This bright, garden-fresh tart layers sweet almond frangipane with creamy cheesecake-style filling, then crowns the whole thing with a glossy passionfruit jelly that catches the light like stained glass. It’s sweet, a little sharp, and just herby enough to make people pause mid-bite and go, “Wait… what is that?!”
You’ll need a 25cm/10in fluted tart tin — because those crisp, ridged edges are doing half the visual work for you.
And if you’d rather skip squeezing a mountain of passionfruit (completely fair), you can use 180ml/6fl oz ready-made passionfruit juice for the jelly. No drama. Same golden glow.
Honestly, this is the kind of tart that looks like it belongs at a summer garden party with linen napkins and slightly competitive friends.
Prepare
Cook
Serving
Ingredients
✨ For the Pastry (aka the buttery foundation of dreams)
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230g plain flour (plus extra for dusting like a proper baker)
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125g unsalted butter — cold, cubed, and ready to behave
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75g icing sugar — soft sweetness, no grit
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1 egg yolk — golden richness only
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1 tsp vanilla paste — because we don’t do bland
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3 tbsp full-fat milk — just enough to bring it all together
This is your crisp, sweet, melt-in-the-mouth base. The quiet overachiever.
🌰 For the Frangipane (the almond heartthrob)
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85g unsalted butter
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85g caster sugar
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85g ground almonds
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15g plain flour
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1 egg
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1 tbsp amaretto — optional, but highly persuasive
Soft, nutty, gently boozy, and deeply comforting. The warm hug layer.
🌞 For the Passionfruit & Thyme Jelly (the glossy show-off)
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175ml passionfruit juice (about 8 big passionfruit, sieved)
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8 small thyme sprigs — whisper, not shout
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12g powdered gelatine
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70ml cold water
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150g granulated sugar
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1 tsp vanilla bean paste
This is the sunshine layer. Bright, fragrant, slightly dramatic. She sets beautifully and knows it.
🤍 For the Cream Cheese Filling (the smooth operator)
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340g cream cheese
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Pinch of salt — always
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1 tsp vanilla bean paste
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50g icing sugar
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110ml double cream
Silky. Light. Just tangy enough to keep everything balanced.
🍒 To Decorate (because we’re not subtle)
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A handful of cherries, raspberries & blueberries
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A few small mint leaves
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Edible gold leaf — if you’re feeling extra (and honestly, why not?)
This tart is sweet, sharp, creamy, nutty and glossy all at once. It doesn’t whisper “dessert.” It confidently says, “Yes, I made this.”
Method
✨ The Pastry (aka the crisp golden stage)
In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, blend the flour, butter and sugar until it looks like fine buttery rubble. Add the egg yolk, vanilla and milk, and mix just until it comes together into soft dough — don’t overwork it, we’re not kneading bread here.
Wrap it up in cling film and let it chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. Yes, patience. Good pastry demands it.
Once rested, roll it out on a lightly floured surface and line your 25cm fluted tart tin, leaving a little overhang (future-you will thank you). Back into the fridge it goes for another 30 minutes to firm up.
Preheat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan/Gas 6). Line the pastry with baking paper, fill with baking beans, and blind bake for 15 minutes. Remove the beans and bake for another 5 minutes until lightly golden. Let it cool for 10 minutes — admire your work.
🌰 The Frangipane (warm almond magic)
Mix all the frangipane ingredients together in a bowl until smooth and combined. Spread a thin, even layer into the tart shell — smooth it like you mean it.
Bake for 20 minutes until gently golden and set. It should smell like toasted almonds and happiness.
🌞 The Passionfruit & Thyme Jelly (the glossy crown)
Bring the passionfruit juice and thyme sprigs to a gentle simmer in a saucepan. Turn off the heat and let it infuse for 30 minutes — this is where the magic happens.
Meanwhile, bloom the gelatine in cold water and set aside.
Bring the infused juice back to a simmer, remove from the heat, then whisk in the gelatine, sugar and vanilla paste until fully dissolved. Strain into a bowl (no rogue thyme leaves allowed) and let it cool. Not hot. Cool.
