Raspberry Frangipane Tart

Today I am sharing with you my very best Raspberry Frangipane Tart recipe! What makes this tartlet extra delicate and delicious is the various layers contrasting each other: Pâte Sablée (sweet shortcrust) filled with an incredible delicious, easy almond cream (frangipane) and raspberries! After baking, the tartlet is decorated with creamy, dreamy raspberry rosewater mousse domes covered with velvet spray and a super easy rosewater whipped ganache piping as well as some fresh raspberries.

This Raspberry Frangipane Tart is fruity and nutty at the same time, creamy, buttery, extremely delicious! It is also surprisingly easy to make, yet one of those decorative desserts you can impress everyone with! The tart can be made in one large tart ring or in smaller, individual tart rings too!

What is a tart?

A tart is a freestanding, shallow open-faced pastry often baked in a tart ring with fluted or straight sides. Smaller tarts are referred to as tartlets. Lemon tart, fruit tart, chocolate tart, frangipane tart, coffee tart, caramel tart…you name it! Tarts and tartlets are one of the most popular pastries all around the world!

Making Pâte Sablée, sweet shortcrust tart shell is one of the baking basics worth mastering for every home baker! An useful and beautiful baking skill that can turn any desserts into professional looking pastries that will impress everyone!

Make sure you check out my Ultimate Pâte Sablée Guide that explains everything about how to make sweet shortcrust including ingredients, technique, equipment and even more.

What is frangipane?

Frangipane sounds a lot fancier than it is, in practise it is a creamy, almost custardy filling that is commonly used to fill tarts, galettes, and puff pastries. It has a super delicious nutty flavour, only lightly sweet and often paired with fruits like pear, raspberry, fig etc. Frangipane is often made with almond mixed with a couple of other simple ingredients like butter, sugar and small amount flour. You can also make frangipane using other nuts eg. walnut, hazelnut etc.

My Top 5 Baking Tips for home bakers

1. Read the recipe carefully including my tips and recommendations on how to avoid and fix typical issues during baking this Raspberry Frangipane Tart. A short recipe alone not able to call out all the details that you need to pay attention to while baking therefore most of my recipes contain important information about ingredients and technique
2. Avoid using substitutes and changing the recipe unless you are aware of how to fully reformulate the recipe in order to keep the balance in texture as well as flavour. In general, replacing egg, using gluten-free flour, skipping certain ingredients etc. will all have an impact on your Raspberry Frangipane Tart and sadly I am not able to provide substitutes for all sort of allergies and dietary requirements
3. For consistent, happy baking experience always measure your ingredients with the help of a Digital scale. Cup measurement is provided as an indicative figure only and might be used for less complex and large batch recipes however it is not an appropriate method if you want consistent results
4. Did you know that most home ovens can significantly under or oven run? Also, oven temperature hugely drops when opening the oven door therefore it is recommended to always pre-heat the oven above the required baking temperature.
5. Temperature is so important when it comes to baking and accurate oven temperature is key, can make or break any recipe. Make sure you invest into an inexpensive Digital oven thermometer to avoid under baked, burnt, sad looking desserts

Some important notes regarding the INGREDIENTS of this Raspberry Frangipane Tart recipe

For the Pâte Sablée, sweet shortcrust

1. Flour: I am using pastry flour for this Raspberry Frangipane Tart recipe, feel free to use AP if can’t find pastry flour in your local supermarket. If you want to be a Pro when it comes to deciding what type of flour to use in your baking, please read my article in here
2. Almond: Some Pâte Sablée recipes contain almond, some don’t, I prefer mine with some almond flour in it from taste and texture point of view. It is worth to buy good quality ground almond, without skin. In theory, almond can be (partly) replaced with hazelnut, walnut, pistachio flour too however since this is an Almond Frangipane tart I suggest you use almond in the shortcrust as well
3. Sugar: This sweet pastry dough is made with a small amount of icing sugar that makes the tart case sweet but not overly sweet. If you want to learn about the different types of sugar and how to use them in baking, please read my article in here
4. Salt: An essential ingredient in most of the dessert recipes. Balances flavour and enhances other ingredients. This is a sweet tart dough and I just love that extra very mild salty kick at the end
5. Butter: Use always unsalted as you want to be in control of the quantity of the salt. I am using 82% fat content butter in all my recipes. While in most of the recipes butter needs to be on room temperature, this is an exception and you have to take it very seriously. Butter needs to be chilled, which means take the butter out of the fridge, cut into cubes then place it into the freezer for 10-15 minutes before using it.
6. Egg: Room temperature as always. Egg can´t be left out or replaced unless you have the knowledge to totally reformulate the recipe

