To those that know me and know me well, know my love of the Bakewell Tart. From the market town of Winchelsea, the bakeries of Rochester, the cobblestone streets of Canterbury and the high streets of London, to the department store Foodhalls, and the Mr. Kipling grocery aisle for the more commercially produced, there is no place, in England, to which I don't seek out the Bakewell Tart.
This is my take on the Cherry Bakewell Tart, which is a take on the Bakewell Tart, which is the variation of the Bakewell Pudding and reimagining it, in cake form, truly became a culinary labour of love. Although the term Bakewell Tart or Pudding have been used interchangeably, each refers to a specific dessert recipe.
The Bakewell Pudding was created in the small Derbyshire market town of Bakewell and how it became the Bakewell Tart is a culinary tale to be told... Mrs. Greaves, landlord of the White Horse Inn, left instructions to her cook to make a jam tart and instead of stirring the almond paste and eggs into the pastry as instructed, the cook spread the mixture on top of the tart, when baked, it had set like an egg custard. Although a cooks mistake, the resulting pudding was positive and became very popular with visitors of the Inn.
The exact date of the puddings creation is unknown. It was first thought to be created in 1820 however the Inn was demolished in 1805. Another date suggests 1860 however the recipe appears in Eliza Acton's Modern Cookery for Private Families in 1845 and a further two recipes appearing in The Book of Household Management by Mrs. Isabella Beeton, in 1861.
There are two variations of the Bakewell Tart we see today, one with flaked almonds and a light dusting of icing sugar and with an almond sponge cake replacing the frangipane, which came about in the 1900's. Then later came another change, a glace sugar paste topped with a candied cherry replacing the flaked almonds becoming known as the Cherry Bakewell Tart.
In 2013 a recipe was discovered in a history book at a Gloucester Museum that looked similar to the Bakewell Tart. The recipe uses rice flour and is called the Gloucester Tart.
With my version I wanted to do something different from the universal sponge cake and something more traditional like a tea cake. It does seem reminiscent of fruit cake or a Bara Brith however the fruit and cherry almond flavour does come through. Perhaps this is just the beginning of many attempts on creating a Bakewell dessert.
Cherry Bakewell Cake
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1 3/4 cups (250g) dried cherries or dried mixed berries
1 cup candied cherries, sliced in half
3/4 cup mixed citrus peel
1/2 cup thinly sliced almonds
1 1/3 cup dark brown sugar, packed
2 cups of fruit tea
2 to 3 shots cherry brandy
1 teaspoon almond extract
3 cups unbleached all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 beaten eggs
In a bowl, place the dried cherries, candied cherries, citrus peel, sliced almonds and brown sugar. Pour the hot tea over the the dried fruit, add the cherry brandy and stir to combine. Cover with a lid or cling film and allow to stand overnight at room temperature.
The next day...
Preheat the oven to 325ºF (170ºC).
Butter and flour a round cake tin. Line the bottom with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour and baking powder.
Add the almond extract to the dried fruit mixture and stir. Add the fruit mixture followed by the eggs, alternating between the two. Mix until no dry streaks remain and the batter is well blended.
Bake for about 80 to 90 minutes or until the cake is golden and springs back when pressed. Place the cake on a wire rack and allow to cool for 20 minutes, then gently turn it out onto the rack to cool completely.
Once cooled, decorate with and almond glaze icing and place a candied cherry on top.
Notes: Ovens vary so baking time may be different and need adjusting according to the oven you use.