Torta della Nonna, which translates to “grandmother’s cake” in Italian, is a traditional Italian dessert made with Italian pastry cream. This creamy tart is a delicious treat that’s perfect for any occasion!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ REVIEW: The combination of creamy custard and fragrant, buttery crust is pure heaven. I followed the instructions closely, and the result was a beautiful golden dessert that tasted as good as it looked.

Torta della Nonna is a classic sweet pastry that consists of a buttery shortcrust pastry shell filled with a rich, creamy custard-like filling, topped with pine nuts and powdered sugar. It’s a staple on Italian grandmother’s tables and sure to be one of your new favorite desserts!
If you love classic Italian recipes, don’t miss this Torta Margherita, Torta Paradiso, Torta Sbrisolona, Italian Pear Cake, or this Torta Caprese. And, if you love Italian cookies, be sure to try the classic Amaretti Cookies or Italian Thumbprint Cookies.
For another delicious dessert using Italian pastry cream, try my delicious Italian Custard Cake, known also as Torta Nua.
You’ll Love Torta della Nonna
Even if you didn’t grow up eating this Italian grandmother’s cake, you’re going to love every bite of this treat! This Torta della Nonna recipe is a perfectly sweetened tart-like cake with the most amazing texture and flavor.
The combination of buttery crust, creamy filling, all topped with toasted pine nuts make this Italian dessert truly special. It’s a classic recipe that’s loved by Italians that’s been enjoyed for generations.
The custard-like pastry cream filling of the torta is made with eggs, sugar, and milk, resulting in a luscious and creamy texture. Plus, you can make the filling up to three days ahead for this recipe.
After the custard filling is poured into the shell, it is baked in the oven until the pastry is golden brown and the filling is set. You can make this torta in advance too, just refrigerate until ready to serve.
So, if even if you’ve never tried this traditional Italian grandmother’s cake, you should definitely make this recipe. Full of delicious flavors and textures, you’re going to love this dessert!
Pastry Ingredients
- Flour: regular all purpose flour works for making pastry crust. If you are making this in the food processor, no need to sift the flour ahead of time.
- Sugar: this is optional, but I always like to add a bit of granulated sugar when making pastry crust.
- Salt: use kosher salt if you have it.
- Butter: to get fluffy and rich pastry crust for the Torta della Nonna, be sure you are using very cold cubed butter. If using salted butter, omit the additional salt in the recipe.
- Ice Water: be sure you are using ice water when making the pastry crust.
Filling Ingredients
- Milk: for this recipe, use a milk that has some fat to it like whole milk or 2% milk.
- Eggs: here you are just using the yolks of four large eggs. Save the leftover egg whites to make an omelette or delicious Italian Amaretti Cookies.
- Sugar: just use regular granulated sugar.
- Flour: be sure to sift the all purpose flour ahead of time to remove any lumps.
- Vanilla: ideally, you can add the insides of a vanilla bean or vanilla bean paste to give Italian pastry cream lots of flavor. However, I just use vanilla extract because it’s easy to find.
How to Make Torta Della Nonna
Torta della Nonna recipe is a classic Italian dessert that’s usually made in a tart pan. You can always substitute a pie pan if needed.
Step 1: make the custard
The first step is to make the custard filling, “Italian pastry cream”, for this recipe. Here, you can find detailed instructions on how to make Italian Pastry Cream.
Start by heating milk. Then, in a bowl whisk together the egg yolks and sugar until light and fluffy. Add in the flour and vanilla. Slowly temper the egg mixture by add in a little bit of the hot milk at a time while whisking constantly.
Pour the mixture into a saucepan and cook over medium heat until thickened. Strain through fine mesh sieve, then cover and chill until ready to use.
Step 2: make the pastry dough
Next, make the pastry dough for the Torta della Nonna. I like to do this in a food processor. Start by fitting your food processor with the blade attachment and add in the flour, sugar, and salt, topped with the cold cubed butter.
Pulse the mixture until combined. Then, add in tablespoons of ice water until the pie crust forms a ball. Press the mixture into a disk shape and cover with plastic wrap. Chill for at least an hour.
While the dough chills, soak the pine nuts in water. Drain and dry before using.
Step 3: roll out the dough
Once the dough has had time to chill, cut it into two nearly equal parts with one being slightly larger than the other. Dust the top and bottom of the dough with flour and place on a piece of plastic wrap.
Roll the dough into large round circles, one about 12 inches and the other about 10 inches.
Step 4: assemble the Torta della Nonna
To assemble, spray a 9-inch tart pan with nonstick spray. Carefully transfer the larger round of pastry dough to the tart pan. Press the dough into the pan removing the excess.
Whisk the chilled Italian pastry cream until its light and fluffy. Spread the custard on top of the dough in the tart pan.
Next, carefully place the top layer of pastry on top of the custard. Press the pastry into the dough on the sides of the tin and trim off any excess.
Lastly, brush the top of the torta with water and add on the soaked and drained pine nuts. Bake in a preheated oven until golden, about 40 minutes.
Let the Torta della Nonna cool on a wire baking rack for 10 minutes, then remove the tin and let cool completely. Dust with powdered sugar before serving.
Tips for Making Torta della Nonna
- Tart Pan: this recipe is traditionally prepared in a tart tin with a removable base. If you don’t have a tart tin, you can always make it in a pie pan for equally delicious results.
- Filling: you can make the custard filling up to three days in advance for this recipe. Be sure to check out my detailed post on Italian Pastry Cream to get the best results every time!
- Dough: as with the filling, the dough can also be made in advance and chilled until ready to roll out.
- Food Processor: if you don’t have a food processor, you can always make the dough by cutting the butter into the flour mixture using a pastry cutter or two knives.
