French plum frangipane tart is the best summertime and fall season favorite made with shortcrust pastry, luscious red plums, and almond frangipane. Sliced juicy plums encased by the rich and fluffy nut cream taste so good.
Plums are in season now! They are another stone fruit to concentrate on, and include at least a single plum dessert into your baking calendar.
I never miss a plum season. This gorgeous Louise cake with plum and coconut is a must-try for all plum lovers, including myself.
I made this plum tart with almond frangipane to accentuate the sweetness of fresh plums. It does not matter what kind of plums to use; the plum and almond combo pairs well in this beautiful dessert.
What is plum frangipane tart?
Plum frangipane tart (Tarte aux prunes et frangipane) is a classic French plum tart made with sweet shortcrust pastry, frangipane, and juicy plums. This tart is mainly prepared with sweet almond frangipane filling, so it has another name, plum almond frangipane tart.
French plum tart recipe
- This plum frangipane tart recipe is basic and easy for a novice and seasoned baker. It doesn't require blind baking.
- The plum and almond frangipane combo is a winner among stone fruit-nut combinations.
- The fruit is evenly distributed in the tart: the frangipane filling holds fruit, preventing it from sinking to the bottom of the pan.
Ingredients
For ingredients and detailed instructions, refer to the recipe card below.
- Sugar: Use granulated white sugar or caster sugar interchangeably.
- Butter: I use European-style unsalted butter (with 82% fat content) when baking. To soften, take it out of the fridge 1 to 2 hours before you start.
- Flour: Use all-purpose flour to make the recipe.
- Eggs: To be precise with the recipe, you will need ½ large egg and 1 ½ extra-large chicken eggs. Make sure to bring eggs to room temperature.
- Almond meal: Use store-bought almond meal or ground almonds made yourself. Just process nuts in a food processor for a few minutes.
- Plums: I like using dark-fleshed ripe plums to give the tart a bright color and a sweeter, sharper tang. You will need three large plums.
- Salt enhances the tart's flavors.
How to make plum frangipane tart
Step 1. To make a shortcrust pastry, in the bowl of a stand mixer, beat softened butter and granulated sugar until smooth. Add eggs and mix to combine.
Step 2. Using a flour sifter, sift plain flour with salt and add flour mixture to the main preparation. Mix at medium speed until homogeneous (photo 1).
Step 3. With your hands, bring the dough together and shape it into a ball. Cover the dough ball with plastic wrap and chill for 2 hours (better overnight).
Step 4. Roll the chilled pastry out on a lightly floured work surface into a large circle. Place dough onto a rolling pin and bring it over a 9-inch (23 cm) fluted tart pan (with a removable bottom).
Step 5. Use your fingers to press the dough into the bottom and edges of the pan (photo 2). Refrigerate for 10 to 15 minutes.
PHOTO 1
PHOTO 2
Step 6. Trim a little excess pastry from the sides by cutting it off with a sharp knife. Prick the bottom of the pastry base with a fork (photo 3).
Step 7. Heat oven to 355°F (180°C).
Step 8. To make almond frangipane, place softened butter, sugar, almond meal, all-purpose flour, salt, and eggs in the bowl of a stand mixer and whisk until smooth and homogeneous (photo 4).
PHOTO 3
PHOTO 4
Step 9. Pour the frangipane mixture into the prepared tart shell. With an offset spatula, spread frangipane into an even layer.
Step 10. To decorate the tart, slice the plums in half and de-stone the fruits. Cut plum halves into smaller slices and arrange them on top of the filling (photo 5).
Step 11. Bake the tart in the preheated oven for 35 to 45 minutes until the frangipane becomes golden brown (photo 6). Check with a toothpick: it should come out clean after being inserted in the center of the tart.
Step 12. Remove the tart from the oven, and let it cool in the pan. Unmold the tart and carefully transfer it to a serving plate.
PHOTO 5
PHOTO 6
To serve, sprinkle it with icing sugar (confectioners' sugar) and cut it into wedges.
Expert Tips
- Respect the chilling time needed for hydrating flour from the wet ingredients and harden the butter. As a result, you will be able to handle the dough easily.
- Arrange plum slices on top of the pastry in the way you desire. Slice them thinly, lay them tightly together, or scatter them over the filling.
- Experiment with different types of plums, plumcots, pluots, and apriums. You will get a delightful dessert in any way.
Recipe variations
- Plum hazelnut frangipane tart: Replace almonds with ground hazelnuts or a store-bought hazelnut meal.
- Peach or apricot frangipane tart: Replace plums with peaches or apricots, and add a few blackberries or raspberries on top of the almond frangipane filling.
- Pear or apple frangipane tart: Switch plums for pears or apples sliced into thin slices.
- Fig frangipane tart: Slice seasonal figs in quarters and dip the cut sides into the warm honey. Then, place figs on top of the frangipane in a pretty pattern you desire.
