Craving a classic British treat that perfectly balances sweet almond flavors with tart, fruity jam? You absolutely must try this traditional Cherry Bakewell Traybake Cake. This spectacular recipe combines a crisp, buttery shortcrust pastry base with a generous slathering of vibrant cherry jam, all topped by a remarkably moist frangipane sponge. To finish, we add the iconic, visually stunning feathered water icing and bright glacé cherries. By utilizing a traybake format, this beloved teatime classic becomes incredibly simple to slice and serve for gatherings, bake sales, or weekend treats. Follow our step-by-step guide to achieve bakery-quality results in your very own kitchen.
What Is Cherry Bakewell Traybake Cake?
The history behind the Bakewell is fascinating. It all began in the 19th century as a culinary accident at an inn in Derbyshire, resulting in the famous Bakewell pudding—a completely different dessert made with puff pastry and a rich egg custard. Over time, as British food history shows, bakers evolved the pudding into a tart by replacing the custard with frangipane, a sweet almond sponge.
The traditional cherry embellishment and white icing transformed it into the “Cherry Bakewell.” Most people are familiar with individual, mass-produced versions, but creating an iced cherry bakewell traybake cake at home allows for a vastly superior, homemade flavor just like our ultimate mini bakewell tarts recipe. The traybake format is incredibly convenient, offering all the joy of a traditional cherry bakewell recipe without the fuss of rolling individual tartlet shells.
Ingredients for Authentic Cherry Bakewell Traybake
To achieve that authentic, nostalgic flavor, ingredient quality is paramount.
| Ingredient | Quantity | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Plain Flour | 225g | For the crisp pastry base |
| Unsalted Butter | 260g (Total) | 110g cold (base), 150g soft (sponge) |
| Cherry Jam | 200g | High fruit content is essential |
| Caster Sugar | 150g | For the frangipane sponge |
| Ground Almonds | 150g | The core of the frangipane |
| Large Eggs | 3 | At room temperature |
| Almond Extract | 1 tsp | Enhances the nutty flavor |
| Icing Sugar | 250g | Sifted, for the topping |
| Glacé Cherries | 8 (Halved) | The iconic finishing touch |
The Almond Detail
Do not skip the almond extract. While the ground almonds provide the dense, moist texture vital to the sponge—much like in our wonderfully moist easy blackcurrant cake recipe—the extract provides that punchy, distinguishable “Bakewell” aroma that everyone expects. Mary Berry’s iconic recipe emphasizes this balance to prevent the sponge from tasting bland.
The Perfect Jam
While raspberry is an acceptable substitute, a traditional Cherry Bakewell requires high-quality, whole-fruit cherry jam. Avoid cheap, overly sweetened jellies, as they will melt entirely during baking and lose their distinct layer, a common issue also seen when baking an old school jam and coconut sponge. The tartness of a good cherry jam perfectly offsets the intense sweetness of the icing.
Substitutes
If you prefer a faster bake, you can entirely omit the pastry base and simply use a thick sponge layer with jam swirled through, much like a coconut and jam cake recipe. The texture will be different, lacking the base crunch, but the flavor profile remains delightfully similar.
Equipment You Need
Gather these essentials before you start baking: * 9×13 inch (23x33cm) Baking Tin: A standard, reliable traybake size. * Rolling Pin: To evenly roll out the pastry dough. * Mixing Bowls: For the pastry, the sponge batter, and the varying colors of icing. * Piping Bag: A disposable piping bag (or a sturdy sandwich bag with the corner snipped) to pipe the precise pink icing lines. * Cocktail Stick or Skewer: The essential tool for creating the feathered icing effect.
How to Make Cherry Bakewell Traybake Cake (Step-by-Step)
Follow these instructions to achieve perfectly distinct layers and a professional finish.
1. Creating the Base
Preheat your oven to 190°C (170°C fan/ Gas 5). Grease your baking tin and line it with non-stick parchment paper. In a large bowl, quickly rub the cold, cubed butter into the plain flour until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Stir in just enough cold water (usually two tablespoons) to bring the dough together. Roll it out thinly on a lightly floured surface, carefully lift it into your tin, and gently press it into the corners. Prick the base all over with a fork to prevent it from puffing up, and blind bake for 15 minutes until pale golden. Allow it to cool slightly.
2. The Jam Layer
Once the pastry has cooled slightly, generously spoon the cherry jam across the surface. Use the back of a spoon to spread it evenly right up to the edges. Do not be stingy here; as visit Bakewell authorities note, a thick layer of fruit is crucial for cutting through the richness of the almonds.
3. Mixing the Frangipane
Lower the oven temperature to 180°C (160°C fan/ Gas 4). In your main mixing bowl, cream the softened butter and caster sugar together for several minutes until noticeably light and fluffy. Gradually beat in the eggs one by one, adding the almond extract with the final egg. Next, gently fold the ground almonds into the wet mixture until thoroughly combined. Spoon the pale, nutty batter evenly over the jam layer and gently smooth the top. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until golden and springy. Crucially, allow the traybake to cool completely in the tin before attempting to ice it.
4. Icing and Decorating
Sift the icing sugar into a clean bowl and gradually whisk in enough warm water to form a thick, glossy paste that is spreadable but not runny. Immediately remove two tablespoons of this white icing into a smaller bowl and tint it a vivid pink using food coloring gel. Spread the white icing smoothly over the entire surface of the cooled sponge. Place the pink icing into a piping bag and snip the end. Pipe thin, horizontal lines across the white icing, spaced about an inch apart. Take a clean cocktail stick and gently drag it vertically down through the lines, alternating directions, to create the famous feathered chevron pattern.
