This apple frangipane tart is made with a soft and crumbly almond frangipane filling, thinly sliced pink apples, and sprinkled with sliced almonds and powdered sugar. A perfect way to showcase beautiful Fall apples!
This is my favourite way to arrange apples by far. Have you ever seen those viral videos of food and objects in obsessively perfect patterns or being cut in really precise ways? Those are the feels I get when I cut and arrange apples this way. SO. SATISFYING.
When those thinly slices apples are surrounded by an easy almond frangipane and a buttery tart crust, it becomes a delicious and pretty apple almond tart. It has the sweet aroma of almonds with bites of crisp apple to contrast the softer frangipane filling. If you have any leftover apples this season, this is a great way to use them up!
What is frangipane?
Frangipane is a French almond cream typically used as a filling in pastries and tarts. It’s much easier to make than the name sounds. It’s made of ground almonds, sugar, butter, and eggs.
Frangipane tastes just as the ingredients would suggest - like a sweet and buttery almond custard that bakes up into a soft cake-like texture. My favourite way to eat it is in almond croissants when the frangipane leaks out onto the baking sheet and caramelizes as it bakes into a sweet and crispy edge.
Ingredients you will need
- All-purpose flour - Regular all-purpose flour works well here for the tart crust. There’s no need to blind bake the tart shell if you roll it out thinly.
- Unsalted butter - You will need butter cold in the crust and softened for the filling.
- Powdered sugar - This gives the crust a softer texture than if you were to use granulated sugar. I also love dusting this on the tart as a finishing touch.
- Eggs - For the crust and the filling. The eggs hold everything together and gives the filling a great cake-y texture once baked.
- Salt - Just for a little flavour and to balance the sweetness.
- Almond flour - This is the main ingredient for the frangipane filling. It’s just very finely ground almonds. You can do this yourself in a food processor but I prefer just buying it ground already. It gives the filling a soft, crumbly texture and sweet almond flavour.
- Ground cinnamon - This add another dimension of flavour and cinnamon always goes well with apples.
- Vanilla extract - Vanilla smells and tastes amazing with both almonds and apples.
- Apples - I used some pink lady apples here for their pretty colour but you can use any slightly tart and crisp apples like Honeycrisp or Elstar.
- Sliced almonds - Used as a garnish and finishing touch on top of the tart.
How to make an apple frangipane tart
- Make the tart shell: Rub the butter into the flour with your fingers until the butter becomes small, pea-sized chunks. Knead in powdered sugar, egg, and salt until it becomes a workable dough. If it's too dry to stick together, add a tablespoon of water at a time but not too much. Flatten tart dough into a disc and refrigerate overnight or for at least 1 hour to firm up.
- Line tart pan with pastry: Roll out the chilled dough to about ¼"-⅛" thick or until it's slightly larger than the tart pan. Place the dough into the tart pan and gently press dough into all edges. Roll a rolling pin on top of the edge to trim off the excess dough. Prick holes in the bottom of the pastry and let chill in freezer.
- Make the almond frangipane: Beat the softened butter and powdered sugar together until creamy. Beat in the eggs, almond flour, cinnamon, salt, almond extract, and vanilla extract until creamy and combined. Pour frangipane into the tart and level with a spatula.
- Arrange the apple slices: Keep the apple slices together as you thinly slice them. Place the whole section on top of the frangipane and press down to fan the slices out. Continue placing apple slices tightly together in alternating directions until the tart is filled.
- Bake the tart: Bake at 375°F for 40-45 minutes or until frangipane is golden brown.
- Dust: After cooling completely, sprinkle the apple frangipane tart with sliced almonds and powdered sugar before cutting and serving.
Frequently asked questions
Frangipane tastes like a sweet and buttery almond custard. The texture is soft and crumbly. When baked, it’s drier than a custard but more moist than a cake.
Any tart and crisp apple that holds its shape works well in baked goods because they offset the sweetness of the dessert and don’t turn mushy during the baking process. I like to use Honeycrisp, Elstar, or Pink Lady apples.
You can keep the apple skin on or peel them for this tart. Note that apples will fade in colour the longer you bake them so choose apples with brighter colouring to begin with if you want the colour to show.
After being baked, an apple frangipane tart can be stored wrapped in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Yes! This tart can be well-wrapped and frozen for up to 1 month. Thaw in the fridge overnight and bake in the oven for about 15 minutes to reheat.
The tart shell can be made ahead either baked or unbaked and stored in the fridge for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 3 months. The almond frangipane can be made in advance and stored in the fridge for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 3 months.
Other apple recipes to try
Apple Frangipane Tart
Ingredients
Tart dough:
- 175 g all-purpose flour
- 75 g unsalted butter, cold & cut into chunks
- 25 g powdered sugar
- 1 large egg
- ¼ tsp salt
Filling:
- 75 g unsalted butter, softened
- 75 g granulated sugar
- 2 eggs
- 75 g almond flour
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ tsp almond extract
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 4 small apples, sliced thinly
Topping:
- handful of sliced almonds
- powdered sugar, for dusting
Instructions
Tart dough:
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- In a mixing bowl, combine flour and butter chunks with a pastry cutter or by quickly pressing butter pieces and flour together with fingertips until they crumble into small, pea-sized pieces.
- Add sugar, egg, and salt and gently knead until the dough just comes together. Add 1 teaspoon of cold water if dough is too dry and won't stick together.
- If the dough has become too soft and warm, shape into a flat disc, wrap with plastic wrap, and chill in refrigerator for 1 hour or until ready to use.
- On a floured surface, roll out the dough thinly until it is about 1-2 inches larger than the size of your fluted tart pan with removable bottom.
- Place the removable bottom of your tart pan on the dough, flip the dough and pan base upside down together, and gently place into tart pan.
- Press the dough into the bottom and sides of the pan, removing excess dough around the edges of the pan.
- Use a fork to prick holes all over the base of the tart shell. Chill in freezer while preparing the rest of the tart.
Filling:
- In a mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar with a hand blender until smooth.
- Add in eggs, almond flour, cinnamon, salt, almond extract, and vanilla extract and blend until smooth and creamy.
- Pour mixture into prepared tart shell and smooth until surface is level.
- Arrange groups of slices on the top of the frangipane, alternating the direction of groups adjacent to each other. Tilt and press apart gently to fan out the slices. Fill the empty areas with additional slices.
- Bake for 40-45 mins or until the tart shell and frangipane are firm and golden.
- Once cooled, sprinkle with almond slivers and powdered sugar before serving.
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