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Creamy Cake

17/11/2023

I can provide you with the recipe for a classic Italian creamy cake, also known as “torta della nonna”. It’s a dessert that consists of a shortcrust pastry base with a soft and velvety custard filling, often decorated with pine nuts or almonds. Here’s how to prepare it:

Ingredients

  • 300 g of type 00 flour
  • 150 g of sugar
  • 150 g of cold butter, cubed
  • 1 whole egg and 1 yolk
  • 1 pinch of salt
  • The grated zest of 1 lemon

For the custard cream:

  • 4 egg yolks
  • 100 g of sugar
  • 500 ml of milk
  • 40 g of type 00 flour
  • The zest of 1 lemon (without the white part)
  • 1 vanilla pod or 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

For the decoration:

  • Pine nuts or slivered almonds
  • Icing sugar (optional)

Preparation

  1. Start by preparing the shortcrust pastry: in a bowl, combine the flour, sugar, cold butter, whole egg, yolk, salt, and lemon zest. Quickly work the ingredients until they form a uniform dough ball. Wrap the dough in cling film and let it rest in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes.

  2. Prepare the custard cream: whip the yolks with the sugar until you get a light and fluffy mixture. Add the sifted flour and mix to avoid lumps. Heat the milk with the lemon zest and vanilla, without bringing it to a boil. Remove the vanilla pod and lemon zest, then slowly pour the hot milk over the yolk mixture, stirring continuously.

  3. Transfer the mixture into a saucepan and cook the cream over medium-low heat, stirring constantly until it thickens. Once ready, transfer it to a bowl and cover it with cling film making contact to prevent a skin from forming on the surface. Let it cool completely.

  4. Take the pastry dough from the refrigerator and roll it out into an even layer. Line a buttered and floured cake tin with the pastry, reserving some of the dough for the top cover.

  5. Pour the cooled custard cream over the pastry base, then cover with the remaining pastry, sealing the edges well.

  6. Sprinkle the surface with pine nuts or slivered almonds and bake at 180 °C (356 °F) for about 40 minutes or until golden brown.

  7. Let the cake cool before dusting it with icing sugar, if desired.

Here is your creamy cake, classic and delightful! This dessert is often found on Italian tables, especially during holidays or as a comforting end to a meal.

Creamy Cake