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Authentic Italian Torta della Nonna (Custard Filled Tart)

Classic Italian Dessert: Crumbly and soft pastry filled with rich and delicate custard cream, topped with tasty pine nuts

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If there is one Italian dessert that truly feels like a warm hug from Nonna, it has to be Torta della Nonna! 

This classic Italian Grandma’s Cake is everything I love about Italian baking: simple ingredients, delicate flavors, and a dessert that looks elegant without being complicated to make.

Imagine a buttery, crumbly pastry crust filled with a silky-smooth Italian custard cream, flavored with vanilla and a touch of lemon. Then, as if that wasn’t already delicious enough, it’s topped with golden, crunchy pine nuts and a generous dusting of powdered sugar.

Simple, yet so delicate, rich and elegant. A mouth-watering fusion of vanilla flavor, nutty taste, with a hint of lemony aroma.

And let me tell you… that first bite? Absolutely irresistible! 

Just look at THIS!!

 

Wanna make you grab that little fork and dig in, right?!? 😍

Photos can speak louder than words sometimes.

What is Torta della Nonna?

You might have heard before of the Torta della Nonna (Italian Grandma’s Cake). Or, if you are one of the lucky ones, you might have even tasted it.

This cake, that’s more like a pie, is made with a soft and velvety Italian custard cream squooshed between two layers of buttery and perfectly crumbly pastry dough. All topped with sweet pine nuts and a light dusting of powdered sugar.

Squooshed: tenderly squeezed and gently smooshed … In case you didn’t know! 😊

The combination of crisp pastry and creamy custard is what makes this traditional Italian dessert so special. It’s comforting, elegant, and surprisingly easy to make at home.

And, if you are not a lover of pine nuts, you can always substitute with sliced almonds.

Still amazing!

 

A few baking tips

There are a few little tricks that will help you get the perfect Torta della Nonna. When making the pastry dough, try not to overwork it once the eggs are added. You want the dough to just come together, then divide it into two disks and refrigerate it for at least 30 minutes. Keeping the dough cold makes it easier to roll and helps create that delicate, crumbly pastry.

When cooking the custard cream, whisk continuously and keep an eye on the bottom of the pan once it starts to thicken. It should become nice and thick before you pour it into the pastry shell. Let the cream cool before assembling the cake.

Don’t worry if the pastry cracks a little when you’re transferring it to the tart pan — simply patch it gently with your fingers. The same goes for the top crust. Just take your time when placing it over the custard and press the edges together well to seal the cake.

For baking, place the torta in the lower third of the oven and bake until the pastry is lightly golden around the edges and on top. Some of the custard may bubble up and spill a little while baking, so I recommend placing a baking sheet or a piece of aluminum foil on the rack underneath to catch any drips and make cleanup easier.

And don’t rush the last step! Let the cake cool completely at room temperature, then refrigerate it for about an hour before dusting with powdered sugar and slicing. This gives the custard time to set, so you’ll get beautiful, clean slices with that creamy filling perfectly nestled between the two layers of pastry.

How to serve Torta della Nonna

Torta della Nonna is wonderful served at room temperature, when the custard is creamy and the pastry is perfectly tender. Once cooled, finish it with a generous dusting of powdered sugar just before serving.

You can enjoy it on its own with a cup of espresso or coffee, or serve it as the perfect ending to an Italian meal. And honestly, it’s just as delicious the next day!

 

How to store Torta della Nonna

Because this cake is filled with homemade custard cream, store any leftovers covered in the refrigerator. It will keep well for a few days. Before serving, let it sit at room temperature for a little while so the pastry and custard can soften slightly and the flavors can come through.

If you’re making it ahead for guests, you can prepare the components in advance and assemble and bake the cake according to the recipe. This makes Torta della Nonna a wonderful dessert for entertaining, holidays, or a special Sunday meal with family.

As usual, I’m not just going to tell you how easy it is to make this dessert, but I’m going to show you with this quick video, and a recipe with step-by-step pictures.

So grab your ingredients, get that oven going, and let’s make one of Italy’s most beloved classic desserts together! 

STEP-BY-STEP VIDEO RECIPE:

 

 

 

Looks delicious, right?!?
After all (Italian) Grandmas know better 🙂
 

Other Italian dessert recipes you might like:

Enjoy!

Here are my step-by-step directions with photos.

