...
Go Back

Golden Pinenut Frangipane Tart

This Golden Pinenut Frangipane Tart is a classic European dessert featuring a crisp, buttery shortcrust pastry filled with a rich almond frangipane, juicy Orangecello-soaked sultanas, sweet baby mandarins, and vibrant glacé cherries. Finished with a generous layer of toasted pine nuts and a light dusting of icing sugar, every slice delivers a delicious balance of buttery pastry, moist almond filling, fresh citrus, and delicate nutty crunch.
Drawing on traditional techniques I first learned during my apprenticeship, this recipe explains not only how to make the tart but also the food science behind each ingredient and method. You'll discover why resting the pastry reduces shrinkage, how emulsification creates a tender frangipane, and why soaking the fruit helps maintain a beautifully moist filling.
Perfect for afternoon tea, festive celebrations, or special occasions, this elegant tart is timeless, impressive, and ideal for bakers wanting to master a traditional recipe with confidence.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 1 hour
Cook Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 15 minutes
Servings: 8 people
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Baking
Ingredients Equipment Method Video Notes

Ingredients
  

Filling
  • 60 g Sultana
  • 60 g Orangecello
  • 120 g Butter cubed and left out of the fridge (note 1)
  • 100 g Icing sugar
  • 100 g Almond meal
  • 1 Egg
  • 75 g Baby mandarins or Clementines Seeds removed
  • 100 g Glace cherries roughly chopped
  • 1 Orange Rinded
  • 120 g Pinenut
Base
  • 500 g Plain Flour
  • 2 g Pinch salt
  • 250 g Unsalted Butter cubed (Note 1)
  • 325 g Castor sugar
  • 1 Egg 70g (Note 2)
  • 1 Egg yolk 70g egg (Note 2)
  • 40 g Cold water approx
Jam
  • 150 g Fig jam
Icing Sugar
  • 50 g Icing sugar
Oil
  • Oil for the tin

Equipment

  • 1 22cm Deep Tart tin with a removeable base
  • 1 Oven
  • 1 refrigerator
  • 1 Olive oil Brush
  • 1 Stand Mixer
  • 1 Stand Mixer with Flat Beater
  • 1 Rolling Pin
  • 1 small knife
  • 1 Medium Knife For chopping
  • 1 Chopping Board 1
  • 1 Flour Sieve
  • 2 Medium bowls
  • 1 Small bowl
  • 1 fork
  • 1 citrus zester
  • 1 Bowl scraper
  • 1 Spoon
  • 1 step palette knife

Method
 

  1. Heat the oven 175C
Base
  1. Sift the flour and salt and add to a stand mixer with a flat beater
  2. Add the butter and rub in to make breadcrumbs
  3. Blend in the sugar and egg and yolk and mix on a low speed
  4. Add 40ml of cold water just to bring the pastry together until it becomes a ball.
  5. The pastry should be cold and firm still
  6. Block into a square and cover and rest in the fridge for 30 mins
  7. Lightly dust the bench and roll out the pastry 4mm thick
  8. Lightly oil your 22cm deep fluted tin with a removeable base and line the tin
  9. Try not to stretch the pastry and use your thumb and press the sides and base
  10. Cut the pastry along the flutes and dock the base with a fork
  11. Rest the base in the fridge for 30 mins to ensure the butter is cold before baking
  12. Bake until lightly golden
Filling
  1. Rind the orange
  2. Peel and cut the mandarin
  3. Roughly chop the cherries
  4. Soak the sultanas in orangecello. (Note 3)
    60 g Sultana
  5. Combine the butter and icing sugar in a stand mixer with a flat beat and combine until smooth with the almond meal
  6. Add in the eggs and mix in but don’t cream
  7. Fold in the mandarins, cherries and orange rind
  8. Add in the sultanas and soaking liquid and combine
  9. Add a thin layer of fig jam to the base before adding the filling
  10. Pour the filling into the shell and sprinkle with pine nuts
  11. Press the pine nuts into the filling
  12. Bake until golden 15-20mins. If the base and top is catching and getting toot brown cover the foil.
  13. Cool completely before taking out of the tin and dust with icing sugar

Video

Notes

1-Cut butter  into small cubes and leave out the night to soften if possible or microwave 10 seconds at a time until finger soft (do not melt)
2.For the most consistent results, use 70g eggs (without the shell) throughout this recipe, including the additional egg yolk. Egg sizes vary considerably, and using weighed eggs ensures the correct balance of moisture, fat, protein, and emulsification. This produces a smooth frangipane, a tender shortcrust pastry, and reliable results every time.
3.Soak the sultanas in the Orangecello for 20–30 minutes before preparing the filling. This allows the fruit to fully absorb the liqueur, becoming plump and juicy before it is folded into the frangipane. The remaining soaking liquid is then added to the filling, infusing it with a delicate citrus flavour without making it overly wet. If the sultanas are not soaked first, they absorb liquid from the frangipane during baking, which can leave the filling drier and affect its final texture.
 
Seraphinite AcceleratorOptimized by Seraphinite Accelerator
Turns on site high speed to be attractive for people and search engines.