Cherry Bakewell Traybake Cake: The Ultimate Traditional Recipe
Ingredients
Method
- Make the pastry base: Preheat the oven to 190°C (170°C fan/ Gas 5). Grease and line a 9×13 inch (23x33cm) rectangular baking tin. In a large bowl, rub the cold cubed butter into the plain flour until it resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add the cold water and bring together into a dough.
- Blind bake the base: Roll the dough out thinly and press it into the base of the prepared tin. Prick all over with a fork. Bake for 15 minutes until pale golden and dry to the touch. Let it cool slightly.
- Add the jam: Spread the cherry jam in a generous, even layer over the slightly cooled pastry base.
- Mix the frangipane: Lower the oven to 180°C (160°C fan/ Gas 4). In a mixing bowl, cream the softened butter and caster sugar together until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in the eggs and almond extract. Gently fold in the ground almonds until completely incorporated.
- Bake the traybake: Spoon the frangipane mixture gently over the jam layer, spreading it flat to the edges. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until the sponge is golden brown, well risen, and springs back when pressed. Leave to cool completely in the tin.
- Prepare the icing: Sift the icing sugar into a bowl and gradually stir in the warm water until you have a thick but spreadable paste. Remove two tablespoons of this white icing into a smaller bowl and tint it pink with the food coloring.
- Decorate: Spread the white icing evenly over the cooled sponge. Place the pink icing in a piping bag and pipe thin horizontal lines across the white icing. Immediately drag a cocktail stick vertically through the lines to create a feathered effect. Top with the halved glacé cherries before the icing sets, then slice into 15 squares.
Troubleshooting Cherry Bakewell Traybake Cake
Ensure your bake turns out perfectly with these professional tips.
Sunken Cherries
If you choose to bake the cherries into the sponge (rather than adding them on top of the icing), they often sink to the bottom. To prevent this, toss the halved cherries in a light dusting of flour before gently pressing them into the top of the wet batter.
Runny Icing
If your icing slides right off the cake or the feathered pattern bleeds into a messy puddle, your icing is too wet, or you applied it to a warm cake. Always let the traybake cool entirely. When mixing the icing, add water a few drops at a time; it is much easier to add more liquid than to fix a watery glaze.
Dense Sponge
Frangipane contains no raising agents, relying entirely on the incorporated air from creaming the butter and sugar, and the volume of the eggs. Take your time during the creaming stage, and always use eggs at room temperature. Cold eggs will shock the butter and cause the batter to curdle, resulting in a dense, heavy sponge—a rule that applies whether you are making a delicate cake or heavy cherry bakewell flapjacks.
Recipe Variations
Consider these delightful tweaks to the classic formula.
Vegan Option
Use a high-quality vegan block butter for both the pastry and the sponge. Substitute the three eggs with 150ml of unsweetened applesauce, which binds the almonds together effectively while maintaining moisture. Ensure your food coloring gel is vegan-certified.
Gluten-Free Option
Simply swap the plain flour in the pastry base for an established gluten-free flour blend containing xanthan gum. The frangipane sponge naturally contains no flour, relying entirely on the ground almonds, so it is inherently gluten-free!
A Citrus Twist
For a brighter flavor profile, finely grate the zest of one large lemon and gently fold it into the frangipane batter alongside the ground almonds. Swapping the cherry jam for a sharp, high-quality lemon curd creates an astounding, zingy variation that mimics our favorite classic school dinner traybake.
Serving and Storage
Once you have finished the feathered icing, work quickly to place the halved glacé cherries evenly across the top before the icing sets firm. Set the tin aside for at least an hour to allow the icing to dry completely and form a very light crust.
Using a sharp, warm knife will help you achieve clean slices through the icing, sponge, and crisp pastry base. Serve squares alongside a cup of strong, hot tea.
Store any remaining squares in an airtight tin at room temperature. Due to the high almond content, this traybake stays remarkably moist and will keep perfectly for up to five days. Do not store it in the fridge, as the cold temperature will dry out the sponge and make the icing sticky.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use pre-made pastry?
Absolutely. If you are short on time, a block of high-quality, pre-rolled shortcrust pastry works brilliantly and saves considerable effort.
Why is my frangipane greasy?
This often happens if the butter was too warm when creamed, or if you overmixed the ground almonds. Fold the almonds in gently and stop as soon as they are incorporated.
Can I freeze Cherry Bakewell Traybake?
It is best to freeze this traybake before icing it. The water icing will weep and become very sticky upon defrosting. Freeze the baked, cooled block wrapped tightly in cling film. Defrost thoroughly, then apply the fresh icing and cherries.
Do I have to use almond extract?
While traditional, if you strongly dislike the pungent, marzipan-like flavor of artificial almond extract, you can omit it. The ground almonds will provide a much softer, more delicate nutty flavor on their own.
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Meet Evelyn, A Lifetime of Flavour, Shared with You! There is something undeniably magical about the combination of almonds and cherries. When I first learned to bake, creating that feathered icing genuinely felt like an advanced magic trick. I remember standing on a stool in our old farmhouse kitchen, my mother guiding my small hand as we dragged a clean wooden matchstick through the lines of pink icing. We would watch the beautiful, precise chevrons appear as if out of nowhere. It is a baking skill that looks incredibly professional but is surprisingly simple to master. I sincerely hope this beautiful traybake acts as a wonderful centerpiece for your next afternoon tea!
