Plum Frangipane Tart with Almond Cream and Jam Glaze

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Plum frangipane tart is a crisp butter crust filled with almond cream and topped with halved plums, baked at 180 C / 350 F for 35 minutes after a 25-minute blind bake. It takes about 3 hours start to finish, but most of that is chilling and cooling. Active work comes to about 30 minutes.

I pick plums that give slightly under thumb pressure. Dead-ripe fruit leaks juice into the frangipane and leaves a damp stripe in the center, so save the soft ones for jam.

The dough keeps in the fridge for 2 days, so you can split the work across an evening and a morning. The tart is best the day it’s baked, still faintly warm, with a spoon of crème fraîche.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Comes together in about 30 minutes of active work
• Dough keeps 2 days in the fridge or 1 month frozen
• Crisp shell, soft almond cream, and jammy plums in each slice
• Freezes by the slice and reheats in 10 minutes

Ingredient Notes

• almond flour: Blanched almond flour gives the palest, smoothest filling. Almond meal or ground hazelnuts swap in at the same weight and give a coarser, toastier crumb.
• plums: Choose small, firm-ripe Italian or red plums that hold their shape in the oven. Apricots, nectarines, or ripe pears work with the same method, and pears can go in 5 minutes longer.
• unsalted butter: Use unsalted so you control the salt. Cold butter goes in the crust, and softened butter at about 20 C / 68 F goes in the frangipane.
• apricot jam: Apricot jam sets clear and doesn’t compete with the plums. Plum or peach jam works, but strain out any large fruit pieces so the glaze brushes on smoothly.
• almond extract: A quarter teaspoon adds a marzipan note and is optional. Leave it out and use a full teaspoon of vanilla if you’d rather keep the flavor mild.

Plum Frangipane Tart with Almond Cream and Jam Glaze

A 24 cm almond frangipane tart with halved plums and an apricot glaze, baked at 180 C / 350 F. Allow about 3 hours including chilling and cooling.

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Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr

Total Time 3 hours hrs

Servings: 8 servings

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: French

Calories: 437

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

Crust

• 190 g all-purpose flour
• 40 g powdered sugar
• 1/4 tsp fine salt
• 90 g unsalted butter cold, cubed
• 1 egg yolk large
• 2 tbsp ice water (30 ml)

Frangipane

• 100 g unsalted butter softened
• 100 g granulated sugar
• 2 eggs large; room temperature
• 100 g almond flour
• 1 tbsp all-purpose flour (8 g)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp almond extract optional
• 1/4 tsp fine salt

Topping

• 450 g firm-ripe plums (5 to 6 small); halved and pitted
• 2 tbsp sliced almonds (20 g)
• 2 tbsp apricot jam (40 g)
• 1 tsp water

Method

 

Make and chill the crust

1. Pulse the flour, powdered sugar, salt, and cold butter in a food processor 10 to 12 times, until the mixture looks like coarse sand with a few pea-size bits. Add the egg yolk and ice water and pulse until the dough clumps when pinched. Press it into a disk, wrap it, and chill for 45 minutes.
2. Heat the oven to 180 C / 350 F. Roll the dough on a floured surface to 3 mm thick, about a 30 cm round. Lift it into a 24 cm / 9.5-inch tart pan with a removable bottom, press it into the corners, trim the overhang, and prick the base with a fork. Freeze the lined pan for 15 minutes.
3. Line the shell with parchment, fill it with pie weights, and set the pan on a 33 x 46 cm / 13 x 18 inch baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes, then lift out the parchment and weights and bake 5 minutes more, until the base looks dry and pale gold. Leave the oven on.

Fill the tart

1. While the shell cools slightly, beat the softened butter and sugar in a 3-quart / 2.8 L bowl with a hand mixer for 2 to 3 minutes, until pale and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Stir in the almond flour, 1 tbsp flour, vanilla, almond extract, and salt until smooth.
2. Pat the cut sides of the plum halves dry with a paper towel. Spread the frangipane into the shell in an even layer about 1.5 cm thick. Press the plums in cut side up, about a third of the way down, and scatter the sliced almonds over the top.

