How to Make Rustic Italian Almond Cake -Torta Sbrisolona

Name: Torta Sbrisolona
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 1
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: AP Flour - 100 gm; Cornmeal- 100 gm; Butter - 100 gm; Almonds - 100 gm + 15 almonds for garnish; Sugar - 80 gm + 1 spoon for garnish; Egg yolk - 1; Orange zest - 1; Vanilla essence - 1/2 tsp; Salt - 1 pinch

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Italian Torta Sbrisolona feels like something in between a crumbly almond flour cookie and an almond cake. This North Italian, rustic, low-carb dessert is one of the easiest cake recipes and it tastes incredible.

Why you will love this cake recipe:

Very Basic Ingredients: This cake uses basic ingredients that are present in almost every pantry. The main ingredients are flour, cornmeal, whole almonds, and butter. I used Bob’s Red Mill medium grind cornmeal for this. Cornflour can also be used as a replacement. I feel cornmeal gives it that rustic texture which I quite like.
No whisk no fuss: This is a no whisk no-fuss recipe. All the ingredients just need to be combined together with hands. You will feel like you are playing with wet sand when you are making this cake. Who doesn’t enjoy that!
Stores well: This cake stays well for 5 days at room temperature, two weeks in the refrigerator, and up to two months in the freezer.

How I learned about this dish:

Italian cuisine is one of the most popular cuisines in the world and Italian Pizza should rightfully get credit for that fame. But I also feel Pizza is outshining some of the other traditional recipes that real Italian people eat every day. I cannot imagine I did not know about Torta Sbrisolona until recently when Stefania from Stefania’s Kitchenette introduced me to this awesome dessert and we both cooked it for my project Across Kitchen Lines.

If you are like me and often looking for some real Italian recipe ideas, I suggest checking out Stefania’s blog. Stefania’s blog is like a calming and soothing place on the web where you can get inspiration to eat like an Italian, from an Italian. Her writing style is very personal and takes you on a journey. I personally love that style which gives a background of what I am about to eat and also tells me about the origins of the dish.

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Torta Sbrisolona

Yield: 1

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 35 minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes

This North Italian, rustic, low-carb dessert is one of the easiest cake recipes and it tastes incredible.

Ingredients

AP Flour - 100 gm
Cornmeal- 100 gm
Butter - 100 gm
Almonds - 100 gm + 15 almonds for garnish
Sugar - 80 gm + 1 spoon for garnish
Egg yolk - 1
Orange zest - 1
Vanilla essence - 1/2 tsp
Salt - 1 pinch

Instructions

Coarsely grind almonds and sugar by pulsing in a blender.
In a mixing bowl mix the ground almonds, flours, zest, and salt and combine well.
In a small bowl soft butter, yolk, and vanilla. Roughly combine with fingertips.
Add egg and butter mix to the large bowl with flour and combine well.
You will get a wet sand clumpy texture. NOT looking to make a batter. Do Not add any fluid.
Pour the mix into a 9" baking dish. Line the bottom with parchment paper or lightly butter.
Gently level the mix. Do not overpress or compact. Spread the reserved almonds evenly on top so you get some each slice.
Bake for about 25 mins at 350°F in the middle rack and an additional 10 mins at 320°F for a golden crunchier cake.
Let it cool for 15 mins before removing it from the pan.

Notes

Stores well for 5 days at room temp, 10 days in the refrigerator, and 2 months in the freezer.
Great as is and also pairs well with coffee

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 243Total Fat: 13gCarbohydrates: 30gSugar: 10gProtein: 3g

Nutrition information isn’t always accurate. I would not make any major life decisions based on this.

Closing words:

If you are looking for any help in making this recipe or trying a vegetarian diet in general, feel free to reach out to me. You can comment here or DM me on Instagram. If you give this recipe a try, share your pictures with me on Instagram @t_as_in_tarun or use #acrosskitchenlines. If you have a recipe you want to cook with me, count me in! Please send me a message or leave a comment.