Note: You can find the printable recipe card at the bottom.
Prepare the dough: in a food processor, add the flour, sugar, lemon zest, salt and the butter cut in pieces.
Pulse until the mixture looks like a coarse meal. Add the vanilla extract,  eggs and mix only until the dough comes together.
If by any chance the dough is too dry add a little bit (maybe one or two tablespoons) of milk. If too wet, add a bit of flour.
Collect the dough and divide into two pieces, a large and  smaller piece (about 2/3 and 1/3).
Make into two disks, wrap each separately in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1/2 hour.
 Prepare the custard cream: place the lemon peel in the milk and warm up until hot, but not boiling. You can warm up in the microwave or in a small pan on the stove.
In a sauce pan, add the egg yolks, flour, corn starch, sugar and vanilla extract.
Whisk well until light and fluffy.
Add a little bit of the hot milk (discarding the lemon peel) and whisk some more. Incorporate the rest of the milk, while whisking. Place the pan over medium heat and bring to a slow boil, while stirring. The cream will thickens so make sure it doesn’t stick to the bottom. Lower the flame when it starts to bubble and cook for one or two more minutes, until it reaches the desired thickness.
Pour the cream in a glass bowl, cover with plastic wrap. The plastic should touch the cream, so it won’t become harder on top. Let it cool down.
Preheat the oven to 350° F (175°C).
Grease an 11 in (28 cm) tart pan with butter and flour (or spray). Roll out the larger dough first on a lightly floured surface to a circle of about 12 inches (30 cm) in diameter. Helping yourself with the rolling pin, move the dough to the tart pan. If the dough breaks, you can easily fix it with your fingers, so don’t worry!  Trim the excess dough around the edges, or add little pieces if needed.
Prick the bottom with a fork.
 Pour the custard cream in the tart shell and spread.
Roll out the other pastry to right around 11 in (28 cm) circle, and place it on top of the tart. You need to be a little more carefully this time. Cut off any extra dough from the edges, and press the edges together to seal.
Gently prick the top with a fork just a little. Brush the top with some milk and sprinkle with the pine nuts, pressing them down slightly with your fingers so that the nuts stick to the dough.
Bake in lower third of the oven for about 45 minutes, until slightly golden on top and around the edges (some custard cream might spill out of the tart, I recommend placing a baking sheet or aluminum foil at the bottom of the oven to catch any spills!)
Let it cool down at room temperature first, than one hour in the refrigerator before dusting  with powdered sugar, and cutting your first slice… for yourself, of course 🙂
Happy Baking!

Authentic Italian Torta della Nonna (Custard Filled Tart)

2.9, 19 rating(s)

Classic Italian Dessert: Crumbly and soft pastry filled with rich and delicate custard cream, topped with tasty pine nuts

Servings:

8

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time

30 min

Cook Time

45 min

Resting Time

30 min

Total Time

1 hr, 45 min

Ingredients

For the dough (pasta frolla)

  • 3 1/2 cups (425 gr) all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 cup (150 gr) sugar
  • zest of half lemon, grated
  • one pinch of salt
  • 6 oz (170 gr) of unsalted butter
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

For the custard pastry cream

  • 4 cups (1 liter) milk
  • half lemon (peel, in one piece)
  • 6 egg yolks
  • 1/4 cup (30 gr) all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup (30 gr) corn starch
  • 1 cup (200 gr) sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the top

  • 4 oz (115 gr) of pine nuts
  • 2 tablespoons of milk
  • powdered sugar to decorate (optional)

Instructions

  1. Prepare the dough: in a food processor, add the flour, sugar, lemon zest, salt and the butter cut in pieces. Pulse until the mixture looks like a coarse meal. Add the vanilla extract, eggs and mix only until the dough comes together. If needed, add a tablespoon or two of milk if too dry. Add a bit of flour, if too wet.
  2. Collect the dough and divide into two pieces, a large and smaller piece (about 2/3 and 1/3). Make into two disks, wrap each separately in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1/2 hour.
  3. Prepare the custard cream: place the lemon peel in the milk and warm up until hot, but not boiling. You can warm up in the microwave or in a small pan on the stove.
  4. In a sauce pan, add the egg yolks, flour, corn starch, sugar and vanilla extract.Whisk well until light and fluffy. Add a little bit of the hot milk (discarding the lemon peel) and whisk some more. Incorporate the rest of the milk, while whisking.
  5. Place the pan over medium heat and bring to a slow boil, while stirring. The cream will thickens so make sure it doesn’t stick to the bottom. Lower the flame when it starts to bubble and cook for one or two more minutes, until it reaches the desired thickness. Pour the cream in a glass bowl, cover with plastic wrap. The plastic should touch the cream, so it won’t become harder on top. Let it cool down.
  6. Preheat the oven to 350° F (175°C).
  7. Grease an 11 in (28 cm) tart pan with butter and flour (or spray). Roll out the larger dough first on a lightly floured surface to a circle of about 12 inches (30 cm) in diameter. Helping yourself with the rolling pin, move the dough to the tart pan. If the dough breaks, you can easily fix it with your fingers, so don’t worry! Trim the excess dough around the edges, or add little pieces if needed.
  8. Prick the bottom with a fork. Pour the custard cream in the tart shell and spread.
  9. Roll out the other dough to about 11 or 12 inches (28 cm) circle, and place it on top of the tart. You need to be a little more carefully this time. Cut off any extra dough from the edges, and press the edges together to seal.
  10. Gently prick the top with a fork. Brush the top with some milk and sprinkle with the pine nuts, pressing them down slightly with your fingers so that the nuts stick to the dough.
  11. Bake in lower third of the oven for about 45 minutes, until slightly golden on top and around the edges (some custard cream might spill out of the tart, I recommend placing a baking sheet or aluminum foil at the bottom of the oven to catch any spills!)
  12. Let it cool down at room temperature first, than one hour in the refrigerator before dusting with powdered sugar, and cutting your first slice… for yourself, of course 🙂

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