Torta della Nonna
This traditional Tuscan shortcrust pastry with vanilla custard is a true Italian classic from Florence and the Tuscan countryside.
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Servings: 10 slices
Calories: 540kcal
Ingredients
Shortcut Pastry
- 330 grams (0.73 lb) cake flour or all purpose flour + one spoonful for dusting
- 165 grams (5.82 ounces) unsalted butter softened at room temperature
- 1 (1) egg
- 2 (2) egg yolks
- 130 grams (0.29 lb) sugar
- 1 teaspoon (1 teaspoon) baking powder
- 1 (1) lemon to grate for zest
- 1 teaspoon (1 teaspoon) pure vanilla extract
- 1 pinch (1 pinch) of salt
Italian Pastry Cream Filling
- 400 grams (13.53 floz) whole milk
- 100 grams (6.67 tbsp) fresh cream
- 6 (6) egg yolks
- 150 grams (12.5 tbsp) sugar
- 30 grams (4 tbsp) all purpose flour
- 20 grams (2.5 tbsp) potato starch
- 1 teaspoon (1 teaspoon) pure vanilla extract
Topping
- 80 grams (8 tbsp) pine nuts
- 2 tablespoons (2 tablespoons) powdered sugar
Instructions
- To make the shortcrust pastry, you will need a stand mixer, food processor or an electric mixer with dough attachment and a large mixing bowl. Add the sugar, butter, pinch of salt, lemon zest and vanilla and turn the machine on to mix the dough.
- Now add the egg and egg yolks one at a time, mixing continuously. The mixture should be light and fluffy. Add the next egg when the first is fully mixed in.
- In a separate bowl, mix together the flour and baking powder.
- Now add in all the flour to the butter and egg mixture and stir by hand with a wooden spoon or spatula until it is incorporated.
- Now transfer the dough to a flat surface that has been dusted with flour and knead it to form a smooth ball that does not stick to your hands. Cover it with plastic wrap and put it in the refrigerator to rest for 30-40 minutes.
- While the dough is resting, you can make the filling.
- To make the filling, first whip the egg yolks with the sugar and vanilla extract using an electric beater or mixer for 2 minutes or until the mixture is light and fluffy.
- Now add the sifted flour and potato starch and mix it all together with the electric mixer until it is smooth.
- In a deep sauce pan, mix together the milk and fresh cream and bring to a boil.
- As soon as it begins to boil, remove from heat and add the egg and flour mixture and put it back over medium heat.
- The egg mixture will float on the top and after 1 minute the mixture will break up and the milk will come through. At this point you will need to stir very quickly with a whisk and turn off the heat. The cream will be ready in just a few seconds when it becomes dense.
- Pour it immediately into a large glass bowl and cover with plastic wrap that touches the surface. Place the bowl in the fridge to let it cool for at least 15-20 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 400 F.
- Divide the dough into two balls. Roll out each dough ball on a cold, hard surface (such as marble) until you have formed a 4-5 mm thick circle with each.
- Line the bottom of a tart pan with baking paper. Put one circle down on the bottom and sides of your pan. Pinch the edges tightly to the mold, cut off any excess and prick the bottom of the crust with fork tines.
- Spread the chilled pastry cream mixture evenly over this bottom layer and then put the other circle of dough over the top and pinch the edges together.
- Brush the top lightly with a few drops of water and decorate with pine nuts.
- Put in the oven to bake for 45-55 minutes. The cake is ready when it is light golden brown and the pine nuts are lightly toasted.
- The cake must then be left to cool for at least 2 hours but preferably up to 8 hours! It is very important that you not cut it when it is still warm as the custard will not have set up yet and it will be a runny mess.
- Remove the cake with the help of the parchment paper or open the cake pan if you have a removable bottom.
- Dust the top of the cake with a generous amount of powdered sugar and serve at room temperature.
Notes
For a perfect crust: don't skip the step when you cover the dough and let it rest in the refrigerator for 30 to 40 minutes. This step of chilling the dough allows it to form a compact, harder dough that is easier to roll out and keeps its form better.
Our expert tip for making the pastry cream is not to allow it to boil too hard at the beginning and also to remove it from the heat as indicated to avoid it getting lumpy or overlooked and instead helping it to have the perfect vanilla custard flavor and texture.
Let the tart cool completely, because the pastry cream filling needs to set up, and this takes time. We recommend you wait at least 2 hours before serving the cake and preferably up to 8 hours, so you will need to plan ahead. Most Italian nonnas make it the night before a big family meal!
Serving: 150g | Calories: 540kcal | Carbohydrates: 62g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 29g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 223mg | Sodium: 40mg | Potassium: 256mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 33g | Vitamin A: 861IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 109mg | Iron: 2mg
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