Storing and freezing
To store, cover the cooled plum frangipane tart with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 2 days.
Can you freeze plum frangipane tart? You can freeze your tart for up to 2 months. Wrap it in plastic, then aluminum foil, and place it in a freezer bag. To thaw, bring it overnight to the fridge, then to the kitchen counter to get to room temperature.
Recipe FAQ
A frangipane tart is made up of a pastry shell, frangipane filling, and fruit. A Bakewell tart consists of a shortcrust pastry case, layers of jam, frangipane, and flaked almonds.
You can make the frangipane a few days in advance and store it in the fridge until you use it. You can also freeze it, but bring it in the fridge in advance to allow it to thaw entirely before using it.
Blind baking using pie weights is an essential step in making most tarts. However, it is enough to prick the base of the pastry with a fork while making this frangipane tart.
Serve plum tart warm from the oven, sliced, and with almond ice cream.
Love fruit tarts? Try these next!
- Strawberry pistachio tart
- French fig tart
- Peach panna cotta tart
- French pumpkin pie
- Or browse all the tart recipes.
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PrintRecipe card
Plum Frangipane Tart (French Plum Tart)
French plum frangipane tart is the fall season favorite made with shortcrust pastry, luscious red plums, and almond frangipane. Sliced juicy plums encased by the rich and fluffy nut deliciousness taste so good.
- Total Time: 1 hour, 30 minutes (plus chilling time)
- Yield: 8 1x
- Category: Tarts
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: French
Ingredients
For the crust:
- ⅓ cup + 2 teaspoons (75 g) granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup (75 g) softened unsalted butter
- 1 cup + 3 tablespoons (150 g) all-purpose flour
- ½ large egg (25 g), room temperature (see note #1)
- 1 pinch of salt
For almond frangipane filling:
- ⅓ cup + 1 ½ tablespoons (100 g) softened unsalted butter
- 1 ½ extra-large eggs (85 g), room temperature (see note #2)
- 1 cup + 1 tablespoon (100 g) almond meal (ground almonds)
- ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- ¼ cup (30 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 pinch of salt
For assembling:
- 3 large plums
*Don't you have the correct baking pan on hand right now? Try this simple Cake Pan Converter!
** If needed, please refer to Baking Conversion Charts.
Instructions
- To make the tart crust, in the bowl of a stand mixer, beat softened butter and granulated sugar until smooth. Add eggs and mix to combine.
- With a flour sifter, sift flour and salt over the bowl with the main preparation and mix until homogeneous.
- Use your hands to bring the dough together and shape it into a ball. Cover the dough ball with plastic wrap and chill for 2 hours (better overnight).
- Sprinkle a work surface with flour and roll the dough out into a large circle. Roll the dough onto a rolling pin and place it over a 9-inch/23 cm round (with removal bottom) fluted tart pan.
- Using your fingers, press into the bottom and edges of the pan. To trim excess dough from the sides, refrigerate for 10 to 15 minutes, then cut off with a sharp knife. Prick the bottom of the pastry dough with a fork.
- Preheat oven to 355°F (180°C).
- To make almond frangipane, place softened butter, sugar, almond meal, all-purpose flour, salt, and eggs in the bowl of a stand mixer and whisk until smooth and homogeneous.
- Pour the frangipane into the prepared tart crust and arrange plum slices on top.
- Bake for 35 to 40 minutes until the frangipane becomes golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool, and sprinkle with icing sugar.
Notes
- 25 g eggs are approximately equal to ½ whole large chicken egg (eggshell removed).
- 85 g eggs are approximately equal to 1 ½ whole extra-large chicken eggs (eggshell removed).
- Respect the chilling time that is needed for hydrating flour from the wet ingredients and harden the butter. As a result, you will be able to handle the dough easily.
- Use dark-fleshed plums to give this plum tart a sweeter, sharper tang and deeper color. Or experiment with different types of plums, plumcots, pluots, and apriums.
- Arrange plum slices on top of the pastry in the way you desire. Slice them thinly and lay them tightly together, or scatter them over the filling.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 428
- Sugar: 24.7 g
- Sodium: 65 mg
- Fat: 25.5 g
- Saturated Fat: 12.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 44.9 g
- Fiber: 2.3 g
- Protein: 7.2 g
- Cholesterol: 98 mg
The nutritional information has been calculated using an online recipe nutrition calculator such as Verywellfit.com and is intended for informational purposes only. These figures should be used as a general guideline and not be construed as a guarantee.
The recipe was originally published on September 30, 2018. It has been updated and may differ from what was initially published.
Alex says
This tart turned out beyond my expectations: yummy, with a beautiful tart note, and so delicious! I will be making it again. Thanks!
PHILIP CONLEY says
You state hazelnut but recipe calls for almond meal?
Irina Totterman says
I've corrected. Thanks!