As you can making the tart itself for this Raspberry Frangipane Tart is a super simple in terms of the ingredients. The secret behind making beautiful, neat and delicious tart crust is all about mastering the technique, understanding how temperature plays in role while working with the dough and using the right equipment that I will be all explaining further down in this recipe. In my recipe below I cover all the necessary details you need to know to master making professional looking tartlets!

For the frangipane (almond cream) filling

1. Sugar: Simple white granulated sugar is used to make this almond filling
2. Butter: Since butter will need to be creamed with sugar, use it on room temperature. Unsalted, as always
3. Egg: Whole egg will be used in this recipe, it needs to be on room temperature just like the rest of the ingredients
4. Vanilla bean paste: We want some real vanilla flavour in this almond cream! Please please avoid using artificial vanilla. There are several great brands for fine, pure vanilla, I use Nielsen massey which I love and really recommend. I use vanilla bean paste instead of vanilla extract which has lovely vanilla bits in there too
5. Almond: As per above, use good quality grind almond without skin
6. Flour: You will need a very small amount of flour to make this almond cream, AP works totally fine
7. Salt: You can’t leave this out! Salt enhances the flavour and brings the taste of this almond cream to a whole new level

For the raspberry mousse

1. Raspberry puree: Fresh or frozen both works. I hand blend it into puree and pour it through a sieve to get rid of seeds. Raspberry will give a beautiful natural colour and flavour to the mousse
2. White chocolate: This raspberry mousse is a white chocolate based mousse. Since white chocolate has a close to neutral flavour and colour, it can be made into all sorts of mousse and ganache: raspberry, mango, coffee etc. The mousse will be as delicious as the quality of the white chocolate you are using so always try to use the highest quality you can access. I am using Callebaut WhiteChocolate (callets)
3. Cream: Also known as whipping cream or heavy cream, has a fat content between 36% and 40%, the one I am using is 36%. Avoid substitutes like vegetable based “whipping cream”
4. Gelatin: It´s an odorless, tasteless and colorless thickening agent, very often used in pastries particularly in mousse cakes. Powder or sheet versions are available, in my recipes I always use sheet (1,7 g / sheet), which I found easier to handle however you can substitute 1 sheet with 1,7g powder gelatin. Simple soak the gelatin sheet into cold water for a few minutes before you need them and use it according to the recipe. Please note that gelatin is derived from collagen taken from animal body parts therefore not suitable for vegetarians. Agar agar can be a good substitution for vegetarians however replacing gelatin with agar agar is not 1:1 and can only be done by reformulating the recipe slightly
5. Rosewater (optional): Please note that there is a huge different between pure rosewater, pure rose essence and all the other fake ones. Make sure to only use 100% natural pure rose products for your health and also for your desserts´ taste. There is also a difference between rosewater and rose essence. Rosewater is sold in a larger bottle usually and you have to use more of that vs. rose essence. I am using rose water in this recipe however if you have rose essence at home, that is a much more concentrated product, you only need to use a tiny amount of that to achieve the same taste. Rosewater is rather a love it or hate it flavour, so feel free to skip it if you don´t like it or adjust the quantity to add more or less according to your liking. If you haven´t tried it before, I really recommend start using it in desserts, it pairs amazing with raspberry, white chocolate, lemon, orange, lichi etc.
6. Velvet spray: You can of course make your own cocoa butter if you own a spraying machine, however the one I am using is a ready made spray from a brand called Silikomart that is perfect for homebakers. Alternatively, you can substitute it with a natural glaze or mirror glaze or even leave it without glazing, the raspberry will give the mousse a pretty pinkish natural colour. I got mine from a Swedish Baking supply online store called Soders Gourmet

For the whipped mascarpone

1. Mascarpone: Very rich Italian cream cheese, exceptionally smooth and easily to spread or whip. The flavor is milky and slightly sweet.  Use at room temperature.
2. Cream: As per above, use real cream that has high fat content (36%) and for the whipped mascarpone it has to be very cold
3. Icing sugar: As per above
4. Rosewater (optional): As per above

6 Baking tips regarding the TECHNIQUE of making this Raspberry Frangipane Tart recipe

As mentioned above this Raspberry Frangipane tart is a step by step but relatively easy recipe with impressive results however there are a couple of tips I want to share with you so your dessert will turn out exactly like mines. First and foremost please make sure you check out my Pâte Sablée tutorial where I share plenty of important information you need to know about how to make sweet short pastry.

