Almond Slice

A traditional British Almond Slice, also known as Bakewell Slice, featuring layers of rich pastry, sweet raspberry jam, and a classic almond sponge, finished with flaked almonds and baked until golden.

Author: Amy Beth Reid

4.9 from 19 votes

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Course: Dessert, Snack

Cuisine: British

Prep Time: 20

Cook Time: 40

Total Time: 1

Servings: slices

INGREDIENTS

Metric (UK) • Cups (US)

For the Pastry Base

225 g Plain Flour
100 g Block Margarine or Butter (cold; cubed)
30 g Caster Sugar
2-3 tbsp Cold Water

For the Sponge

200 g Raspberry Jam (seedless)
100 g Soft Margarine (or Butter) (at room temperature)
100 g Caster Sugar
100 g Ground Almonds
100 g Self-raising Flour (see Self-raising Flour note below)
2 Free-range Eggs (at room temperature; see Egg Size notes below)
Handful of Flaked Almonds

EQUIPMENT

INSTRUCTIONS

For the Pastry

Preheat your oven to 190°C (or 170°C for a fan-assisted oven, Gas Mark 5 or 375°F). Line a 20×20cm (8×8 inch) baking tin with greaseproof paper and set it aside.

If you need help lining your tin, watch my YouTube tutorial on How to Line a Tray Bake Tin.

In a large bowl, rub the flour and margarine/butter together with your fingers until it resembles bread crumbs. Stir through the sugar before adding the water a tablespoon at a time - you might not need it all. Mix until combined into a soft pastry. You may need to use your hands!
Roll the pastry to roughly the size of your pre-lined tin. Transfer the pastry to your tin, pressing into the edges and up the sides. Trim any overhanging pastry and prick the pastry all over with a fork. Line the pastry with greaseproof paper before filling with baking beans.
Blind bake the pastry for 10-15 minutes to give the base a head start and avoid a soggy bottom. Following the blind bake, remove the baking beans and top the pastry with the raspberry jam, evenly spreading over the pastry. Set aside while you prepare the filling.

For the Almond Slice

In a large bowl, cream the margarine and sugar until light and fluffy.
Add the ground almonds and self-raising flour, mixing together before adding the eggs one at a time, continuing to mix until you have a somewhat smooth batter.
Spoon the batter on top of your jam-topped pastry and spread evenly, ensuring to get right to the edges and corners. Top with a generous handful of flaked almonds.
Bake in your pre-heated oven for 20-25 minutes until golden and spongy in appearance. Allow to cool in the tin.
Once completely cool, using a sharp knife, cut into individual slices.

IMPORTANT NOTE:

All my recipes are developed using a digital scale and the metric system (grams and millilitres). Cup measurements are available as a conversion, but these, unfortunately, won't always be as accurate. For best results, I always recommend baking with a digital scale.

RECIPE NOTES:

Egg Size: When it comes to eggs, I always buy mixed-weight free-range eggs. Generally, egg size doesn't make a huge difference in most baking, unless you are using sizes that lean towards the extremes. If you're unsure which eggs to use, I recommend medium eggs in the UK, which are roughly equivalent to large eggs in the US. That's what this recipe has been tested with.

Self-raising Flour: Don't have self-raising flour? For this recipe, simply whisk together 100g (¾ cup) plain flour and 1¼ teaspoons baking powder instead. If you bake regularly, you can also make a larger batch to keep in your baking cupboard. For full instructions, cup conversions and answers to common questions, see my Self-raising Flour Ingredient Guide.

Substitutions:

Jam: Raspberry jam is the traditional choice, but strawberry or blackcurrant jam can be used instead. But I would stick to using a seedless jam for the best texture.
Margarine/Butter: For the pastry, use block margarine or butter rather than a soft spread from a tub. The latter will make your pastry too soft and hard to handle. For the almond sponge, I prefer using a soft margarine for predictability, but you can use butter if you prefer - just make sure it is softened.
Shop-bought Pastry: You can use a shop-bought pastry for the base of your Almond Slice, but I would always recommend making your own if you have time for the best-tasting results.

Storage: Store your Almond Slice in an airtight container at room temperature. It will keep for up to 4–5 days, although the texture - particularly of the pastry - may change slightly.

Freezing: Almond Slices freeze well. Wrap individual slices in baking paper and pop them in a freezer-safe container or bag. Defrost at room temperature before serving.

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Nutrition information is provided as a guide and is based on automatic calculations. Actual values may vary depending on the ingredients and brands used, how the recipe is prepared, and individual portion or serving sizes.