Torta della Nonna Recipe

Torta della Nonna, which translates to "grandmother's cake" in Italian, is a traditional Italian dessert made with Italian pastry cream in a butter pastry shell.

Course Dessert

Cuisine Italian

Keyword pastry cream

Prep Time 25

Cook Time 40

Chill Time 1

Total Time 2 5

Servings servings

Calories 291kcal

Author Angela Allison

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.

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