Vanilla Frangipane is a lovely classic French tart made up of a soft and fluffy almond sponge, baked in a light, crisp pastry case. A delicious dessert or tea time treat.

Vanilla Frangipane is a lovely classic French tart made up of a soft and fluffy almond sponge, baked in a light, crisp pastry case. A delicious dessert or tea time treat.

Vanilla Frangipane. What a delicious cake this is! Or should we say tart? or maybe a cake tart!

Are there different types of frangipane?

There are variations to frangipane, for example, in Belgium, it is called an Almond pastry tart, usually with a striped pattern on top made up of icing.

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Some recipes fill the flan case with a ground almond cake batter and then put say a 1 cm layer of chocolate over the top.

In the UK, Frangipane tarts are very popular.
Most likely their popularity increased after the recipe was shown on the popular BBC Great British Bake Off television program where the famous Mary Berry set it as one of the baking tasks for the contestants. 

If you're from the UK, you can liken this vanilla frangipane to a Bakewell Tart. It's very similar, but the Bakewell Tart has usually got sliced almonds sprinkled on the top before baking. 

This vanilla frangipane recipe I am showing you today is using lovely sweet vanilla and the flavor of the sweet almond.

The bite of the crispy pastry, against the soft, moist almond filling, and the gentle sharpness of cherry jam on the pastry base makes for a delicious flavor and texture.

Vanilla Frangipane is a lovely classic French tart made up of a soft and fluffy almond sponge, baked in a light, crisp pastry case. A delicious dessert or tea time treat.

What other flavors can I make using a frangipane recipe?

You can be quite flexible with this recipe and use different fruit and jam to line the base.
For example, any type of berry fruit, such as strawberries, or you can use peaches, apples, etc.

So long as you use the classic almond filling cake batter which we show below, and the proportions listed in the ingredients, you will have an almond frangipane. 

Can I freeze frangipane cake?

If you wish to make it ahead, this vanilla frangipane will not spoil in any way at all.
I usually slice it up and then wrap a few slices in plastic wrap and freeze.
That way I always have a few slices handy in the freezer when I fancy something sweet with a cup of tea!

This vanilla almond frangipane is great to serve as a coffee time cake or breakfast cake, or as part of an English Afternoon Tea! So invite your friends and family over and serve them a slice of this and enjoy!

Vanilla Frangipane, showing pastry baked

I have also made a recipe up to show you how to make your own shortcrust pastry. Of course, you can buy the shop stuff, but this recipe is easy, cheaper and by far more tasty!

You can make little flans or tarts, like these mini frangipane tarts, but make sure you adjust the cooking times. So go on, give it a go! Try out our vanilla frangipane recipe and please enjoy! The photo below shows just how flexible you can be with this delicious almond cake-like filling.

Mini Frangipane tarts are delicious almond cake filled mini tarts in a crispy puff pastry case. Delicious served warm from the oven or cooled with a blob of ice cream or fresh whipped cream!
mini frangipane tarts using puff pastry

Here's our selection of other frangipane recipes if you'd like to take a look. There are apple, cherry, lemon and orange recipes, so something for everyone!

TOP TIPS!

  • As with any pastry cases, if you are going to put a 'wet' filling in, then you will need to 'bake blind' first to stop the pastry from going soggy. No one likes a soggy bottom! I have some instructions in a link below to help you with this if needed.

If you are using a PERFORATED BAKING PAN, you do not need to bake blind.

  • You can use this recipe for Gluten-Free by substituting the flour in the pastry & also the filling with gluten-free flour.

What You Will Need

A flan / quiche dish 23 cm / 9 inch diameter

Prep Time

40 Minutes

Cook Time

30 Minutes

Serves

9 inch Tart

Ingredients

6 oz or 170 g Shortcrust pastry. See here to make your own Shortcrust pastry.
2 Tablespoons warmed Cherry or Blueberry JamSee here to make your own Jam
4 ½ oz or 125 g butter
½ cup or 125 g Sugar
2 eggs
1 ⅓ cups or 125 g ground almonds
2 ½ Tablespoons All purpose / Plain Flour. (if you don't want to use flour, swap it for extra ground almonds & 1 tsp baking powder or the same amount in Tapioca flour)
2 Teaspoons Vanilla Extract
4 Tablespoons milk

Instructions

First things first! Get all your ingredients ready. I like to weigh out and put everything in order of adding into the recipe. If it's all ready, you will whizz through the recipe and NOT forget anything!

Make The Pastry

  1. If you are using a shop-bought pastry case, skip to the FILLING instructions.   Put the oven on to 190 C, 375 F, Gas 5

2. Make your shortcrust pastry. See here for instructions to make your own pastry.

3. Grease your flan dish & make sure you grease up the sides too.

4. Place the rolled out pastry into your chosen dish.

Vanilla Frangipane, transfer rolled dough to tart pan

Make sure the pastry is evenly spread in the baking pan.

Vanilla Frangipane, trim sides

Make sure you gently push the sides around the dish and trim any excess pastry.

5. If you see any cracks or missing bits of pastry, use the excess from your trimming to patch these areas.

6. Now you will need to prepare the flan case to take the wet filling. You need to first 'Bake blind' the pastry. See here for more information about baking blind. You need to bake blind for 20 minutes in the oven. (Line the pastry with parchment and baking beans or dried pasta)

Bake Blind with baking beans

NOTE: If you are using a perforated baking pan, you do NOT need to bake blind first.


7. Place in the oven for 20 - 25 minutes (for a 23 cm, 9-inch dish). If using smaller cases, reduce the cooking time.

8. When ready, the flan case should look like the photo below. Say about 70% cooked, and ready for the filling.

Bake Blind pastry case

9. Once you have baked blind your pastry, you need to get all your filling ingredients ready if you haven't done so already.

