Bakewell tart

Bakewell Tart is an English confection consisting of a shortcrust pastry with a layer of jam and a sponge filling with almonds. TheBakewell Pudding on the other hand is a flaky pastry, with a layer of jam and an egg and almond filling. Some versions of the tart are covered with a layer of fondant.

Tart

The tart consists of a shortcrust pastry shell, spread with jam and covered with a sponge-like filling enriched with ground almonds (known as frangipane). It may also be covered with nuts, such as almonds and peanuts. Alternative flavours, including blackcurrant, strawberry and apple are also produced.

A Cherry Bakewell is a variation of the tart where the frangipane is covered with a top layer of almond flavoured icing and a single half glacé cherry. Lemon Bakewells with lemon flavoured fondant are also produced.

Recipes abound, for example those given by Eliza Acton (1845) and Mrs Beeton (1861), and modern commercial examples are to be found in most cake shops and in most supermarket cake departments. The name Bakewell tart only became common in the 20th century

Mini Bakewell tart

Shot

The Cherry Bakewell shot is an alcoholic beverage made from amaretto, cherry liquor and Baileys. A skilled bartender is able to layer the ingredients by pouring the respective spirits over the back of a chilled spoon. The name comes from the similarity in taste to the aforementioned Cherry Bakewell tart.

In Popular Fiction

In the first of Patrick O'Brian's Aubrey-Maturin series, "Master and Commander," Jack Aubrey is staying at The Crown in Port Mahón, Minorca. He observes: "... the place smelt of olive oil, sardines and wine; and there was not the least possibility of a Bakewell tart, an Eccles cake or even a decent suet pudding."

In Popular Culture

Bakewell tarts were mentioned on an edition of The Great British Bake Off, presented by Sue Perkins and Mel Giedroyc, on August 23, 2011 (the second programme in the programme's second series). The story of a maid who got the recipe for jam tarts wrong was mentioned on the programme, although the narrator seemed skeptical about the story.