with this lemon bakewell tart, is that not only have I used lemon curd instead of raspberry jam, I’ve also topped it with a layer of icing. Some purists only like a scattering of flaked almonds before baking and dusting of icing sugar when it’s finished.
When I was a kid bakewell tarts always had icing – well the Mr Kipling cherry bakewells did and that is what I’m basing my research on!
This has to be one of the nicest bakewell tarts I’ve ever had, so do give the recipe a try. My icing spiral was so neat to begin with, but the white icing had started to set by the time I tried to decorate with the cocktail stick, so do make sure to have both of your icings made before you begin.
Also, I couldn’t decide which plate to photograph this on, so the icing cracked a bit on top when I moved it from one plate to another – food blogger problems!
Lemon Bakewell Tart
Ingredients
- ***Pate Sucree***
- 125 g Unsalted Butter room temperature
- 100 g Icing Sugar sifted
- 50 g Egg any extra reserved for egg wash
- 250 g Plain Flour sifted
- 1 g Salt
- ***Frangipane***
- 150 g Unsalted Butter softened
- 150 g Granulated Sugar
- 2 Eggs
- 150 g Ground Almonds
- 30 g Plain flour
- 1 Lemon juiced
- ***Lemon Curd***
- 2 Unwaxed Lemons
- 100 g Granulated Sugar
- 50 g Unsalted butter cut into cubes
- 2 free-range eggs
- ***Icing***
- 300 g Icing Sugar
- 2-3 Tbsp Water
- 50 g Icing Sugar
- Yellow Food Colouring
- 1/2 Lemon juiced
Instructions
- Begin by making the lemon curd, put the lemon juice, sugar and butter into a heatproof bowl. Sit the bowl over a pan of gently simmering water, making sure the water is not touching the bottom of the bowl. Stir the mixture every now and again until all of the butter has melted.
- Lightly whisk the eggs and stir them into the lemon mixture. Stir until all of the ingredients are well combined, then leave to cook for 10-13 minutes, stirring every now and again, until the mixture is creamy and thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
- Remove the lemon curd from the heat and place into a bowl to cool, cover the surface of the curd with cling-film and place in the fridge until ready to use.
- To make the pastry, place the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat until soft and smooth, add the icing sugar and cream the ingredients together until light and smooth.
- Gradually mix in the egg making sure they become fully incorporated, add in the flour and salt and mix till it becomes one big mass.
- Turn the pastry out on to a work surface, mix it all together and then shape it into a round block, cover with cling-film and refrigerate the pastry for 30 minutes to an hour.
- Roll out the chilled pastry on a lightly floured work surface and line a round tart tin that is 25-27cm in diameter, about 3cm deep. Spread the lemon curd in an even layer on the base of pastry and chill while you make the frangipane.
- Make the frangipane, cream the butter and sugar together, then gradually add the beaten eggs.
- Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula, add the ground almonds, flour and lemon juice.
- Mix for a few seconds until well incorporated. Take the chilled pastry case from the fridge spread the frangipane evenly over the curd using a bent palette knife. Brush the sides and tops of the pastry that are exposed with egg wash.
- Preheat the oven to 190C/170C Fan/gas 5. Place the tart on a tray and bake for about 50–55 minutes until the almond filling and pastry are golden brown. Leave the tart to cool in the tin.
- When the tart is cool, remove it from the tin, tidy any edges if necessary and then make the icing.
- Sift the 300g icing sugar into a bowl and add about 3-4 tablespoons cold water to make a smooth, fairly thick icing.
- Sift the other 50g of icing sugar in a separate bowl and add the lemon juice in batches, you might not need all of the lemon juice. Add the yellow food colouring until you get your chosen colour.
- Spoon the yellow icing into a small piping bag fitted with a small plain nozzle.
- When the tart has cooled completely, spoon the white icing on top and spread to form a smooth surface. Pipe parallel lines or a spiral of yellow icing over the white icing, then drag a cocktail stick through the lines to create a feathered effect.
- Leave to set before serving.
Notes
***You can use any flavour curd you like, if you don't go with lemon, leave it out of the frangipane and the icing as well.
Do you always blind bake your pastry cases? Or am I not on to anything new and you’ve been doing it this way for ages?
Let me know in the comments.
Thanks for reading.
Angela
Lisa
Hi, I have baked a lemon Bakewell tart, and whilst the sides and top of the tart are baked evenly, underneath, there are two areas that are much paler. Thc paler areas are somehow indented and are in the shape of fairly large circles. These areas are still cooked, but I have no idea how or why this happened! It may be relevant, but this was a single baked pastry casing, whereas I usually use a blind baked recipe. I hope you can shed some light on this, and any help would be much appreciated 😀
patisseriemakesperfect
Hi, was the filling evenly spread out? Also did you prick the base with a fork before adding the filling? It sounds like it could have been trapped air or moisture under the pastry that couldn’t get out. That would be my first thought.
