What Is Frangipane and Why Do Bakers Love It So Much? (2024)

FAQs

What is a frangipane? ›

Frangipane is a pastry filling made with finely ground almonds or almond meal. It is sometimes referred to as almond cream. And, being more or less like a pie filling, frangipane is never consumed raw because it contains raw eggs.

In essence, frangipane is an almond filling, sometimes called frangipane cream. It isn't the same as marzipan, which is an almond-sugar paste that's so dense it can be formed into decorative shapes and painted in bright colors.

The word frangipane is a French term used to name products with an almond flavour. The word comes ultimately from the last name of Marquis Muzio Frangipani or Cesare Frangipani. The word first denoted the frangipani plant, from which was produced the perfume originally said to flavor frangipane.

It's difficult to describe concisely but I describe frangipane as a creamy, velvety smooth filling with a rich, nutty, lightly sweet, FABULOUS flavor.

Frangipane Is A Creamy Filling With A Milder Flavor

While marzipan is similar to but distinct from almond paste, the same isn't true of frangipane and almond cream — they're one and the same. It involves ground almonds, just like marzipan, but that's where the similarities end.

After creaming the ingredients together, store it in the fridge in an airtight container for up to a week. Before using it, remove the frangipane from the fridge about 30 minutes ahead so that it has time to soften. It will be much easier to spread the filling in the tart if it's soft.

Because it contains raw egg and flour, frangipane is always baked before eating. It has a tendency to spread because of its high ratio of fat, so it's typically used in applications where that's limited, such as in a filling or topping.

Frangipane is a simple custard, made in a food processor from nuts, butter, sugar, and eggs. The resulting gloop is slightly runnier than a paste but not so loose that it spills all over the place; you can easily spoon and spread it without making a mess.

Frangipane is a baked almond cream typically found in tarts, such as the famous Bakewell Tart (I even made a chocolate version for Halloween) or Galette des Rois. It also can be used for applications like croissant filling. If you love almond flavor, you'll love frangipane.

Frangipani trees are known for their resilience and ability to bloom even after they have been uprooted, symbolizing resilience and renewal. This characteristic is a metaphor for life's cyclical nature, reminding us that even in the face of challenges, new beginnings and growth are possible.

What's the rarest frangipani? ›

Also, we've recently discovered a very rare and unusual frangipani, Plumeria cubensis, that actually remains bushier than all the “other evergreen frangipani species” throughout the winter.

The most common frangipani is the Plumeria Rubra. Rubra come in many colours, from white to cream to yellow, even oranges, pinks (both pale and hot pink), reds and even deep cerise. They also come in multiple colours (such as pink, apricot and yellow in the one flower). And Rubra has the most fragrant flowers!

Frangipane is an almond filling that is usually made with butter, sugar, eggs, and, of course, ground almonds. It has a creamy, paste-like consistency and a sweet nutty flavor. Though it can be used in a variety of ways, it's most associated with tarts.

As long as it has risen and browned slowly, you are near the end of the cooking time. How do you know when frangipane is cooked? The cream will have risen and puffed when properly cooked. It should have a nice golden color.

Tips: Frangipane is a classic dessert filling made with ground almonds which help to keep it moist when baked. The filling should be soft and have a damp crumb texture, more like a set custard than a fluffy sponge.

Their purposes and textures, however, are very different, making them unable to be substituted with one another. While marzipan is a thick and sweet icing dough, frangipane is a creamy and lightly-sweetened filling.

Almond paste is more similar to marzipan than frangipane, but it's still distinctly its own. It's made of the same ingredients as marzipan but it's less sweet and richer in almond flavor. It's a bit more crumbly and coarse-textured and is used in baked goods such as these pignoli cookies.

The tart shell of the Frangipani is always almond flavored by either using almond flour, ground or chopped almonds or using almond paste which is actually marzipan. It usually has a jelly-lined bottom tart shell and can be any flavor.