Traditional Bakewell Pudding

By
Elaine Lemm
Elaine Lemm
Elaine Lemm
Elaine Lemm is a renowned British food writer, classically trained chef, teacher, and author with over 25 years of experience writing about British food and cooking.
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Updated on 01/23/24
Traditional Bakewell Pudding

The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 60 mins
Chill : 20 mins
Total: 95 mins
Servings: 6 servings

Bakewell tarts are traditional British desserts dating back many centuries and attributed to noble culinary traditions, in which pricey ingredients like eggs, almonds, and butter were an affair of just the wealthy and powerful. Originally from Bakewell, in the picturesque Peak District of Derbyshire, these tasty concoctions can take the form of either a tart or a pudding, although not even locals can agree on which one is the truest recipe or came first. But it's fair to say that both are delicious. Our pudding recipe is easy enough to make if you are a novice baker, and its beautiful looks make it special enough to use during a celebratory gathering, not to mention as a sweet treat for an afternoon coffee or tea break.

What differentiates a Bakewell tart from a pudding is that a Bakewell pudding is made with puff pastry, whereas the Bakewell tart is made with shortcrust, but both share common ingredients in the filling. Other recipes for pudding use a sponge in lieu of the puff pastry, but both contain a deliciously eggy almond filling. Other versions use candied cherries on top and are known as cherry Bakewells.

Making a Bakewell pudding with our recipe is surprisingly easy as you'll be using store-bought puff pastry and not making it from scratch—unless you know how to and want to do it! After a quick blind bake of the pastry, the jam and easy-to-make almond filling go in, the tart is then baked again to set, and a dusting of confectioners' sugar gives it a pretty finish. The pudding makes a delicious dessert served hot or slightly warm to enjoy the full almond flavor.

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Ingredients

  • 19.2 ounces (544 grams) thawed frozen puff pastry

  • 3 tablespoons raspberry jam

  • 6 ounces (170 grams) butter

  • 3/4 cup (150 grams) sugar

  • 1 medium egg yolk, beaten

  • 3 medium eggs, beaten

  • 1 1/2 cups (165 grams) ground almonds

  • 2 tablespoons lemon zest

  • 2 teaspoons almond extract

  • 1 tablespoon almonds, blanched and sliced

  • 3 to 4 tablespoons confectioners' sugar, for garnish

Steps to Make It

Prepare the Pudding Base

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Traditional Bakewell Pudding ingredients

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

  2. Preheat the oven to 375 F/190 C/Gas 5. Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured board to 1/4-inch thick.

    Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured board

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

  3. Grease an 8-inch tart tin.

    Grease an 8-inch tart tin

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

  4. Line the tin with the pastry.

    Line tart tin with the pastry

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

  5. Fold over the sides of the pastry to fit the tart pan and create an edge.

    Fold over the sides to fit the tart pan and create an edge

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

  6. Prick the base all over with a fork. Chill in the refrigerator for 20 minutes.

    Prick the base all over with a fork

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

  7. Line the tart dough with parchment paper and fill it with baking beads.

    Line the tart dough with baking/greaseproof paper and fill with baking weights

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

  8. Bake for 15 minutes or until the pastry is of a pale golden color.

    Cook the pastry to a pale golden color

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

  9. Remove the baking weights, and cook for another 5 minutes.

    Remove the baking weights, and cook the dough further

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

  10. Spread the raspberry jam onto the base of the pastry. Reserve.

    Spread the raspberry jam onto the base of the pastry

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

Make the Almond Filling

  1. With the help of an electric mixer or using a stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar together until pale in color.

    With an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar together

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

  2. Beat the egg yolk into the beaten eggs.

    Beat the egg yolk into the beaten eggs

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

  3. Slowly add the egg mixture to the creamed butter and sugar a little at a time. Continue mixing to incorporate.

    While mixing, slowly add the eggs to the creamed butter and sugar

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

  4. Gently fold in the ground almonds, lemon zest, and almond extract.

    Gently fold the ground almonds, lemon zest, and almond extract into the filling mixture

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

Assemble the Pudding

  1. Pour the almond mixture into the prepared pastry and gently level the surface to ensure the whole tart is filled. Bake for 30 minutes.

    Pour the mixture into the pastry

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

  2. Remove from the oven and sprinkle on the sliced almonds.

    Remove the pudding from the oven and sprinkle on the sliced almonds

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

  3. Return to the oven and bake 10 minutes or until golden and set.

    Baked until golden

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

  4. Sprinkle with confectioners' sugar while still warm.

    Traditional Bakewell Pudding, Sprinkle with confectioner's/icing sugar while still warm

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

  5. Enjoy.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
1070 Calories
76g Fat
85g Carbs
16g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6
Amount per serving
Calories 1070
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 76g 97%
Saturated Fat 22g 108%
Cholesterol 170mg 57%
Sodium 592mg 26%
Total Carbohydrate 85g 31%
Dietary Fiber 5g 17%
Total Sugars 37g
Protein 16g
Vitamin C 3mg 17%
Calcium 114mg 9%
Iron 4mg 22%
Potassium 316mg 7%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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