Mary Berry Apricot Frangipane Tart

I made this tart last weekend when I had two rogue tins of apricots staring me down from the back of the cupboard—and honestly, I wasn’t expecting much. I’d made frangipane things before, and they always turned out a bit too sweet or a bit too soggy. But this one? It nearly flopped in the middle, but then something magic happened—it firmed up, the edges went beautifully golden, and the almondy filling turned out to be dreamily soft without being claggy.

It’s the kind of tart that looks proper posh with that little zigzag of icing—but let me show you what actually made it work (and the mistake I made that nearly wrecked the crust).

WHAT MAKES THIS RECIPE SPECIAL

There’s something about Mary’s frangipane base—it’s incredibly simple, but it just works. Most recipes overload the almond extract or skimp on the butter. This one strikes a perfect balance. And the use of tinned apricots? Honestly, it’s brilliant. They’re consistent, sweet but not overpowering, and no faff with peeling or slicing fresh ones.

The trick that surprised me: drying the apricots properly and giving the pastry a hot blast from underneath. That combo saved my tart from going soggy-bottomed.

INGREDIENTS + WHY THEY MATTER

• Plain flour – A neutral base. Tried this once with self-raising—don’t. It puffed and lost the tart shape.
• Cold butter (in pastry) – Keeps the base crisp and short. Must be cold. Warm butter made it greasy.
• Ground almonds – The heart of the filling. Adds richness, structure, and flavour.
• Almond extract – Go easy. Half a teaspoon is plenty. More than that and it starts to taste like marzipan perfume.
• Tinned apricots in juice – Perfect texture. I once used ones in syrup and the tart was far too sweet.
• Icing sugar + apricot juice – That little drizzle lifts the whole thing. Not essential, but very worth it.

MAKING IT YOURS (WITHOUT RUINING IT)

• Gluten-free? I tested this with a blend of GF plain flour and ¼ tsp xanthan gum. It held up surprisingly well, just chill the dough before rolling.
• No almond extract? Skip it—don’t substitute with vanilla. It muddies the flavour.
• Fresh apricots? Yes, but they must be ripe and slightly poached. Otherwise they stay too firm and tart.

MISTAKES I’VE MADE (AND HOW TO AVOID THEM)

What Went Wrong	Why It Happens	How to Fix It
Soggy pastry base	Apricots too wet	Pat them dry thoroughly with kitchen roll
Frangipane too runny	Overmixed filling	Mix until just combined—not whipped
Crust collapsed in oven	Pastry too warm going in	Chill the lined tin 15 minutes before baking

HOW TO MAKE MARY BERRY’S APRICOT FRANGIPANE TART

1. Preheat the oven to 190°C (170°C fan). Place a heavy tray in to heat—it helps crisp the bottom.
2. Make the pastry: Rub cold butter into flour until breadcrumb-like. Stir in sugar. Add beaten egg and a little water until it comes together. Roll thin (1–2mm) and line your tart tin. Chill 15 minutes if you’ve got time.
3. Prick the base, and don’t skip this or it puffs.
4. Dry the apricots on kitchen paper. Seriously. This is key.
5. Mix the filling: Cream softened butter and sugar, then add eggs, ground almonds, and almond extract. Don’t overbeat.
6. Layer the tart: Apricots first (cut side down looks lovely), then spread frangipane over the top.
7. Bake on the hot tray for 45–50 minutes, until golden and the centre doesn’t wobble.
8. Drizzle with icing made from apricot juice and icing sugar. Zigzag is traditional, but blobs are fine too.

TIPS FROM MY KITCHEN

• I use a loose-bottomed tin, but still put it on a tray—mine leaks a bit every time.
• Let it cool before removing the tin ring. I rushed once and the edge cracked clean off.
• If the top’s browning too fast, cover loosely with foil for the last 10 minutes.
• Don’t skip the almond extract—it’s tiny but mighty.

STORAGE + SERVING

• Keeps 3–4 days in the fridge, covered.
• Serve cold with crème fraîche or warm with ice cream.
• Freezes well: I slice it first, wrap individually, and defrost as needed.
• Reheat gently at 150°C for 10 minutes—it perks up beautifully.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Q: Can I use fresh apricots?
A: You can, but they need to be ripe and ideally poached a bit first. Raw ones stay firm and sour.

Q: Why did my frangipane sink?
A: Probably overmixed or underbaked. Make sure the filling is spread evenly and don’t beat too much air in.

Q: Do I need to blind bake the crust?
A: Nope. Because the filling bakes long enough, the hot tray crisps the base nicely without blind baking.

Q: Can I make this a day ahead?
A: Yes. In fact, the flavour deepens. Just store it covered in the fridge and bring to room temp before serving.

Q: Can I skip the icing?
A: Of course. It’s mostly decorative—but I love the contrast it adds.

Try More Recipes:

• Mary Berry Chocolate Chip Oat Cookies
• Mary Berry Lemon Cupcakes
• Mary Berry Lucy’s Strawberry Slices
• Mary Berry Lemon Shortbread