The grandma’s soft tart is one of those desserts that remind you of home, childhood memories, and simplicity. A soft and light base, baked in the classic smart mold – 👉 don’t know what it is? I’ll explain it here! – holds a creamy and fragrant vanilla custard, perfect to enhance the delicacy of the dough.
This cake was born from the desire to bring to the table a genuine dessert, made with simple and real ingredients, just like it used to be: eggs, sugar, flour, and milk. No elaborate decoration, but a rustic and tasty touch given by the toasted pine nuts on the surface, which give crunchiness and flavor to each slice.
It’s perfect to prepare in any season: for breakfast, as a snack or as a Sunday dessert. It is made quickly and simply, but always conquers everyone at the first taste. Let’s prepare it together!
Wait, take a look here👇😜🐾

- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: 10
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Energy 322.24 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 43.80 (g) of which sugars 31.12 (g)
- Proteins 7.71 (g)
- Fat 14.29 (g) of which saturated 5.78 (g)of which unsaturated 7.88 (g)
- Fibers 0.57 (g)
- Sodium 26.74 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 110 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients to prepare grandma’s soft tart
- 5 oz sugar
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 3 eggs
- 3 tbsp butter (softened and cut into pieces)
- Half packet baking powder
- 1 pod vanilla (seeds)
- 2 cups milk
- 5 oz sugar
- 5 oz egg yolk
- 1/3 cup cornstarch
- 1 pod vanilla (seeds)
- 2 oz pine nuts
- as needed powdered sugar
Tools
- 1 Electric Mixer
- Saucepan
- Mold smart
How to make grandma’s soft tart
With electric mixer: Whip the eggs with the sugar until you get a fluffy and pale mixture. Add the softened butter and continue whipping. Add the vanilla seeds, then the sifted flour and baking powder. Pour into the greased and floured smart mold and bake at 350°F for 15 minutes. Let cool.
With the kitchen robot (Bimby): Put all ingredients in the bowl and mix for 1 minute at speed 4. Pour the batter into the greased and floured smart mold and bake in a static oven at 350°F for 15 minutes. Let it cool completely before removing.
Heat the milk with the vanilla in a saucepan. In a bowl, mix sugar, yolks, and sifted cornstarch. Pour the hot milk over the mixture, stir and bring everything back to the heat. Cook on low flame until you get a smooth cream. Transfer to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap in contact and let cool.
Toast the pine nuts in a pan. Flip the base onto the serving plate. Fill the indentation with the cold cream and decorate with the pine nuts and a dusting of powdered sugar.
Storage
I store the grandma’s soft tart in the refrigerator, under a cake dome, for up to 2 days.
Questions and Answers
Can I prepare the base in advance?
Yes, you can bake it the day before and store it covered at room temperature.
Can I use a regular mold instead of the smart mold?
Yes, but you won’t get the central indentation. Alternatively, you can gently carve it out once the base is baked.