Frangipane (Almond Cream)

Rich, buttery almond cream that bakes into something soft, almost custardy, and intensely nutty and lightly sweet. The filling for fruit tarts, pear tarts, croissants, and anything else that needs an almond layer. It only takes five ingredients and five minutes to make!

Prep10

Cook

Total10

Servings gr

DifficultyEasy

Ingredients

100 gr unsalted butter room temperature
100 gr caster sugar
100 gr ground almonds almond flour
2 eggs room temperature
1 tbsp dark rum
½ tsp vanilla extract

Equipment

Instructions

Cream the butter and sugar

Beat the butter and sugar together until pale and creamy, about 2 minutes with a mixer or by hand. It should look smooth and slightly lighter in colour. Don't overdo it.

Add the eggs

Add the eggs one at a time, beating well between each. If it looks like it's splitting, don't panic, keep beating and it comes back. Both eggs and butter must be at room temperature.

Add the almonds and flavourings

Add the ground almonds, rum and vanilla. Mix just until combined and smooth. Stop as soon as it's homogeneous. It should be soft, spreadable and slightly grainy.

Use or store

Use immediately, or transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days. If chilled, bring back to room temperature and stir briefly before using.

This recipe makes about 400g, enough for one 24cm galette or tart, or six individual tartlets.

Notes

Room temperature is essential. Cold butter won't cream and cold eggs split the mix. Take everything out at least an hour ahead.
Don't overwhip. Mix until smooth, no more. Too much air makes it puff and overflow in the oven.
Tant pour tant: equal weights of butter, sugar, ground almonds and egg. A medium egg ≈ 50g, so 2 eggs = 100g of everything else. Scale up or down from there.
Rum is traditional and rounds out the almond flavour, but you can use almond extract or leave it out.
Make ahead: keeps 3 days in the fridge or a month frozen. Back to room temperature before using.
Uses: galette des rois, almond croissants, tarte bourdaloue, fruit tarts, bostock, and anything wanting a bit of almond.

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