Sbrisolona cake, a typical dessert from Mantua famous all over Italy, simple and fragrant, which we can easily prepare at home in less than an hour.

Perfect to enjoy at breakfast or as a snack but also to end a meal along with coffee and liqueurs, it is made with few ingredients and without yeast.

It has a rustic taste but the almond and lemon scent is unmistakable. The preparation is simple and its crumbly dough does not require great precision.

The preparation is quick (often about 20 minutes) and the cooking generally takes around 40-50 minutes, so the total time is close to an hour.

Like all ancient popular recipes, this too has spread in many variations and every family has its own. I have created a very simple one, where the fragrance and flavor of the almonds are the undisputed protagonists!

We can cut our sbrisolona into slices or, following tradition, break it by hand. Serve the portions on a dessert plate, perfect for accompanying coffee after lunch or a cup of tea for a snack.

If we bring it to the table after dinner, we can enhance it with homemade creams or liqueurs to taste.
It is an ideal dessert for all occasions when we have guests, because it is delicate and easily pleases everyone. Also, since it is a cake without yeast and naturally light, it is perfect even for a home breakfast without excesses.

The Sbrisolona Cake can be baked in a traditional oven, convection, or air fryer: all three methods are described in the recipe.

Difficulty: Very Easy
Cost: Economical
Preparation time: 15 Minutes
Portions: 8 People
Cooking methods: Electric oven, Air frying
Cuisine: Italian
Seasonality: All seasons

316.12 Kcal

calories per serving

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Energy 316.12 (Kcal)
Carbohydrates 34.72 (g) of which sugars 14.82 (g)
Proteins 5.91 (g)
Fat 18.36 (g) of which saturated 7.84 (g)of which unsaturated 10.17 (g)
Fibers 2.25 (g)
Sodium 148.89 (mg)

Indicative values for a portion of 65 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

Sbrisolona Cake

3.5 oz almonds (Coarsely chopped plus some whole for decoration)
3.5 oz all-purpose flour
1 egg yolk
3.5 oz cornmeal
3.5 oz butter (Cold, cut into pieces)
1 pinch salt
3.5 oz sugar
1 packet vanilla sugar
1 lemon (Only the grated zest)
as needed powdered sugar (for dusting)

Tools

Bowl
Pan

Steps

Sbrisolona Cake

In a large bowl, pour the all-purpose flour and cornmeal.
Coarsely chop the almonds (not too finely, it’s important to leave some pieces) and add them to the flours.
Also add the sugar and vanilla sugar, mixing all the powders well with a spoon.
Add the cold butter cut into pieces, the egg yolk, and the grated lemon zest. Work everything quickly with your hands (or fingertips), rubbing the ingredients until you get a completely crumbled and grainy dough.
It is essential not to compact the dough to avoid forming a ball.
Line the bottom of a springform pan (diameter 9.5 inches) with parchment paper.
Distribute the crumbled dough evenly on the base, leveling it gently, but without pressing or compacting it.
Decorate the surface with a handful of whole almonds and a sprinkling of granulated sugar. Bake in a convection oven preheated to 340°F for about 30-40 minutes or until the surface is golden brown and crispy.
Static oven Preheat to 350°F – 355°F. Bake for about 40 – 45 minutes.
Air fryer cooking The times are usually shorter than in a traditional oven.
A good start is to set a lower temperature, for example, 320°F
The cooking time will be around 20-30 minutes, but you will need to monitor the cake, especially towards the end, to prevent it from browning too much on the surface before it’s cooked inside.
Since the sbrisolona is a low cake, it will cook quite evenly.
I recommend checking the browning and, if necessary, lightly covering the surface with a foil in the last minutes if it browns too quickly.
If you notice the top browning too quickly, you can slightly lower the temperature in the last 10-15 minutes or cover the cake with foil.
Remove the sbrisolona from the oven and let it cool completely in the mold (it will harden as it cools, making it easier to handle).
Once cool, transfer it to a serving plate, ready to be enjoyed by breaking it by hand, as tradition dictates!
If you like, add a final dusting of powdered sugar before serving.
Or serve it with cream like Zabaione or a glass of Vin Santo or other dessert liqueur, especially at the end of a meal.
And enjoy your meal!

Advice

The best way to store it is under a cake bell or, even better, in a tin container (cookie box). This protects from air and moisture.

Since it has very low humidity, it’s also a perfect dessert for food gifts.

If you made a filled version (like a “crumbled” with Nutella, cream, or jam), the storage time is reduced to 3-4 days and it’s usually better to keep it in the fridge. But your classic version, without filling, is very resilient!

Use cold fridge butter and cut it into pieces before adding it. This is essential to getting a dough that stays crumbled and does not blend into a ball like shortcrust pastry.

Do not blend the almonds into flour. They must remain visible pieces (crumbs, “brise”) that give a rustic and crunchy texture.

Work the ingredients only for the time necessary to let the butter absorb into the flours and create crumbs. Do not compact the dough into a ball.

When you pour the dough into the mold, distribute it evenly but do not press it. It must maintain its crumbly consistency.

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