Jodie Dodd
Beautiful! So clever of you to come up with a blind bake work-around! Warming the tin up prior to baking makes perfect sense. I’ve always wondered how cases that are blind baked don’t end up burnt or incredibly dried out.
patisseriemakesperfect
I think the filling protects them Jodie, so they don’t burn. Glad you like this and hope you’re well. x
Sugar et al.
This tart is so beautiful. I can almost taste it from here. I’m actually the opposite…I love tarts that are blind baked and filled later. Hahaha! I wonder why yours didn’t work because this one is perfect. I do have a bit of shrinkage as well but that does not get noticed after the overall dessert is made.
patisseriemakesperfect
Ah Sonali – you’re a better baker than me! I need to get over my fear of blind baking and try it more.
Anastasia | Baking with Anastasia
Beautiful tart, Angela! I do blind bake pastry cases, because I love tarts with fillings that don’t require baking:) But I understand your frustration, I hate when cases are not perfect:(
patisseriemakesperfect
Thank you Anastasia – I love tarts with uncooked fillings too – but my shells are a bit too ropey at the moment.
I will just have to practice!
Mallarie
Just baked this tart and the pastry is perfect. I don’t like blind baking either but assumed you had to. Thank you
patisseriemakesperfect
Isn’t it a revelation! I think because the frangipane sucks up any moisture it stops the pastry being soggy. So glad you made this, I really hope you enjoy it. Thank you for taking the time to come here and comment.
Jacqueline Meldrum
You had me at lemon. I love lemon in desserts and cakes and your tart looks gorgeous. Beautiful photos.
patisseriemakesperfect
Thank you so much Jacqueline – I am a big fan of lemons too, this is a great tart.
Nadia
Looks amazing! Love the pattern on the icing 😀
patisseriemakesperfect
Thank you, the icing on top was less perfect than I hoped for, so I’m pleased you like it. x
Lucy
Wow Angela your tart looks amazing! The pastry looks so tidy and neat, I always have problems blind baking it too, it goes very rustic shall we say. The icing sets it off perfectly. Can I have a slice?
patisseriemakesperfect
Thank you Lucy, my blind baking is rubbish! I really need to practice it more I know.
Of course you can have a slice. x
Janice
I think I’m in love! Lemon Bakewell Tart, what a brilliant idea and I also have shrinkage problems, although not always even though I make it same each time, or at least I think I do!
patisseriemakesperfect
I know what you mean Janice, my shrinkage does vary too. I’m so glad you like my tart, thank you. x
Mary
I’m not keen on blind baking either – I always overcook the pastry case! So I am very pleased to see that you are happy to do the lot together. I think that as long as you pay attention to getting the base cooked, all will be well. Sweet short pastry is more amenable to being baked with filling in situ.
Look forward to trying this Bakewell Tart especially as it has lemon curd rather than jam. Thankyou!
patisseriemakesperfect
That is exactly right Mary, I find the exact same thing. I do need to improve my blind baking though, professional patissiers manage to master it. It’s must just be a case of practice.
Jessica @Savory Experiments
What a perfect dish for Mother’s Day brunch! Just stunning!
patisseriemakesperfect
Thank you Jessica – yes a Mum would love this wouldn’t they?
Tina Dawson | Love is in my Tummy
This is a most exquisite piece! I cannot wait to try it soon! And I always blind bake coz soggy pastry frightens me! But I’m willing to give this shortcut a try!
patisseriemakesperfect
Tina – I am scared of soggy pastry too, but because this tart is eaten cold, the pastry is left to cook further in the tin so this solves any of those problems.
Luci's Morsels
Oh my goodness! This looks absolutely delicious and so elegant too. I must try this! Thanks for sharing! Luci’s Morsels | fashion. food. frivolity.
patisseriemakesperfect
Thanks so much Luci – the lemon really balances out the sweetness as well.
Deanna
I love lemon!! this looks so amazing!!!
patisseriemakesperfect
Thank you Deanna this is really tasty – you’ll love it.
Emily @ Recipes to Nourish
I have never had a Bakewell tart before but it sounds amazing! This is so beautiful too, that icing on the top is so pretty! I love lemon sweet treats, so I’m sure I’d enjoy this too.
patisseriemakesperfect
Bakewell tarts are very traditional and common in the UK. If you like lemon, you’ll love this.
Quinn Caudill
I”m in heaven! The wife might be getting this for Mother’s Day!
patisseriemakesperfect
Your lucky wife!