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!
What is a Frangipane?
Frangipane is the description used for the almond filling, which is mainly made up of almonds!
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.
Check out our handy Oven Temperature Conversion Guide!
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.
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!
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.
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 Jam. See 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
- 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.
Make sure the pastry is evenly spread in the baking pan.
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)
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.
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.
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. 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.
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 vanilla frangipane is ready!
14. Leave to cool on a rack then turn out onto a dish or cooling rack.
15. Make yourself a lovely cup of tea and enjoy a slice of your vanilla frangipane.
You can eat this completely on its own or serve with a blob of whipped cream, blueberry ice cream, or some homemade custard.
This frangipane will keep moist in an airtight container for a few days or alternatively, you can freeze it whole or in slices.
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
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.
Recommended Products
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CHEFMADE 9.5-Inch Round Tart Pan with Removable Loose Bottom, Non-stick Carbon Steel Quiche Pan, FDA Approved for Oven Baking (Champagne Gold) -
Le Creuset Stoneware 1.45-Quart Tart Dish, Marseille -
Webake 4 Inch Mini Tart Pan Set of 6, Non-Stick Quiche Pan Removable Bottom Mini Tart Tins -
Wilton Non-Stick Mini Tart Pan, 12-Cavity -
Non-stick Quiche Pan, 8 Inch Perforated Pizza Flan Pan with Removable Loose Bottom, Carbon Steel Round Tart Pan, Fluted Perforated Pie Tray Bakeware Pan for Pizza, Cakes, Cheese, Desserts
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1Amount 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!
Moist Pecan Almond Loaf Cake. The flavor combo is just divine!
This Raspberry and Almond Cake is an easy recipe with soft almond sponge with a scattering of fresh raspberries throughout and topped with toasted almonds. A delicious afternoon tea treat.
Chocolate Almond Pound Cake. Delicious, rich chocolate cake with added melted chocolate and ground almonds to take this cake to another level of deliciousness!
Cherry Almond Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting is a lovely soft cake and great tasting. Perfect for parties too!
Almond Joy Cake. A delicious chocolate cake with almond and a coconut frosting. Always a hit and so popular!
Cherry Frangipane! What a delight to bake and eat. It's a lovely recipe and so full of flavor. The filling is a lovely soft almond cake with cherries on the top, baked in a pastry case. Delicious!
Lemon Frangipane. This is a really nice coffee time cake to make. Have as a dessert, warm or cold with a squirt of whipped cream or like me, a blob of vanilla ice cream! It's really yummy! Delicious!
Blueberry Frangipane. A delicious almond cake bursting with juicy blueberries. This is a really nice coffee time cake to make.
Apple Frangipane. This is a really nice coffee time cake to make. Goes great with a nice cuppa! Or you can have as a dessert, warm or cold with a squirt of whipped cream or like me, a blob of vanilla ice cream! It's really yummy! Delicious!
Gold Miner's Almond Joy Cake. A super moist, delicious and rich cake loved by all! Loaded with chocolate, marshmallows,coconut, almonds... this is a pretty amazing cake and perfect for parties too!
Dutch Buttercake (Boterkoek). This is a moist, soft butter cake, famous in the Netherlands. Often served with a cup of coffee. Easy to make and very popular!