Cherry Almond Frangipane Tart
With luscious, juicy cherries, surrounded by moist and fluffy almond frangipane and tender sweet pastry, this French-style Cherry Almond Frangipane Tart is guaranteed to impress.
We are bang in the middle of the European cherry season, with the street stalls and markets overflowing temptingly with mountains of gorgeous scarlet fruit.
In America, you might instantly think of baking a cherry pie, but I think the French invented the perfect recipe for showing off the flavour of these little jewels: Cherry Almond Frangipane Tart.
About This Recipe
This is a French-style tart made from juicy summer cherries, surrounded by moist almond frangipane and tender sweet pastry.
This is the sort of bake that smells and tastes absolutely incredible, and while it may look like it belongs in the window of a fancy bakery, the good news is that Cherry and Almond Frangipane Tart is easy to make at home.
What is Frangipane?
Frangipane is an almond paste or custard, which was invented by the French way back in the 1600s. It’s a deliciously moist and flavoursome tart filling, and the almond flavour pairs perfectly with sweet summer cherries.
It also sounds a lot like the beautiful island flower: frangipani (plumeria), but the two are not related (though they both smell delicious!)
Is it difficult to make cherry tart?
Not at all! This is a recipe that I’ve spent ages perfecting and testing, so it is guaranteed to work every time, even for novice bakers.
No need to roll out pastry: You might be expecting to have to roll the pastry out and blind bake it, but if you follow this recipe carefully you can skip both of these steps, simply pressing the pastry into the tin, chilling, then filling with frangipane and baking.
This is a fantastic shortcut technique and it means the tart is made so much quicker – a bonus when it is hot outside.
Variations:
Of course, cherries have a short season, so if it’s not cherry time where you are, don’t worry, this recipe works well with all sorts of fruit. Berries, soft fruit like peaches or apricots, or even apples or pears are all delicious.
Frozen cherries are perfect for baking with, just be sure to let them defrost and drain completely before using for best results.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Can I use store-bought pastry to make this tart?
Yes, though I urge you to give this pastry a try, it’s very forgiving. If using store-bought try to find a good quality all-butter pastry. Make sure it’s a sweet shortcrust!
Can I make frangipane tart with other fruit?
You can! If cherries aren’t available and you’d rather use fresh fruit than preserved, frangipane is a great base for all sorts of things. Berries are wonderful, but so are all the soft fruits. Apricots and figs are delish too!
Can I make Cherry Almond Frangipane Tart nut-free?
Unfortunately, this tart needs the almonds in it, but if you are looking for a nut-free cherry tart recipe, why not try my Cherry, Honey Mascarpone Tart?
Can I freeze Cherry Tart?
Yes. Wrap well in clingfilm and then foil. Freeze for up to 3 months.
Can I bake this tart in a different size pan?
I have used a 13x35cm loose-based tart tin, but the amounts in the recipe fit a standard 26cm / 10 in. fluted tart pan also.
Light, fluffy and utterly moreish, almond frangipane is the perfect canvas for summer fruit.
It’s easy to remove the stones from cherries, my trick is to use a straw and push the stone through from top to bottom.
Cherry Almond Frangipane Tart
With luscious, juicy cherries, surrounded by moist and fluffy almond frangipane and tender sweet pastry, this Cherry Almond Frangipane Tart is guaranteed to impress.
Ingredients
for the pastry:
- 250 g plain or all purpose flour
- 125 g unsalted butter
- 2 Tbsp white sugar
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- pinch salt
for the frangipane filling:
- 150 g white sugar
- 125 g unsalted butter, softened
- 1 tsp almond or vanilla extract, see notes
- 3 large eggs
- 150 g almond meal, ground almonds
- 100 g plain or all-purpose flour
- 350 g fresh cherries, pitted
- 30 g flaked almonds
to serve:
- icing / confectioners sugar
- whipped cream
Instructions
- MAKE THE PASTRY: Place the flour, butter, sugar and salt in the bowl of a food processor with the blade attachment fitted, then pulse until the mixture resembles fine crumbs. Pour the egg into the mixture, then run the processor until the dough clumps together. If the blade is spinning and the dough doesn’t form a ball, add cold water, one teaspoon at a time until it comes together.
- PRESS INTO TART PAN: Turn the dough out into a lightly greased 13x35cm loose-based tart tin (see note), then use the tips of your fingers to press it out evenly across the base and up the sides of the tin, leaving a small overhang on all sides. Prick all over with a fork then chill for at least 30 minutes in the fridge or 20 minutes in the freezer. Heat the oven to 180°C / 350°F / Gas 4 with a baking tray in the lower third.
- MAKE THE FILLING: Use an electric mixer to cream sugar and butter together until light and fluffy. Beat in almond or vanilla essence, then eggs, one at a time, beating well between each and using a spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Fold in the ground almonds and flour. When the tart case has chilled, carefully trim the overhanging pastry with a small, sharp knife, then spoon the frangipane into the prepared case and smooth the top.
- BAKE: Arrange cherries on top, pressing in lightly. Sprinkle over the flaked almonds, then place on the pre-heated oven tray and bake for 40-45 minutes until set and golden brown. A skewer inserted into the frangipane should come out clean.
- COOL AND SERVE: Allow to cool in the tin before removing and dusting with icing / confectioners sugar. Serve with whipped cream.
Notes
Add almond essence to taste. I like to use a very highly concentrated bitter almond oil that is available in Germany, (link below) in which case you only need a few drops. Standard almond extract available in most countries is not so concentrated so use the amount given in the recipe or more to taste.
I have used a 13x35cm loose-based tart tin, but the amounts in the recipe fit a standard 26cm / 10 in. fluted tart pan also.
Imperial and cup measurements are approximate. As always, I use and thoroughly recommend a digital kitchen scale for best and most accurate results.
Recommended Equipment
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Nutrition
Serving: 1slice | Calories: 631kcal | Carbohydrates: 60g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 39g | Saturated Fat: 18g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 160mg | Sodium: 40mg | Potassium: 117mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 23g | Vitamin A: 917IU | Calcium: 78mg | Iron: 3mg
Tried this recipe?I’d love to hear how it went! Please leave a review or a star rating and let me know how it was! Use the hashtag #daysofjay on Instagram so I can see your delicious creations.
This recipe was easy to follow and the tart came out really well. The only thing I would change is that I would like to taste the almond more and to add more sugar to the franzipane mix but that’s just personal preference. Thanks for this recipe!
—- I am so happy you liked this one! I like to bump up the almond flavour too! Thanks for dropping by, J.
Can you use premade almond paste for the filling?
Hi there! Almond paste is different from frangipane in that it is a lot denser and heavier. Frangipane is closer to a pastry cream (quite spreadable) and bakes to more of a cake like texture (it has flour and eggs in it) so I’m not sure that almond paste would be suitable in this case. Frangipane is very easy to make if you have ground almonds though! J.