🤍 The Cream Cheese Filling (smooth operator energy)
Whisk the cream cheese, salt, vanilla and icing sugar together until silky. In a separate bowl, whisk the double cream to soft peaks — think softly whipped, not stiff drama.
Fold the cream into the cream cheese mixture gently with a spatula. Measure 30ml of the cooled passionfruit jelly liquid and mix it in. This ties everything together like a subtle citrus whisper.
🍰 Assembly (the satisfying part)
Once the tart shell is completely cool, trim the pastry overhang with a vegetable peeler so it sits perfectly level with the tin. Clean edges. Sharp lines. We’re professionals now.
Spread the cream cheese filling evenly inside, smoothing it carefully and leaving a small gap at the top for the jelly layer.
Pour over the cooled jelly in one confident go. No hesitation. Let it settle naturally.
Chill for at least 3 hours — overnight if you can bear it — until fully set and glossy.
🍒 The Grand Finale
Decorate with whole cherries, raspberries and blueberries in a soft crescent along one side. Tuck in a few mint leaves. Add flecks of edible gold leaf if you’re feeling unapologetically extra (which you should).
Stand back. Tilt your head slightly. Pretend someone just said, “You made this?!”
Because yes. Yes you did.
Helpful tips
Just eat as quick as you can
Print & Share
Citrus Kiss Frangipane Tart with Fresh Thyme
Ingredients
Method
-
In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, blend the flour, butter and sugar until it looks like fine buttery rubble. Add the egg yolk, vanilla and milk, and mix just until it comes together into soft dough — don’t overwork it, we’re not kneading bread here.
-
Wrap it up in cling film and let it chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. Yes, patience. Good pastry demands it.
-
Once rested, roll it out on a lightly floured surface and line your 25cm fluted tart tin, leaving a little overhang (future-you will thank you). Back into the fridge it goes for another 30 minutes to firm up.
-
Preheat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan/Gas 6). Line the pastry with baking paper, fill with baking beans, and blind bake for 15 minutes. Remove the beans and bake for another 5 minutes until lightly golden. Let it cool for 10 minutes — admire your work.
-
Mix all the frangipane ingredients together in a bowl until smooth and combined. Spread a thin, even layer into the tart shell — smooth it like you mean it.
-
Bake for 20 minutes until gently golden and set. It should smell like toasted almonds and happiness.
-
Bring the passionfruit juice and thyme sprigs to a gentle simmer in a saucepan. Turn off the heat and let it infuse for 30 minutes — this is where the magic happens.
-
Meanwhile, bloom the gelatine in cold water and set aside.
-
Bring the infused juice back to a simmer, remove from the heat, then whisk in the gelatine, sugar and vanilla paste until fully dissolved. Strain into a bowl (no rogue thyme leaves allowed) and let it cool. Not hot. Cool.
-
Whisk the cream cheese, salt, vanilla and icing sugar together until silky. In a separate bowl, whisk the double cream to soft peaks — think softly whipped, not stiff drama.
-
Fold the cream into the cream cheese mixture gently with a spatula. Measure 30ml of the cooled passionfruit jelly liquid and mix it in. This ties everything together like a subtle citrus whisper.
-
Once the tart shell is completely cool, trim the pastry overhang with a vegetable peeler so it sits perfectly level with the tin. Clean edges. Sharp lines. We’re professionals now.
-
Spread the cream cheese filling evenly inside, smoothing it carefully and leaving a small gap at the top for the jelly layer.
-
Pour over the cooled jelly in one confident go. No hesitation. Let it settle naturally.
-
Chill for at least 3 hours — overnight if you can bear it — until fully set and glossy.
-
Decorate with whole cherries, raspberries and blueberries in a soft crescent along one side. Tuck in a few mint leaves. Add flecks of edible gold leaf if you’re feeling unapologetically extra (which you should).
-
Stand back. Tilt your head slightly. Pretend someone just said, “You made this?!”
-
Because yes. Yes you did.
Notes
Discover more from Table Number Seven
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