1. The importance of temperature while making Pâte Sablée, sweet shortbread tart shells

When I started experimenting with baking, I had several disastrous attempts making tart shell. Now I understand that the one and only reason I failed was me being inpatient and forcing the dough even when its temperature was inappropriate. Temperature is even more important when it comes to making large tartlet shells so please continue reading.

Baking is science and in general temperature is one of the most important factors to understand AND utilise for our benefit. When I say temperature I don’t purely mean baking temperature but also the environment we work e.g kitchen temperature as well as the dough temperature.

While making sweet shortbread, like this Raspberry Frangipane tart, temperature is everything! If the dough is too hot, it’s sticky and can’t be rolled out or shaped. If too cold, it will easily break. The entire process is a balancing exercise between keeping the dough cold enough but not too cold.

To give you a concrete example, in a home kitchen environment on a warmer day this practically means taking the sweet shortbread dough in and out of the freezer about 15 times in between steps to ensure the dough is always on the right temperature to work with. If you are lucky and have a cold kitchen, you might be ok with 2-5 chilling breaks. Yes, not just to chill the dough once or twice but to be in control of the dough temperature all the time! Obviously in professional kitchens temperature as well as humidity is under control and the rolling process is done by a laminator machine, however in home environment this is something we have to be super careful with.

2. What equipment is needed to make sweet shortcrust for this Raspberry Frangipane tart

You can only achieve neat, visually appealing, even golden colour tart crust by using professional baking equipment. Luckily these are available to purchase on Amazon not just for professionals but also for home bakers. If you want to make beautiful, patisserie style tarts it’s worth to invest into a perforated baking mat, a couple of perforated tart rings and a silicon mat.

Silicone baking mat

I recommend using 2 Silicone baking mat for rolling the sweet shortbread dough out in between them. The recipe is designed in a way that you do not need to add extra flour while rolling the dough however it might stick to your kitchen counter so use silicone baking mat. It’s also possible to use 2 sheets parchment paper however the silicone mat provides a much neater, smooth surface. It can be washed and then used all the time so overall worth the investment. I am using the “Amazon basics” cheapest version so no need to buy anything expensive.

While rolling, start from the center of the disc and work your way out in all directions. Again remember, temperature is very important. If the dough is too cold, you won´t be able to roll it out. If too warm, it will be difficult to handle and will even stick to the silicone baking mat.

Perforated baking “air” mat

The air mat is perfect for baking tart crust, éclairs or even cookies. Thanks to the holes in the mat, the heat spreads evenly throughout mats’ surface guaranteeing a perfect and even baking without blind baking. The dough won´t puff up while baking the tarts and will be super neat and even, no need to blind bake ever again!

While baking the tart shells, use the Perforated “air” baking mat straight on top of the oven rack (so not in a baking pan) so that the air can circulate properly. I have been using this Perforated “air” baking mat for more than a year now from a brand called Silikomart and loving it.

Perforated tart ring

The Perforated tart ring (9inch / 23cm) is non-stick and stainless, it allows homogeneous baking due to the even air circulation. It’s a a genius solution, isn’t it? Silikomart (and some other quality brands) offering the rings in various shapes and sizes, I am using the larger one for this tart that is 9inch / 23 cm however you can use the smaller ones too and make individual smaller tartlets.

Please note that no need to grease the tart ring, the dough will stick to its side providing a very neat looking beautiful tart shell.

I cannot recommend these equipment mention above enough, they are really one of those tools you have to invest in once and then will change your baking experience forever!

