Frangipane Tart

The Frangipane Tart is a classic, rich and delicious dessert, with a shortcrust pastry base and a frangipane cream filling made with butter, sugar, eggs and almond flour. Here’s how to make it.

Ingredients

• 125 g softened butter
• 125 g powdered sugar
• 3 eggs
• 125 g almond flour
• 25 g all-purpose flour
• 1 pinch of salt
• Vanilla extract or a vanilla pod
• Grated zest of 1 lemon
• 1 roll of ready-made shortcrust pastry (or you can make it yourself with 300g flour, 150g butter, 150g sugar, 1 egg, a pinch of salt)
• Powdered sugar for decoration (optional)

Preparation

1. If making the pastry, start with that: work the butter with the sugar until creamy, add the egg and salt, and finally incorporate the flour. Work until you get a homogeneous mixture, form a ball, wrap it with plastic wrap and let it rest in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. Then roll out the dough into a thin layer and line a previously buttered and floured cake pan.
2. Preheat the oven to 180 °C.
3. In a bowl, beat the softened butter with the powdered sugar until it becomes light and fluffy.
4. Add the almond flour, the eggs one at a time, the flour, salt, vanilla and lemon zest. Mix until you get a homogeneous mixture.
5. Pour the frangipane filling onto the shortcrust pastry base.
6. Bake in the oven for about 35-40 minutes or until the surface of the frangipane tart appears golden and the filling is firm to the touch.
7. Let cool completely before removing the cake from the pan. Dust, if desired, with powdered sugar before serving.

Trivia

The frangipane tart takes its name from the cream that characterizes it, presumably inspired by the Frangipani family, an ancient Roman lineage known for creating a perfume with almond essence used in the production of leather gloves. Frangipane cream became popular for its rich and delicate flavor, becoming a signature element of French pastry and subsequently international.