This classic French Almond Tart - called Tarte Amandine in French - combines a crispy Pâte Sucrée crust, spongy almond cream frangipane filling and crunchy flaked almonds. It is the perfect fancy yet easy bake for anyone who loves almond desserts!
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If you love the flavour of Almonds and are a big fan of almond croissants, this Almond Tart is for you! With its buttery and crispy crust, fragrant almond sponge and crunchy flaked almonds topping, this simple dessert is a real crowd-pleaser.
This tart has the right amount of sweetness, nutty flavour, and melt-in-your-mouth texture. Enjoy it plain like here or check out my fruity frangipane tart version:
What is Frangipane Tart
A Frangipane Tart is a classic French dessert that combines a sweet tart crust baked with an almond cream filling (sometimes called frangipane filling). It can be kept plain like in this recipe (to make an "Amandine Tart") or topped with fresh or poached fruits.
The word "frangipane" refers more to the name of the dessert than to the almond cream filling here. In classic French Pastry, a frangipane cream is actually made from combining an almond cream and pastry cream.
Ingredient Notes
What is almond frangipane tart made of:
Scroll down to recipe card below for all quantities
For the Sweet Shorcrust Pastry (Pâte Sucrée):
- Dry Ingredients: a mix of Almond Meal (or Almond Flour), Plain / All-Purpose Flour and a pinch of Fine Salt.
- Wet Ingredients: very soft unsalted Butter, Powdered Sugar (or Icing Sugar) and a large Egg at room temperature.
For the Almond Cream Filling:
- Butter: Unsalted and very soft, at room temperature.
- Sugar: Powdered Sugar (Confectioner's sugar) or Icing Sugar.
- Egg: large eggs at room temperature. Ideally, you want the same weight of eggs than butter and almond meal. It is important for the eggs to NOT be cold or it will make your butter seize and split.
- Almond Meal: you can use both blanched or un-blanched almond meal made from corse ground almonds. Almond flour will work too but it will give you a slightly different texture with less of a crunch.
Optionally, you can add some Almond Extract or Vanilla Extract for extra flavour.
To finish:
- Flaked Almonds: for extra crunch and texture. You could use slivered almonds or simply chopped and sliced almonds if preferred.
- Icing Sugar: for dusting (optional).
How to make Almond Tart step-by-step
1. Pâte Sucrée Tart Shell
- Photo 1: Place the soft butter and sifted powdered sugar in the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or in a large bowl if using a hand mixer). Cream together on medium speed for a couple of minutes or until completely smooth and homogeneous.
- Photo 2: Add the egg and almond meal and mix until well combined. Stop to scrape the side of the bowl when required. You should get a thick, slightly lumpy mixture.
- Photo 3: Add sifted flour and pinch of salt.
- Photo 4: Mix on low speed and stop as soon as a rough dough comes together to avoid over-mixing the pastry.
Traditionally, a technique called "fraisage" (or "frasage") is done after the addition of flour. The tart dough is placed on your working surface. With the palm of the hand, the dough is gently pressed and pushed out, picked back up and spread out again until very smooth.
- Place the pastry between two sheets of baking paper / parchment paper and flatten it with your palm to get a thick disk.
- Photo 5: Roll the pastry to a thickness of about 4 mm (1/6 inch). For the best results, use a rolling pin with thickness rings to get an even thickness. Place the flat pastry on a large baking sheet and chill for at least 1 hour (or up to 24 hours). It should be very cold and hard.
- Photo 6: Remove the baking paper and transfer the dough over a 24 cm (9,5-inch) tart tin, preferably with a removable bottom. Gently press the pastry down into the corner of the tart tin to create a 90 degree angle. If it cracks, you can patch it up with your fingertips.
If the pastry is too cold and hard to be handled, leave it for a few minutes at room temperature to soften. If it gets too soft, place back in the fridge for a few minutes.
- Photo 7: Cut off any excess with a small pairing knife. Place the tart pan in the fridge to chill and rest for at least 3 hour, preferably overnight (or for up to 24 hours).
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- Photo 8: Preheat your oven on 160 degree Celsius / 325 degree Fahrenheit. Dock the pastry (prick the bottom of the pastry with a fork). Place the pastry in the freezer while the oven is preheating.