What is Baking Blind?

The Bake Blind technique is used when you have a 'wet' filling or the filling cooks faster than the pastry. If you were to simply place the filling onto the raw pastry, the base would never cook properly resulting in a very soggy bottom!

This method is also used if you are putting a ready cooked filling in the flan case, such as a mousse or chocolate torte which doesn't require any baking.

Make The Filling

10. Cream the butter and sugar until light in color and fluffy. Add the vanilla extract.

Creaming butter and sugar for Vanilla Frangipane

Slowly add the beaten eggs. If the mixture looks like it is starting to split, add a tablespoon of your ground almonds.

11. Add almonds and flour. Add the milk, and gently (low setting on your mixture) combine.

Vanilla Frangipane, Consistency of cake batter

12. Pop the cherry or blueberry jam in a small bowl or cup and microwave for 20 seconds. Spread the warmed jam onto the base of your pastry.

Vanilla Frangipane, brush tart shell with jam

Add the cake mixture to the flan case.

Vanilla Frangipane, add filling to pastry case

13. Bake in the oven for 25 - 30 minutes. Test with a metal skewer. Stick it in the center, if it comes out clean your vanilla frangipane is ready!

Vanilla Frangipane, baked in pan cooling
Vanilla Frangipane, close up of top of baked frangipane

14. Leave to cool on a rack then turn out onto a dish or cooling rack.

Vanilla Frangipane, released from pan, on cooling rack

15. Make yourself a lovely cup of tea and enjoy a slice of your vanilla frangipane.

Vanilla Frangipane, showing slices

You can eat this completely on its own or serve with a blob of whipped cream, blueberry ice cream, or some homemade custard

Vanilla Frangipane, showing a slice

This frangipane will keep moist in an airtight container for a few days or alternatively, you can freeze it whole or in slices.

Vanilla Frangipane is a lovely classic French tart made up of a soft and fluffy almond sponge, baked in a light, crisp pastry case. A delicious dessert or tea time treat.

We'd love to hear from you and what you thought of our vanilla frangipane recipe. Did you make any changes or add some other goodies? Let us know in the comments below. Thanks for reading and happy cooking!

Recipe Card

Vanilla Frangipane is a lovely classic French tart made up of a soft and fluffy almond sponge, baked in a light, crisp pastry case. A delicious dessert or tea time treat.

Vanilla Frangipane

Yield: 12
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes

Vanilla Frangipane is a lovely classic French tart made up of a soft and fluffy almond sponge, baked in a light, crisp pastry case. A delicious dessert or tea time treat.

Ingredients

  • 6 oz or 170 g Shortcrust pastry
  • 2 Tablespoons warmed Cherry Jam. (You can use any jam you like)
  • 4 ½ oz or ½ cup or 125 g butter
  • 
½ cup or 125 g Sugar

  • 2 eggs

  • 1 ⅓ cups or 125 g ground almonds

  • 2 ½ Tablespoons All purpose / Plain Flour. (if you don't want to use flour, swap it for extra ground almonds & 1 tsp baking powder or same amount in Tapioca flour)

  • 2 Teaspoons Vanilla extract
  • 4 Tablespoons milk

Instructions

Make The Pastry

If you are using a shop-bought pastry case, skip to the FILLING instructions.

1.  Put the oven on to 190 C, 375 F, Gas 5
2. Make your shortcrust pastry. See here for instructions to make your own shortcrust pastry.
3. Grease your flan dish & make sure you grease up the sides too.
4. Place the rolled out pastry into your chosen dish. Make sure you gently push the sides around the dish and trim any excess pastry. If you see any cracks or missing bits of pastry, use the excess from your trimming to patch these areas.
6. Now you will need to prepare the flan case to take the wet filling.
You need to first 'Bake blind' the pastry. See here for more information. You need to bake blind for 20 minutes in the oven.
NOTE: If you are using a perforated baking pan, you do NOT need to bake blind.
7. Place in the oven for 20 - 25 minutes (for a 23 cm, 9-inch dish).
8. When ready, the flan case should look about 70% cooked, and ready for the filling.
9. Once you have baked blind your pastry, you need to get all your filling ingredients ready if you haven't done so already.


Make The Filling

10. Cream the butter and sugar until light in color and fluffy. Add the vanilla extract.
Slowly add the beaten eggs. If the mixture looks like it is starting to split, add a tablespoon of your ground almonds.
11. Add almonds and flour. Add the milk, and gently (low setting on your mixture) combine.
12. Spread the warmed jam onto the base of your pastry. Add the cake mixture to the flan case.
13. Bake in the oven for 25 - 30 minutes. Test with a metal skewer.
Stick it in the center, if it comes out clean your frangipane is ready!
14. Leave to cool then turn out onto a dish if serving warm, or a cooling rack, before slicing.

Notes

The Bake Blind technique is used when you have a 'wet' filling or the filling cooks faster than the pastry.
If you were to simply place the filling onto the raw pastry, the base would never cook properly resulting in a very soggy bottom!
This method is also used if you are putting a ready-cooked filling in the flan case, such as a mousse or chocolate torte which doesn't require any baking.

Nutrition Information:
Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 266Total Fat: 18gSaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 62mgSodium: 193mgCarbohydrates: 23gFiber: 2gSugar: 15gProtein: 5g

Nutrition information isn’t always accurate

Delicious Cake Recipes using Almonds

If you like almonds as much as we do, try out these other cake recipes using ground almonds in the cake batter. Delicious!

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