In this article
My friend Margaret, who grew up in the north of England, says there is a little market town in Derbyshire called Bakewell where two shops have argued for more than a hundred years about which of them has the original recipe for the town’s famous pudding. Each one has a sign in the window that says so. Neither will ever give the recipe to the other. Margaret finds this the most English thing she has ever heard, and she has heard a great many English things.
What everybody else in England actually bakes is the slice: a shortcrust base, a layer of raspberry jam, a soft almond sponge on top and a scatter of flaked almonds, cut into squares from a tray. It is the cousin of the cherry Bakewell with the icing and the cherry on top, simpler and better for a crowd, and it is what Margaret brings to every tea she has ever been invited to. Her one warning is about the jam. Keep it thin. Too much jam boils up through the sponge in the oven and leaves red craters on top.
Why this Bakewell slice works
- A blind-baked base. The shortcrust bakes empty for 15 minutes first, so it stays crisp under the jam instead of going soft.
- A thin jam layer. Half a cup over a 9 inch pan is enough to taste in every bite without bubbling up through the sponge.
- Almond flour in the sponge. Ground almonds keep the topping moist and tender for days, and the almond extract gives it the true Bakewell taste.
- Flaked almonds on top. They toast in the oven while the sponge bakes and give the squares their crunch.
Ingredients
Makes one 9 inch square pan, cut into 16 squares. The measurements are in US cups and spoons with grams in brackets.
For the shortcrust base
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (190g)
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar (25g)
- 1/2 cup cold unsalted butter (113g), cut in pieces
- 3 to 4 tablespoons ice water
For the filling
- 1/2 cup seedless raspberry jam (160g)
- 1/2 cup soft unsalted butter (113g)
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar (100g)
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup almond flour (100g)
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour (30g)
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 1/3 cup flaked almonds (30g)
For the drizzle
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar (60g)
- 1 tablespoon water
Use a good raspberry jam with plenty of fruit. Almond flour means finely ground blanched almonds. Almond extract is strong; one teaspoon is the right amount.
How to make Bakewell slice
Make and bake the base
- Heat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Line a 9 inch square pan with parchment, leaving some hanging over two sides to lift the slice out later.
- Rub the 1 1/2 cups flour, the 2 tablespoons sugar and the 1/2 cup cold butter together with your fingertips until the mixture looks like sand.
- Add 3 tablespoons ice water and mix with a fork until it holds together when pressed, adding the last tablespoon only if needed. Press it evenly over the bottom of the pan and prick it all over with a fork.
- Bake the empty base at 375°F for 15 minutes, until pale golden. Cool for 10 minutes. Lower the oven to 350°F (175°C).
Fill and bake
- Spread the 1/2 cup raspberry jam over the base in a thin, even layer, right to the edges.
- Beat the 1/2 cup soft butter with the 1/2 cup sugar until pale and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then the almond flour, the 1/4 cup flour and the almond extract.
- Drop spoonfuls of the almond mixture over the jam and spread it gently to the edges without dragging up the jam. Scatter the 1/3 cup flaked almonds over the top.
- Bake at 350°F for 30 to 35 minutes, until the sponge is golden and springs back when pressed lightly in the middle. Cool completely in the pan.
- Stir the powdered sugar with the tablespoon of water until smooth and drizzle it over the cold slice in thin lines. Let it set, then lift out and cut into 16 squares.
Tips that make the difference
- Spread the almond mixture with the back of a wet spoon so it glides over the jam instead of pulling it up.
- Do not skip the empty bake. A raw base under jam never crisps.
- Cut only when the slice is completely cold, with a knife dipped in hot water and wiped between cuts.
- If the almonds brown too fast, lay a sheet of foil loosely over the pan for the last 10 minutes.
Variations
- Cherry Bakewell slice. Skip the flaked almonds, spread the cold slice with a thicker white icing and set half a glacé cherry on every square.
- Apricot. Use apricot jam instead of raspberry for a softer, golden version.
- Gluten-light base. Replace half the flour in the base with more almond flour; it will be more crumbly, so press it firmly.
- No drizzle. Dust the cold slice with powdered sugar instead of icing, the way it is often sold in English bakeries.
Storage and make-ahead
Keep the squares in an airtight tin at room temperature for 4 days. The almond sponge stays moist and the flavor deepens on the second day.
To freeze, wrap the uncut, un-iced slice in plastic and foil for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature, then drizzle and cut.
In hot weather keep the tin somewhere cool so the icing does not go sticky.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a Bakewell slice, tart and pudding?
The pudding is the old original from the town, a puff pastry case with jam and a rich egg filling. The tart is shortcrust, jam and almond sponge in a round tin, often iced with a cherry. The slice is the same as the tart, baked in a square pan and cut into squares.
Can I use almond meal instead of almond flour?
Yes. Almond meal is coarser and made from almonds with the skins on, so the sponge will be a little heavier and darker, but it tastes the same.
Why did my jam bubble through the top?
Too much jam, or jam spread right up into the sponge. Keep it to half a cup and spread the almond mixture gently over it.
Can I make it ahead?
Yes, it is better made a day ahead. Bake it, cool it, drizzle it and keep it in a tin overnight before cutting.
Thin jam, a crisp base and a cold knife. The two shops in Bakewell can keep their argument; you will have sixteen squares on a plate and nobody in your kitchen will be arguing about anything.
Bakewell Slice (Shortcrust, Raspberry Jam and Almond Sponge)
The English Bakewell slice baked in a 9 inch square pan: a blind-baked shortcrust base, a thin layer of raspberry jam, a soft almond sponge flavored with almond extract, flaked almonds on top and a thin white icing drizzle. Cups and grams, oven temperatures and times.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup cold unsalted butter (113g), cut in pieces
- 3 to 4 tablespoons ice water
- 1/2 cup seedless raspberry jam
- 1/2 cup soft unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup almond flour
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 1/3 cup flaked almonds
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon water
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Line a 9 inch square pan with parchment, leaving some hanging over two sides to lift the slice out later.
- Rub the 1 1/2 cups flour, the 2 tablespoons sugar and the 1/2 cup cold butter together with your fingertips until the mixture looks like sand.
- Add 3 tablespoons ice water and mix with a fork until it holds together when pressed, adding the last tablespoon only if needed. Press it evenly over the bottom of the pan and prick it all over with a fork.
- Bake the empty base at 375°F for 15 minutes, until pale golden. Cool for 10 minutes. Lower the oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Spread the 1/2 cup raspberry jam over the base in a thin, even layer, right to the edges.
- Beat the 1/2 cup soft butter with the 1/2 cup sugar until pale and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then the almond flour, the 1/4 cup flour and the almond extract.
- Drop spoonfuls of the almond mixture over the jam and spread it gently to the edges without dragging up the jam. Scatter the 1/3 cup flaked almonds over the top.
- Bake at 350°F for 30 to 35 minutes, until the sponge is golden and springs back when pressed lightly in the middle. Cool completely in the pan.
- Stir the powdered sugar with the tablespoon of water until smooth and drizzle it over the cold slice in thin lines. Let it set, then lift out and cut into 16 squares.