- Pine Nuts: the pine nuts add a delicious crunch as well as texture to this recipe. Feel free to omit them if you don’t have them. You can also garnish with toasted pine nuts at the end of baking rather than placing them on the torta before baking.
- Serving: Torta della Nonna can be served chilled or at room temperature. Allow the torta to cool completely before dusting with powdered sugar.
- Storage: leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for about 3-4 days. Eat within a few days for the best taste and texture.
Frequently Asked Questions
Torta della Nonna is a traditional Italian dessert. It is a classic sweet pastry that consists of a buttery shortcrust pastry shell filled with a rich, creamy custard-like filling and often topped with pine nuts and powdered sugar.
You can use a standard 9-inch pie pan in place of the tart tin for this recipe. The baking time should be similar if you are using a metal pie pan. Glass pie pans will take longer.
More Classic Italian Desserts
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Torta della Nonna Recipe
Equipment
- 1 medium saucepan
- 1 9-inch tart pan (can also use pie pan)
Ingredients
Italian Pastry Cream
- 2 cups milk (whole or 2% work)
- 4 large egg yolks
- ¾ cups granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ⅓ cup all purpose flour (40 grams)
Pastry Crust
- 2 cups all purpose flour (270 grams)
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¾ cup butter (cold and cut into cubes)
- 5-8 tablespoons ice water
- 1 tablespoon pine nuts
- powdered sugar for topping
Instructions
Italian Pastry Cream
- Add milk to a medium saucepan. Heat the milk over low heat until it starts to simmer, stirring constantly; set aside.
- In a large bowl, use a whisk to beat together the egg yolks, sugar, and vanilla until light in color and well combined. Add in the flour and mix together until incorporated.
- Temper the egg mixture by whisking in a small amount of the hot milk, whisking constantly. Then mix in the remaining milk until well combined.
- Pour the mixture into the saucepan and cook over medium/low heat for 5-7, whisking constantly. You will know the pastry cream is done when it thickens up.
- Set a fine mesh sieve over a bowl. Pour the pastry cream in the sieve and use a rubber spatula to stir the mixture and press it through the sieve (this will help to ensure that you have a smooth pastry cream with no lumps).
- Pour the pastry cream in a small bowl and place plastic wrap on the surface of the cream. Chill for at least an hour or until mixture has cooled. Before serving, whisk the pastry cream using either a hand held mixture or a whisk.
Pastry Dough
- In a food processor fitted with the blade attachment, add in the 2 cups of flour, sugar, and kosher salt. Add the cold cubed butter on top and place on lid. Pulse the mixture until it starts to form coarse crumbs. Then, turn the mixer on and add in the cold water, one tablespoon at a time, until the dough comes together and forms a ball.
- Pour the pastry dough onto a piece of plastic wrap. With your hands, work the dough into a disk shape and cover with plastic wrap. Place in the refrigerator and let chill for at least 45 minutes.
- While the dough is chilling, soak the pine nuts in water.
Torta della Nonna Assembly
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees and position a rack in the center of the oven. Spray a 9-inch tart pan with nonstick cooking spray.
- Divide the dough into two pieces so that one piece is about ⅔rds of the dough. Take the larger piece and dust it with a flour place and it in between two pieces of plastic wrap or parchment paper. Use a rolling pin to roll the dough into a large circle, about 12 inches across.
- Carefully place the flattened pastry dough into the prepared tart pan. Press the dough into the pan and cut off remaining dough so the dough fits the tart pan.
- Pour the cooled whisked pastry cream into the pie shell. Smooth and flatten so the filling is even in the pan.
- Roll out the remaining pastry dough into a large 10 inch circle. Carefully place the dough on top of the pastry cream, pressing the edges to seal. Remove the excess dough.
- Drain the pine nuts and dry on a paper towel. Brush water on top of the torta and sprinkle on the pine nuts.
- Place torta in preheated oven and bake for 40 minutes. (Note that the top crust may move slightly while baking; this is normal and it will settle as the torta cools.)
- Remove from oven and place on a rack and allow to cool completely. When ready to serve, place on a serving platter and dust with powdered sugar. Best served at room temperature or chilled.
Notes
- Tart Pan: this recipe is traditionally prepared in a tart tin with a removable base. If you don’t have a tart tin, you can always make it in a pie pan for equally delicious results.
- Filling: you can make the custard filling up to three days in advance for this recipe. Be sure to check out my detailed post on Italian Pastry Cream to get the best results every time!
- Dough: as with the filling, the dough can also be made in advance and chilled until ready to roll out.
- Food Processor: if you don’t have a food processor, you can always make the dough by cutting the butter into the flour mixture using a pastry cutter or two knives.
- Pine Nuts: the pine nuts add a delicious crunch as well as texture to this recipe. Feel free to omit them if you don’t have them. You can also garnish with toasted pine nuts at the end of baking rather than placing them on the torta before baking.
- Serving: Torta della Nonna can be served chilled or at room temperature. Allow the torta to cool completely before dusting with powdered sugar.
- Storage: leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for about 3-4 days. Eat within a few days for the best taste and texture.
The combination of creamy custard and fragrant, buttery crust is pure heaven. I followed the instructions closely, and the result was a beautiful golden dessert that tasted as good as it looked.
The texture of this was amazing. Such a simple and delicious dessert.
This was so easy to make and it tasted insanely good. 10/10.
This cake looks gorgeous and delicious. Thanks for the recipe.
This is such a delicious dessert and it looks understated and elegant. The filling has a nice creamy texture too.
I love how something with such simple ingredients can turn into something to decadent and delicious – and this was! Perfectly sweet and creamy, it was a huge hit at our house!
So happy you enjoyed it 🙂