3. Process of making sweet shortcrust pastry

Now that we covered the most important factors you have to bear in mind while making Pâte Sablée, let´s see how exactly to make sweet shortcrust for this Strawberry Cream tart

• Make sure all ingredients are measured with Digital scale and prepare all the tools ahead:Rolling pin, Silicone baking mat, Perforated “air” baking mat, Perforated tart ring (9inch / 23cm)
• Place the measured butter cubes into the freezer for 5-10 minutes
• Sift together dry ingredients; flour, icing sugar, almond, salt, mix so they are combined properly
• Add very cold butter cubes to dry ingredients and rub the mixture between your hands until it becomes a sand like consistency. This will take about 3 minutes, make sure you do not spend too much time with this step as butter can easily warm up and that is something we want to avoid
• Add egg into the mixture and mix with your hands just until the dough comes together. First it might look crumbly but do not add more wet or dry ingredients to the recipe instead gently knead the dough with the palm of your hand for a minute or two (do not over knead and do not use mixer) just until the dough becomes smooth
• If the dough is too warm and sticky, place it into the fridge for 10-15 minutes first. Otherwise continue with rolling the dough out into 2mm thickness between two Silicone baking mat. The recipe quantity is designed in a way that once you roll the dough out it will reach the silicone baking mat from edge to edge
• Place the dough into the freezer for 10-15 min in between the two Silicone baking mat. Do not remove the mat at this point as the dough might stick to the mat while it is warm and it would break the dough
• Take the dough sheet out of the freezer, remove the top of the silicone mat, and using the Perforated tart ring (9inch / 23cm) itself cut the bottom of your tart crust. Please note that the dough should not be totally frozen at this point, more like half frozen so you can still cut out the circle. Trim the edges (leftover dough) – this will be the side of your tart
• Move the bottom of the tart back to the freezer for 30 min until it is completely frozen. Since the dough circle is rather large it is important that you fully freeze it otherwise you won’t be able to move it from the Silicone baking mat to the Perforated “air” baking mat into the Perforated tart ring (9inch / 23cm)
• In the meantime make a sausage shape out of the trimmed leftover dough and roll it into a 2mm thickness – this will be the side of the tart. If necessary, put the dough back to the freezer for a few minutes to chill, do not force it if it is too warm and sticky
• Once the bottom of the tart is completely frozen, carefully remove it from the Silicone baking mat to the Perforated “air” baking mat and place it into your Perforated tart ring (9inch / 23cm)
• Cut 2 stripes out of the long dough, this will be the side of the tart
• Carefully place the stripes into the ring one by one. Press each stripe onto the side of the rings so it sticks to it, also carefully stick them together. Again, make sure you work with a dough that is cold enough but not frozen as that would make impossible to place it into the tart ring without breaking it. Try to work as neatly as possible with a dough that is always on the right temperature
• Now place the Perforated tart ring (9inch / 23cm) with the pastry dough in it into the freezer for 1 hour
• Pre-heat oven to 160C / 320F
• After 1 hour take the pastry out and trim the top with a sharp knife
• Pre-Bake for 15 min

Please note that the quantity stated in the recipe can make one 9 inch / 23cm tart or if using the smaller 88mm individual tart rings, this will make 8 tartlets.

4. How to make frangipane filling

Frangipane tart sounds super fancy however frangipane is basically an almond based cream used in various pastries. Enhanced with just a hint of vanilla bean, frangipane is a velvety almond cream that adds delicious richness and texture to desserts. The cream, which has a nutty, sweet taste and usually paired with seasonal fruits like raspberry, pear, peach or fig.

You will need to pre-bake your shortcrust pastry cases and can prepare the frangipane filling in the meantime super easily and quickly:

1. Cream room temp unsalted butter and sugar until fluffy – this will take about 5 minute with an eclectic hand mixer
2. Mix in egg just until combined
3. Mix in vanilla bean paste
4. Mix in grind almond, flour and salt and fold until combined
5. It is a good idea to let this mixture sit for a few minutes in the fridge and then fill a piping bag with the mixture so that when the tart case is half baked, you can easily pipe the almond filling into the tart shell

The quantity of the filling is exactly how much you need to fill one 9inch / 23cm tart. It might not look enough but the frangipane cream tend to puff up during baking.

5. How to bake this Raspberry Frangipane Tart

You will need to pre-bake the tart ring for 15 minutes, by that time the tart shell is almost baked, nice and crispy.

