A beloved Italian classic — “grandmother’s cake.” Torta della Nonna pairs a buttery lemon pastry with silky vanilla custard and a crunchy pine-nut topping. Elegant, comforting, and impossible to resist.
Ingredients
- 250 g all-purpose flour
- 100 g cold butter
- 75 g sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp baking powder
- Pinch of salt
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 500 ml milk (custard)
- 4 egg yolks (custard)
- 100 g sugar (custard)
- 40 g cornstarch (custard)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract (custard)
- Pine nuts (topping)
- Powdered sugar, for dusting (topping)
Instructions
- Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Rub in the cold butter, then add the egg and lemon zest. Form a dough and chill for 30 minutes.
- Warm the milk to a light simmer. Whisk the yolks, sugar, and cornstarch; temper with the warm milk, return to the pan, and cook 5–8 minutes until thick. Stir in the vanilla, cover the surface directly, and cool.
- Heat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Butter a 24–26 cm tart or springform pan.
- Divide the pastry into two pieces (2/3 and 1/3). Roll out the larger piece and line the pan.
- Fill with the cooled custard. Roll out the remaining pastry as a lid, seal the edges, and scatter pine nuts over the top.
- Bake 35–40 minutes, until deep golden.
- Cool fully, then dust with powdered sugar.
Serve at room temperature with an espresso — just like nonna would.