- Par-bake for 16 to 18 minutes or until the bottom feels dry to the touch. Place on a wire rack and leave to cool down completely.
Note that I do not use any weight to par-bake the pastry. If it has been properly chilled and rested, it should not move in the oven. You actually want to avoid covering the bottom so it can dry out as much as possible before adding the filling.
2. Almond Cream Filling
- Photo 9: Place the very soft butter and sugar in a large size bowl (if using a hand mixer) or the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Cream on medium speed for about 3 to 5 minutes or until very soft, creamy and almost doubled in volume.
- Photo 10: Add the eggs one at the time, slowly mixing it into the butter until fully incorporated.
The mixture often starts to split at this point. This can happen if your butter was too cold or your eggs were too cold or warm. Don't worry if this happens, the almond filling will come back together once you add the almond meal.
- Photo 11 & 12: Add the almond meal and slowly mix in to get a thick, coarse paste.
If the cream appears to be a bit greasy, it is usually an indication that the butter is too warm. You can chill the cream for up to 15 minutes before using in the tart crust to firm it up/ If chilling for longer, allow to soften at room temperature first to make it easier to spread.
3. Assembling the tart
- If needed, re-heat your oven on 160 degrees Celsius / 325 Fahrenheit.
- Photo 13: Spread the almond cream over the par-baked tart crust. You can use a piping bag or simply a spatula / back of a spoon. Spread the cream into an even layer using a small offset spatula.
- Photo 14: Sprinkle the flaked almond all over the frangipane cream.
- Bake the filled tart for about 30 to 40 minutes or until the almond sponge has puffed and set and the almonds on top look golden brown.
If the tart crust seems to be browning too quickly, it is usually an indication that your oven is running too hot. Lower the temperature and continue to bake.
- Rest on a wire rack to cool down completely before removing from the tart pan. Optionally, dust with icing sugar before serving.
Recipe FAQs
- Replace the Almond Meal with Hazelnut Meal for a deeper, earthier flavour.
- Add spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom or even ginger into the almond filling.
- Use jam under the almond cream to make a Bakewell Tart.
- Top the almond filling with strawberries, blueberries, raspberries or any of your favourite fruit before baking.
In traditional French Pastry, the two creams are different:
- Almond Cream is a type of sponge made from the same amount of butter, sugar, eggs and almond meal. It can be baked inside tarts, pastries like croissants or cakes.
- Frangipane Cream is made by combining almond cream and crème pâtissière. It is typically used in a "Galette des Rois" cake.
Desserts made with an almond cream filling are often called "frangipane", hence the confusion between the two.
- Frangipane is a sponge-like cream made from butter, sugar, eggs and ground almond. It needs to be baked.
- Almond Paste is a mixture made from ground almond and sugar. It is relatively coarse and low in sugar. It can be used as an ingredient or filling for cakes and pastries.
- Marzipan is also a sweet mixture made from ground almond and sugar but has a smoother texture and much sweeter taste than almond paste. It can be molded into specific shapes and served on its own or as a pastries filling.
The almond cream should have risen, be slightly spongy and have a nice golden colour. It's important to bake it at a lower temperature to avoid melting the butter too quickly, which would result in a soggy, greasy filling.
Tips & Troubleshooting
- For a perfectly evenly rolled pastry, use a rolling pin with thickness rings or some thickness strips.
- You will get the best results with your tart crust by properly resting and chilling it. This allows for both the butter to turn very cold and for the gluten created during the mixing process to relax completely. Make sure to chill the pastry twice. First for at least an hour before lining your tart pan. Then for a few hours - preferably overnight or 24 hours once the pastry is inside the tart pan.
- Use a perforated tart pan with removable bottom plate. This allows for the hot air to flow evenly around your pastry, baking it perfectly all around!
- If your almond cream mixture splits when you add the eggs, it is usually an indication that one of the ingredient's temperature was off. You want all the ingredients to have the same temperature (room temperature) to avoid melting the butter (the mixture will look greasy) or hardening it too quickly (you will see small chunks on butter than do not combine with the egg).
Storing & Freezing
The almond tart can be kept at room temperature for up to a day - or stored in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Although you will get the best results by serving it fresh, you can actually freeze this tart on a flat tray, well wrapped in a layer of plastic wrap and a layer of aluminiun foil.
