Grandma’s cake is a timeless Italian pastry classic that encloses a heart of custard sprinkled with toasted pine nuts in a fragrant shortcrust pastry. Another similar recipe with custard is the pasticciotto cake, worth trying.
It’s a simple recipe to make that you can present on any occasion and will make you rediscover the comforting taste of cakes from the past made with love; Grandma’s cake is timeless.
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Cheap
- Portions: 8 Pieces
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 7 tbsp butter
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 2 eggs
- fine salt (a pinch)
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 packet vanillin
- to taste lemon zest (grated)
- 2 cups milk
- 4 egg yolks
- 4 tbsp sugar
- 2 tbsp potato starch (or cornstarch or flour)
- 1 lemon (only the peel, cut without the white part)
- 2.8 oz pine nuts
- to taste powdered sugar
Steps
1 – Prepare the shortcrust pastry by placing the softened butter and sugar in a bowl.
Using an electric whisk, beat the mixture, then add the eggs one at a time, the pinch of salt, the vanilla powder, and the grated lemon zest.Gradually add the sifted flour and baking powder, and briefly knead the shortcrust pastry by hand.
Form a dough, wrap it in plastic wrap, and then let it rest in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.2 – Meanwhile, make the custard by placing the eggs, sugar, and potato starch in a bowl and beat the mixture with an electric whisk. Boil the milk with the lemon peel, then remove it and pour the hot milk into the egg and sugar mixture.
Place the milk back on the stove and cook the cream, stirring until it thickens.
Turn off the heat and let it cool with plastic wrap on top, then refrigerate it to speed up the cooling.3 – Butter and flour a baking pan. I use a springform pan of 7/8″ in diameter.
Take the shortcrust pastry and divide it into two parts, one larger for the base and one smaller for the upper cover.
Roll out the first disk of dough with a rolling pin and cover the base and edges of the cake pan. Prick the base with a fork and then pour the cream inside. Place the second disk of shortcrust pastry on top and seal the edges well together.4 – Brush the surface of the pastry with a bit of water or milk and sprinkle with pine nuts. Preheat the oven and bake the cake at 320°F for 45 minutes, in the middle-lower part.
Grandma’s cake will be ready when it turns golden and the pine nuts are slightly toasted. Remove from the oven and let it cool in the pan before taking it out. Serve it sprinkled with plenty of powdered sugar.
