French Plum Frangipane Tart (Tarte aux Prunes)

Quick Summary: French plum frangipane tart (tarte aux prunes) is a classic French dessert made with a buttery shortcrust pastry, a soft almond frangipane filling, and fresh red plums. Adapted from French pastry chef Cyril Lignac, this easy plum frangipane tart needs no blind baking and comes together with just a handful of ingredients.

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 uses a sweet almond frangipane filling, so it's also called a plum almond frangipane tart.

Why you'll love this 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.

• Eggs: For accuracy, you will need ½ large egg and 1 ½ extra-large chicken eggs. Make sure the eggs are at 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.

Equipment

Here is the equipment you need to make this plum frangipane tart:

• A 9-inch (23 cm) fluted tart pan with a removable bottom
• A stand mixer (or a hand mixer) for the pastry and frangipane
• A flour sifter for the flour
• A rolling pin to roll out the dough
• A large mixing bowl
• A baking sheet

How to make plum frangipane tart

Step 1. To make a shortcrust pastry, beat softened butter and granulated sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer until smooth. Add eggs and mix to combine.

Step 2. Using a flour sifter, sift plain flour with salt and add the 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.

Step 6. Trim a little excess pastry from the sides 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).

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.

Step 13. To serve, sprinkle it with icing sugar (confectioners' sugar) and cut it into wedges.

Expert Tips

1. Respect the chilling time needed to hydrate the flour with the wet ingredients and harden the butter. This will make the dough easy to handle.
2. Arrange plum slices on top of the pastry as you like. Slice them thinly, lay them tightly together, or scatter them over the filling.
3. 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 thinly.

• 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 & 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 to the fridge overnight, then to the kitchen counter to reach room temperature.

Recipe FAQ

What is the difference between frangipane and Bakewell tart?
A frangipane tart is made of a pastry shell, a frangipane filling, and fruit. A Bakewell tart has a shortcrust pastry case, a layer of jam, frangipane, and flaked almonds on top.

Do you need to blind bake this plum frangipane tart?
No. Blind baking with pie weights is common for most tarts, but for this frangipane tart, it is enough to prick the pastry base with a fork before adding the filling.

Can you make the frangipane filling in advance?
Yes. Make the almond frangipane a few days ahead and keep it in the fridge until needed. You can also freeze it, then move it to the fridge in advance to thaw fully before using.

Is this an Ottolenghi plum frangipane tart?
No. This recipe is adapted from French pastry chef Cyril Lignac, not Yotam Ottolenghi. Both use plums and almond frangipane, but this French version keeps the pastry and filling simple with no blind baking.

How do you serve plum tart?
Serve plum tart warm from the oven, sliced, and with a scoop of almond ice cream. It is also good at room temperature, dusted with icing sugar (confectioners' sugar).

How many calories are in plum frangipane tart?
One slice of this plum frangipane tart has about 428 calories, based on the recipe yielding 8 slices.

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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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.