This recipe is one of my favourite treats for the cake tin and was thankfully saved from a copy of the ‘Waitrose Food Illustrated’ magazine from the 90’s before I was even tall enough to reach the kitchen counter. Its delicious, as is everything with a frangipane topping in my opinion. With the thought of that bumper crop of blackberries still stored safely in my freezer, half a block of sweet pastry stored in the fridge and some slight adaptation and tweaks in the recipe, it made a welcome occupier of the detoxing January cake tin……
(Alternatively you can use different flavoured jam and fruits. Cherries would be nice with a spike of Kirsch)
Sweet pastry (or buy a block of 350g)
- 225g plain flour
- 115g unsalted butter
- 2 tbsp caster sugar
- 1 egg, beaten
Topping
- 150g blackberry or blackcurrant jam
- 125g unsalted butter
- 135g soft brown sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 eggs
- 200g ground almonds (I like to buy flaked almonds and grind them myself as it adds a much nice texture and flavour)
- 300g blackberries
- 50g flaked almonds
- Preheat the oven to 180°C.
- Begin by lining a large baking tin with parchment (about 20cm x 30cm or whatever is to hand)
- Roll out the pastry on floured surface to about 1 pound coin thick and cut into the shape of the tin, and line the base evenly. Prick with a fork and bake for about 15 minutes until lightly golden. Remove from the oven.
- Now make the frangipane. Using a spoon and some elbow grease or a blender, cream the butter and sugar.
- Add the eggs and vanilla bit by bit (don’t worry if it curdles)
- Now add the ground almonds and mix thoroughly. (Add a splash of milk if it looks too thick, depending on how big your eggs were)
- Spoon the jam onto the pre-cooked pastry base and spread out evenly. Top with the frangipane and spread evenly over the top to cover the jam. Sprinkle with the berries and scatter over the flaked almonds
- Bake for anywhere between 20-45 minutes (sorry but this depends on the tin size but usually about 30 minutes), checking every so often until golden and set. I often find frangipane takes a little longer to cook than recipes state but it will get there. It will always be more moist and soft than a cake sponge so check its done by giving it a wiggle. It should be set!
This is lovely served with some mascarpone or cream cheese, sweetened with icing sugar and a generous pinch or two of ground cinnamon….dreamy.