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Recipe
French Almond Tart
Ingredients
Pâte Sucrée Crust
- 100 gr Unsalted Butter, at room temperature
- 50 gr Powdered Sugar, sifted
- 1 large Egg, at room temperature
- 40 gr Almond Meal, or almond flour
- 200 gr Plain / All-Purpose Flour
- 1 pinch Fine Table Salt
Almond Cream (Frangipane)
- 150 gr Unsalted Butter, at room temperature
- 150 gr Powdered Sugar, sifted
- 3 large Eggs, at room temperature
- 150 gr Almond Meal, or almond flour
- 50 gr Flaked Almonds
Instructions
Pâte Sucrée Crust
- Place the soft butter and sifted powdered sugar in a large bowl. With a mixer, cream on medium speed for2 to 3 of minutes or until completely smooth.
- Add the egg and almond meal and mix until well combined. Stop to scrape the side of the bowl when required. You should get a thick, slightly lumpy mixture.
- Add sifted flour and salt, and slowly mix until a rough dough comes together (see note 1). If you press the crumbs between your fingers, they should easily stick and combine into a smooth dough.
- Place the pastry between two sheets of baking paper / parchment paper and flatten it with your palm to get a thick disk.
- Roll the pastry to a thickness of about 4 mm or 1/6 inch (see note 2). Place the flat pastry on a large baking sheet and chill for at least 1 hour (or up to 24 hours). It should be very cold and hard.
- Remove the baking paper and transfer the dough over a 24 cm (9,5-inch) tart tin, preferably with a removable bottom. Gently press the pastry down into the corner of the tart tin to create a 90 degree angle. If it cracks, you can patch it up with your fingertips (see note 3).
- Cut off any excess dough with a small pairing knife. Place the tart pan in the fridge to chill and rest for at least 3 hour, preferably overnight (or for up to 24 hours).
- Preheat your oven on 160 degree Celsius / 325 degree Fahrenheit. Dock the pastry (prick the bottom of the pastry with a fork) then place in the freezer while the oven is preheating (about 15 minutes).
- Par-bake for 16 to 18 minutes or until the bottom feels dry to the touch (see note 4). Place on a wire rack and leave to cool down completely.
Almond Cream (Frangipane)
- Place the very soft butter and sugar in a large size bowl. With a mixer, cream on medium speed for about 3 to 5 minutes or until very soft, creamy and almost doubled in volume.
- Add the eggs one at the time, slowly mixing it into the butter until fully incorporated (see note 5).
- Add the almond meal and slowly mix in to get a thick, coarse paste (see note 6).
Assembling the tart
- If needed, re-heat your oven on 160 degrees Celsius / 325 Fahrenheit.
- Transfer the almond cream over the par-baked tart crust. You can use a piping bag or simply a spatula / back of a spoon. With a small offset spatula, spread the cream into an even layer.
- Sprinkle the flaked almond all over the almond cream.
- Bake the filled tart for about 30 to 40 minutes or until the almond sponge has puffed and set and the almonds on top look golden brown.
- Rest on a wire rack to cool down completely before removing from the tart pan. Optionally, dust with icing sugar before serving.
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Notes
- Make sure not to over-mix the pastry to avoid creating too much gluten, which will make your dough pull and shrink when rolled. Traditionally, a technique called "fraisage" (or "frasage") is done after the addition of flour. The tart dough is placed on your working surface. With the palm of the hand, the dough is gently pressed and pushed out, picked back up and spread out again until very smooth.
- For the best results, use a rolling pin with thickness rings or thickness strips to get an evenly rolled pastry.
- If the pastry is too cold and hard to be handled, leave it for a few minutes at room temperature to soften. If it gets too soft, place back in the fridge for a few minutes.
- I do not use any weight to par-bake the pastry. If it has been properly chilled and rested, it should not move in the oven. You actually want to avoid covering the bottom so it can dry out as much as possible before adding the filling.
- The mixture often starts to split at this point. This can happen if your butter was too cold or your eggs were too cold or warm. Don't worry if this happens, the almond filling will come back together once you add the almond meal.
- If the cream appears to be a bit greasy, it is usually an indication that the butter is too warm. You can chill the cream for up to 15 minutes before using in the tart crust to firm it up/ If chilling for longer, allow to soften at room temperature first to make it easier to spread.
Nutrition (per serving)
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