Go Back
Top-down view of a traditional Manchester Tart in a fluted tart tin topped with coconut and glace cherries.

Manchester Tart

A homemade Manchester Tart with crisp pastry, raspberry jam, creamy custard filling, coconut, and glacé cherries. A nostalgic British school dinner dessert that is easy to make at home.
Print Recipe
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: British
Prep Time: 45 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Setting Time: 6 hours
Total Time: 7 hours 30 minutes
Servings: 8

INGREDIENTS

For the Pastry:

For the Filling:

EQUIPMENT

INSTRUCTIONS

For the Pastry:

  • Preheat your oven to 180°c (160°c for fan-assisted ovens, Gas Mark 4 or 350°F). Lightly grease a 20cm (8-inch) loose-bottom tart tin and dust with flour. Set aside.
  • In a large bowl, cream together the caster sugar and butter/margarine until light and fluffy. Add the flour and mix to create a dough – you may need to use your hands.
  • Transfer the dough to a floured surface and gently knead until it is smooth. Wrap the pastry in clingfilm and pop it in the fridge to firm up for 30 minutes.
  • On a lightly floured surface, roll your pastry dough into a large circle until it is a few centimetres larger than the diameter of your tart tin (around 26-28cm / 10-11 inches). Carefully transfer the pastry dough to your prepared tart tin, taking care not to trap too much air underneath, and gently press it into the sides. Leave a little overhang on the pastry, but trim off any large bits of excess overhang. Prick the bottom of your pastry with a fork, then line it with greaseproof paper and fill it with baking beans.
  • Blind bake the pastry for 15 minutes before carefully removing the paper and baking beans (watch out, they will be hot!) and return the tart pastry to the oven to continue baking for a further 5-10 minutes, until it is a light golden colour. Remove from the oven and trim the remaining excess pastry overhang to leave a neat edge on your tart.
  • Spread your jam within the pastry when it is still warm, then set aside while you prepare your custard.
    Blind-baked shortcrust pastry case spread with raspberry jam ready for the custard filling in a homemade Manchester Tart recipe.

For the Filling:

  • Add the milk and vanilla to a large saucepan and bring to the boil over a medium heat.
  • In a large bowl, beat the egg yolks, caster sugar and custard powder together until well combined.
    Bowl of whisked egg yolk, milk, sugar and custard powder mixture for making traditional Manchester Tart filling.
  • Slowly pour the hot milk over the egg mixture, whisking continuously until everything is smooth and combined. Pour the custard mixture back into the saucepan over medium heat, stirring continuously until very thick (think yoghurt in texture) - this may take up to 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and leave to cool slightly.
    Thick homemade custard for Manchester Tart cooking in a saucepan until smooth and creamy.
  • Pour the custard over the jam in the pastry, and smooth it into the edges. Sprinkle the top of the custard with coconut and top with glacé cherries - one in the middle is traditional, but I prefer a ring around the edge, so everyone gets a cherry in their slice.
    Spoon sprinkling desiccated coconut over homemade Manchester Tart with thick custard filling in a shortcrust pastry case, with glace cherries beside the tart.
  • Leave to set in the fridge for at least 6 hours, or ideally overnight. Remove from the tin before serving, cut into 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.

NOTES:

Storage:

Keep your Manchester Tart covered in the fridge. It is best enjoyed within 2-3 days.
 

Freezing:

I wouldn't recommend freezing Manchester Tart, as the custard can become watery once thawed. However, the pastry can be made and stored (either in a ball or in the tart tin) in the freezer until ready to use - simply thaw at room temperature before baking and filling as normal.
 

Make Ahead:

Manchester Tart is an ideal make-ahead dessert. In fact, I'd recommend making it the day before serving, as the custard will set more firmly and the tart will slice much more neatly once fully chilled overnight.
 

Substitutions:

  • Pastry: You can use a shop-bought short-crust pastry if you prefer; however, it won't be as sweet or rich as preparing your own homemade pastry. You could also use a ready-made pastry case if you are short on time, but again, the flavours won't be quite as nice as homemade.
  • Jam: Seedless raspberry jam is the traditional choice, but strawberry jam can also be used if preferred. And seedless jam generally has a nicer texture than seeded jam in Manchester Tart.
  • Banana: Some versions of Manchester Tart also include sliced banana layered between the jam and custard. I haven't included it in this recipe, but feel free to add to yours if you are a banana believer!
  • Custard Powder: If you can’t get custard powder, you can substitute it with cornflour (corn starch) instead, although you may want to add a little extra vanilla extract to make up for the missing vanilla flavouring from the custard powder.
Tried this recipe?Tag @bakingwithgranny or use the hashtag #bakingwithgranny!
Pin recipe for later
QR Code linking back to recipe