Bake, glaze, and cool

1. Bake on the baking sheet at 180 C / 350 F for 35 minutes, until the filling is deep golden, puffed around the plums, and springs back when pressed gently. A skewer inserted in the frangipane should come out clean.
2. Warm the jam and water in a microwave-safe bowl for 20 to 30 seconds, until pourable, then brush it over the hot tart. Cool the tart in the pan for 30 minutes, then push the base up to release it. Serve just warm or at room temperature.

Notes

• Chill the dough for a full 45 minutes so the crust bakes up crisp and doesn't shrink.
• Use a tart pan with a removable bottom so the finished tart unmolds cleanly.
• Set the tart pan on a baking sheet to catch any butter and make it easy to move.
• Press the plums only a third of the way into the filling so they stay visible after baking.

Tips for Success

• Freeze the lined tart pan for 15 minutes before baking so the sides hold their shape and don’t slump during blind baking.
• Beat the butter and sugar for a full 2 to 3 minutes until pale, then add the eggs one at a time so the batter stays smooth.
• Pat the cut sides of the plums with a paper towel before pressing them in, which keeps juice out of the filling.
• Spread the frangipane to an even 1.5 cm layer with an offset spatula so the center bakes at the same rate as the edges.
• Brush the apricot glaze on while the tart is still hot so it melts into a thin, even shine.

Variations

• Swap the plums for halved apricots or sliced nectarines, and keep the baking time at 35 minutes.
• Replace the almond flour with ground hazelnuts and add 1 tsp finely grated orange zest to the frangipane.
• Bake in 10 cm / 4-inch tartlet pans with one plum half each, and start checking for doneness at 20 minutes.

Storage and Reheating

Plum frangipane tart keeps at room temperature, loosely covered, for up to 8 hours after baking. After that, store it in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. The crust softens a little in the cold.

To reheat, set slices on a baking sheet and warm them in a 150 C / 300 F oven for 10 minutes, until the crust crisps and the filling is just warm. The microwave softens the crust, so I use the oven.

For make-ahead, wrap the dough disk and refrigerate it for 2 days or freeze it for 1 month. You can also freeze the baked tart in individually wrapped slices for up to 1 month. Thaw overnight in the fridge, then warm as above.

Serving Suggestions

Serve plum frangipane tart just warm or at room temperature, with a spoonful of crème fraîche, vanilla ice cream, or plain Greek yogurt. The tang balances the sweet almond filling and the jammy fruit.

Cut it into 8 wedges with a sharp knife, wiping the blade between slices so the glaze stays clean. A pot of black tea, strong coffee, or a chilled late-harvest Riesling suits it well.

FAQ

Why is the center of my plum frangipane tart wet or gummy?

Juicy plums or an underbaked center are the usual causes. Pat the cut sides dry, choose plums that hold their shape under a thumb, and bake the full 35 minutes until the middle springs back and a skewer comes out clean. A tart pulled too soon sets up gummy once it cools.

Can I use ground hazelnuts or almond meal instead of almond flour in frangipane?

Yes, swap either one in at the same 100 g. Almond meal, which includes the skins, gives a coarser and slightly darker crumb, while ground hazelnuts taste toastier and pair well with plums. Keep the quarter teaspoon of almond extract either way if you like a marzipan note.

Can I freeze plum frangipane tart, and how do I thaw it?

Yes, the baked tart freezes for up to 1 month. Wrap slices individually in plastic and foil, thaw them overnight in the fridge, then warm on a baking sheet at 150 C / 300 F for 10 minutes. The crust crisps back up, though the plums soften a little.

What do I serve with plum frangipane tart besides whipped cream?

Crème fraîche is my pick because its tang cuts through the sweet almond filling and the jammy plums. Vanilla ice cream and plain Greek yogurt both work too. A spoonful is enough, since the frangipane is already rich. For a drink, try black tea, strong coffee, or a chilled late-harvest Riesling.

Is plum frangipane tart gluten free?

No, the crust uses 190 g of all-purpose flour, and the filling has 1 tbsp more. For a gluten-free version, use a 1:1 gluten-free baking blend in the crust and replace the tablespoon in the filling with extra almond flour. Roll the dough between two sheets of parchment because it cracks more easily.

What is the difference between a frangipane tart and a Bakewell tart?

A Bakewell tart has a layer of jam under an almond sponge filling and is often topped with icing or flaked almonds. A plum frangipane tart skips the jam layer, and fresh fruit is pressed into the almond cream before baking. Here, jam appears only as a thin glaze on top.

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