
Cherry Tart
This Cherry Tart recipe brings together luscious fresh cherries with a sweet frangipane filling, made with ground almonds, set in a crisp pastry case. Cherries and almonds are brilliant flavour companions.
Serve this tart either warm or at room temperature. You can have it as a dessert or pudding, possibly with some cream or ice cream. Alternatively, you can have it with coffee or afternoon tea. This flexibility makes it a brilliant addition to picnics. The fruity sweetness of the cherries supported by the more substantial almond filling is just want you want after a day in the fresh air!
You can use any kind of fresh, seasonal cherries for this Cherry Tart recipe. I particularly like using the dark red-purple cherries. Cherries come in all kinds of colours from yellow through to dark purple. If you are lucky enough to have access to more than one type, you could get really creative with the decoration.
As an alternative, you could try my Apricot Tart which has the same pastry and frangipane elements, just topped with a different fruit. This makes it very easy to double the ingredients for the pastry and frangipane and make both! If you have an over-supply of fresh cherries, you might also be interested in my Cherry Ice Cream.
- Easy Shortbread Recipe
- Cranberry Gin
- Beetroot Soup with Coconut
- Leek and Potato Soup with Fresh Chives
- Blackberry Gin
What you need to know about this recipe
- I generally make my own pastry. I was a late learner when it came to pastry and for years used ready-made versions. However, a few years ago I decided I had to get to grips with pastry-making and discovered how easy it is. If you have the time to make your own pastry, it is really worth doing as the taste will be much better than anything you can buy in the shops. However, if you don’t have the time or inclination, you can make this recipe using ready-made pastry and it will still taste pretty good.
- Whether you are making your own pastry or using ready-made, it is really important to bake the empty pastry case in the oven for 20 minutes before you add the filling (step 3). This sets the pastry and means that it is properly cooked so it will be crisp and delicious rather than soft and soggy.
- You can use any kind of fresh cherries to make this recipe. You can use any kind of cherries to make this tart. However, make sure that they are sweet and full of flavour. The best way to check this is by eating one! The better the flavour of your cherries, the better the flavour of your tart. I used dark cherries but you you can use any colour, or a mix of colours, to make your tart.
- I use kirsch, a cherry-based spirit, in the filling (step 4) but you can leave this out if you prefer.
- A glaze of cherry jam makes your tart look beautiful and glossy. However, this step is not essential.

Other easy dessert recipes
If you are looking for an easy, make-ahead dessert, you might also like some of my other recipes.
- Rhubarb Roulade – an easy roulade recipe with a filling of rhubarb compote
- Strawberry Roulade – another easy roulade recipe
- Banoffee Pie – a quick and easy recipe with the winning combination of bananas, caramel and cream
- Lime Cheesecake – an easy make-ahead, no-cook recipe with a zesty lime flavour
- Strawberry Pavlova – classic meringue, cream and berry combination
- Lemon Pavlova – light meringue with whipped cream and lemon curd
- Rose and Raspberry Pavlova – rose-flavoured meringue topped with whipped cream and fresh raspberries
- Rose Meringues – simple meringues flavoured with rosewater
Cherry Tart recipe
Print
Cherry Tart
- Prep Time: 20
- Cook Time: 40
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: Serves 8
- Category: Tart
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: English
Description
This luscious tart, made with fresh, seasonal cherries set in a frangipane base encased in crisp pastry, is fantastic eaten at room temperature so makes a great addition to picnics or cold buffets.
Ingredients
For the pastry:
- 275 g (10 oz) plain flour
- 125 g fat (4 oz) I use a mix of half butter and half Trex as I think this makes the lightest pastry)
- A pinch of salt
- A little water
For the filling:
- 140 g (5 oz) golden caster sugar
- 140 g (5 oz) ground almonds
- 140 g (5 oz) butter or non-dairy alternative
- 2 eggs
- 1 tablespoon kirsch (optional)
- 300 g (10 oz) fresh cherries
- 1 tablespoon cherry jam (optional)
Instructions

- Set your oven to 180 C, 350 F or Gas Mark 4.
- Make the pastry. Put the flour in a bowl. Add the fat and combine – either by “rubbing in” by hand or processing – until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Season with salt. Add a little cold water (2-3 tbsp) and shape the mixture into a dough.
- Roll out your pastry and use it to line a 19 cm quiche or flan dish. Bake for 20 minutes in the oven to allow the pastry to “set”. This will stop the filling making it soggy and make sure that the base is crisp and delicious.
- To make the filling, put the sugar, ground almonds and butter in a bowl and beat using a food processer or hand blender until pale and creamy. Add the eggs and kirsch and continue to beat until incorporated into the mixture.
- Spoon the filling into the pastry case and smooth down the top with a knife.
- Wash the cherries. Cut each cherry in half and remove the stone.
- Place the cherries, cut side down, on top of the filling.
- Place the tart in the oven and bake for around 40 minutes.
- Remove from the oven. While the tart is still hot, use a pastry brush to add a thin coating of cherry jam on the top. This will make enhance the appearance of the tart by making the fruit look shiny and also add an extra boost of flavour.
- This tart can be eaten warm or cold.


One thought on “Cherry Tart”