• After baking the tart case for 15 minutes, remove it from the oven and pipe almond cream on top. Smooth the top with offset spatula. You might find that the warm tart case starts to melt the butter in the frangipane but don’t worry, work as quickly as possible, it will be fine
• Place raspberries into the almond cream all around
• Pop the tarts back to the oven and bake for further 20 minutes
• Take tart out of the oven and carefully remove the ring then bake for another 10 min without the ring so it will get even golden brown on the side as well. The ring should come off at this point very easily due to pastry will somewhat contracts when baked
• Once baked, let it cool on the Perforated “air” baking mat before proceeding with decoration on top

Please note that the 15+20+10=45min baking time works in my oven on mid/low rack and provides perfect even baking. You have to experiment with your own oven, and I suggest to focus on the end result as opposed to time. What we are looking for at the end of the baking time is top as well as side of the tart golden brown, and bottom of the tart (check the middle part) is well baked, not raw.

6. How to make raspberry mousse

There are several ways to make raspberry mousse, most common ways are either white chocolate or yogurt based. This recipe is using white chocolate and heavy cream that makes the mousse super rich, creamy, silky yet very well balanced in sweetness with full of natural raspberry flavour.

• Soak gelatin sheet into cold water
• Semi melt white chocolate in the microwave
• Make the raspberry puree using either frozen or fresh raspberry then run it through a sieve to get rid of seeds
• Heat raspberry puree until simmering, mix in gelatin sheet and pour it over semi melted white chocolate. Mix until combined. Let it come to room temp (do not place it into the fridge as it might harden too much there)
• Whip very cold heavy cream until soft peaks. Do not over whip the cream as soft peak is the ideal texture to mix it then with raspberry puree & white chocolate
• Fold whipped cream into raspberry & white chocolate cream carefully making sure you do not deflate the mixture
• Pipe or spoon mousse into Silikomart 15 Semi sphere mould
• Place the mould into the freezer for minimum 6 hours or overnight is even better. The mousse should get totally frozen to be able to use velvet spray on top

Please note that the recipe makes 15 semi spheres however at the end I used only 9. Feel free to make less mousse or use more on the tart according to your liking.

7. How to use Silikomart Velvet spray

First of all what is Velvet sray?

Velvet Texture Sprays make it possible to apply a velvety texture to frozen desserts and cakes. Coloured cocoa butter in a handy spray can! Velvet spray is one of the most amazing kitchen hacks available for homebakers who strive for professional looking pastries without too much hassle.

How to use Velvet spray?

There is one very important rule you have to follow while working with Velvet spray, and it is – as usual – related with temperature; make sure the product you spray is fully frozen! You simply can’t spray not frozen mousses or cream, it will make a mess and you won’t get the velvety effect.

So take out the Silikomart 15 Semi sphere mould from the freezer, pop the raspberry mousses out one by one onto a plate and spray them with Velvet spray while they are totally frozen. Make sure you spray them all around from different angles. Use them immediate according to instructions later at “How to assemble this Raspberry Frangipane Tart”.

Further Instructions from Silikomart website: shake well before using. Spray the product on the surface to be treated from a distance of about 25/30 cm – 9,84/11,81’’. Pressurized container: protect from sunlight and do not expose to temperatures exceeding 50°C/122°F. Do not pierce or burn, even after use. Do not spray on flames or any incandescent material. Keep away from sources of combustion. Do not smoke. Keep away from children. Keep in a cool place. If the spray nozzle gets plugged up, put the spray bottle under warm water.

8. How to make whipped mascarpone

Whipped mascarpone is a super simple frosting that consist of heavy cream, mascarpone and a small amount of icing sugar whipped until fluffy, pipeable consistency. It is creamy, milky, a super stable frosting and way more delicious and less sweet than butter cream!

Using the right ingredients on the right temperature is extremely important while making whipped mascarpone.

1. mascarpone has to be cold, use the full fat version (41%+) 2. heavy cream needs to be very cold (pop it into the freezer for a few minutes before using it) and again, full fat version so anywhere between 36-40% 3. icing sugar has to be sifted to avoid lumps 4. do not over whip the mixture

Basically you will have to whip the mixture with an electric hand mixer for a minute or two until it reaches a creamy, fluffy consistency then stop. It won´t get more stiff after this point, in fact if you over beat it, it will get only runnier then it will break. I don´t use my standmixer to whip this frosting since it is really easy to over whip it.

