French frangipane tart recipe

Frangipane is deliciously rich and sweet and features in many cakes. Legend has it that the recipe was given by Count Cesar Frangipani as a wedding gift to Catherine de Medici when she married the future King Henry of France in 1533.

A traditional frangipane tart will have a pastry base and lid – like a galette des rois cake. But these days it’s more common to see a frangipane tart without the lid as I’ve gone for here. It’s easy and quick to prepare. Many families have their own version of the recipe – sometimes made with puff pastry, sometimes with shortcrust pastry. Sometimes with a little grated orange or lemon to give it extra fragrance. You can put a layer of jam on the pastry, like Bakewell tart, or pop some fruit on top to make it a frangipane fruit tart – pears (poached or tinned), apricots and strawberries go really well.

This is an easy to make French frangipane tart recipe, delicious with a cup of tea or coffee, any time of the day!

How to make Frangipane tart

250g (8oz) sweet shortcrust pastry
135g ground almonds (almond flour)
120g sugar
3 medium sized eggs
125g butter
.5 teaspoon vanilla essence (optional)
Flaked almonds (optional)

Preheat the oven to 180°C.

Roll out the dough to a thickness of 3 to 4 mm (/2 inch) and line an 8 inch (20cm) pie tin.

Prick the dough with a fork and blind bake for 10 minutes if you like your base crisp. If not, and you don’t mind a bit of a soggy bottom, leave until you’re ready to bake the tart as a whole.

To make the frangipane, melt the butter gently. Beat the sugar and eggs together (add in your zest of lemon or orange if you’re using it), add the melted butter and beat well. If you like your cakes very vanilla-y add the essence here. Then mix in the almond flour.

Pour the mixture into the mould and level. And if you’re using flaked almonds, sprinkle them over the top.

Bake for 35 to 40 mins.

Let the cake cook before serving.