If there’s one thing I’m very likely to have in my freezer, it’s a pack of ready-rolled puff pastry. And especially so during the warmer months, when I can use it for quick sweet or savoury tarts, be it a casual midweek bake or a fancier dinner party dessert. Layering texture is key, and here we’ve got crisp pastry; soft, slightly chewy at the edges frangipane; a crunchy demerara sugar crust; a silky mascarpone topping and squidgy raspberries.

Raspberry, cardamom and mascarpone tart

Prep 10 min
Cook 50 min
Serves 8

320g sheet ready-rolled puff pastry
2 large eggs, 1 beaten to make an egg wash
80g unsalted butter, softened
100g caster sugar
½ tsp freshly crushed green cardamom, from 5-7 pods
100g ground almonds
225g fresh raspberries
2-3 tbsp demerara sugar
220ml double cream
120g mascarpone
1 tsp vanilla extract
1½ tbsp icing sugar

Heat the oven to 200C (180C fan)/390F/gas 6. Unroll the pastry, keeping it on its baking paper, and put it on a large baking tray. Use a sharp knife to score a roughly 4cm border all around the edge, then use a fork to prick all over the pastry inside the border.

Lightly egg wash the pastry border, then put the tray in the oven for 10 minutes, until the pastry is puffy. Remove, tap down the middle and leave the pastry to cool a little. Turn down the oven to 180C (160C fan)/350F/gas 4.

In a bowl, mix the butter, sugar and cardamom until smooth (the mix doesn’t need to be pale and fluffy), then mix in the egg, followed by the ground almonds. Spread this frangipane all over the pastry inside the border of the tart, then top with 175g of the raspberries. Brush the border again with more egg wash, sprinkle the demerara sugar on top, then bake for 20-25 minutes, until the frangipane is lightly browned and the crust is deeply browned. Leave to cool completely.

Meanwhile, whip the cream, mascarpone, vanilla and icing sugar in a bowl, until just thickened. Spoon swoops of the mascarpone mix on top of the cooled tart and finish with the remaining 50g raspberries.