Once you are happy with the consistency, add rosewater (optional) and fold a few times then move frosting into a piping bag fitted with your favourite nozzle tip, the one I am using a is small French star tip here.

9. How to assemble this Raspberry Frangipane tart

Once you have all the elements ready, assembling this tartlet is a step by step process but actually not that hard. Make sure that

• The tartlet is room temp or chilled, definitely not warm
• The raspberry mousse domes are completely frozen
• Arrange your velvet spray at hand
• The mascarpone whipped ganache is ready in a piping bag fitted with a nozzle tip
• Prepare and wash a few fresh raspberries and a small amount of icing sugar to dip the raspberries into
• Prepare a few green herb to decorate eg. mint, basil or edible flower

The assembling process of this Raspberry Frangipane tart is the following

1. Place room temp tartlet onto a serving tray
2. Take raspberry mousse semi spheres out of the freezer, spray them with velvet spray as per instruction above at Tip 7
3. With the help of an offset spatula carefully place 9 raspberry mousse on top of the tartlet. You must place the mousse on top while it is frozen! You can go with less or more of course according to your liking
4. Start piping whipped ganache around the raspberry mousse semi spheres then every now and then place a raspberry onto the tart that are first carefully dipped into icing sugar
5. Continue with piping + raspberries until the entire top part of the tart is covered
6. Place a few greens on top eg. mint and rose petals

Now your Raspberry Frangipane tart is ready, enjoy! The raspberry mousse should get defrosted before serving the tart – it will take an hour or two – otherwise it can be served straight away. Store in fridge.

Some more Tart recipe ideas to try

Creamy Raspberry tart – This Raspberry tart recipe is an ideal balance between buttery, melt in your mouth shortcrust pastry and silky raspberry ganache with full of natural raspberry flavour. One of the easiest most delicious tartlets ever! Recipe in here

Triple Hazelnut nut with gold chocolate disk decoration – This Triple hazelnut tart recipe is a dream for hazelnut lovers but what makes it even more special is the gold chocolate disk decoration melted on top! Contrasting layers of melt in your mouth hazelnut Pâte Sablée tartlet shell, silky hazelnut ganache, crunchy hazelnut .. a super complex dessert experience that is much easier to make than it might look, try it! Recipe in here

Strawberry Pistachio tart – This Strawberry Pistachio tart consist of Pâte Sablée sweet shortcrust pastry filled with silky Pistachio ganache and topped with delicious fresh strawberries. Beautiful contrast of rich and nutty Pistachio ganache and refreshing fruit in a buttery, sweet but not too sweet melt in the mouth pastry shell. Recipe in here

Caramelized banana & Caramel tart – This is the perfect easy yet fancy dessert you can make at home and impress everyone ! The tart has 3 elements: Home made Pâte Sablée (sweet shortcrust) tart shell, 5 minutes caramelized banana layer, super quick and easy 3 ingredients caramel layer on top. Recipe in here

Passion fruit & Chocolate tart – If you have not tried pairing passion fruit and chocolate before, you are missing out, they are truly match made in heaven! Silky & rich chocolate ganache meets floral & tropical yet tangy passion fruit curd in this Chocolate Pâte Sablée tart shell! Recipe in here

Salted caramel & Chocolate tart – This Salted caramel chocolate tart is one of my favourite tarts ever! Salted caramel and Chocolate are match made in heaven… It just tastes phenomenal as the buttery caramel with slight salty kick meets the silky chocolate ganache! Recipe in here

Coffee tart – This Coffee Tart or Mocha tart recipe is a dream for coffee lovers! Pâte Sablée filled with silky Coffee ganache and decorated with cream that makes it effectively a Cappuccino Tart. Once the Pâte tart shells baked, it is a super easy and quick recipe, the coffee ganache is literally 3 ingredients! Recipe in here

Lemon meringue tart – This Lemon meringue tart recipe is a decorative, individual dessert version of the well know lemon meringue pie. I love everything about this French tartlet recipe! Pâte Sablée sweet shortcrust pastry filled with tangy and creamy lemon curd and topped with sweet and silky Swiss meringue. Recipe in here

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