The Grandma’s Cake is part of Italian tradition. A shortcrust pastry that must be crumbly along with a custard that when eaten warm is out of this world. There are two versions of this dessert. One involves a single layer of pastry covered with cream and the other a double layer of pastry with cream in the middle. The ingredient that must never be missing is pine nuts which should be placed inside and on the surface. This is the recipe with two layers… let’s prepare it together.
Recipe updated on 03/24/2017
Other recipes
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Preparation time: 1 Hour
- Portions: 10
- Cooking methods: Electric oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients
- 1 quart whole milk
- 3 egg yolks
- 1 cup sugar
- 3/4 cup cornstarch
- 1/2 vanilla bean (pulp)
- 1/2 lemon peel (whole)
- 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 4 egg yolks
- 1 1/4 cups powdered sugar
- 7 oz butter (cold from fridge)
- 1/2 lemon peel (grated)
- 1 pinch fine salt
- 3/4 cup pine nuts
- 1 tsp powdered sugar
Tools
- Kitchen Scale
- Kneading Board
- Rolling Pin
- Food Processor
- Bowl
- Whisk
- Springform Pan cm.22
Steps
Pour the egg yolks and sugar into a large bowl. Mix with a whisk, dilute with a few tablespoons of cold milk and add the sifted cornstarch.
Add the pulp of the half vanilla bean, mix well and add all the milk. Pour everything into a non-stick saucepan, put on low heat and stir until the cream thickens. Cover the cream with cling film placed in contact and let it cool.
Pour the sifted flour into the cup of the food processor. Add the cold butter from the fridge cut into pieces and operate until the butter is the size of sand (this operation is called sanding). At this point add the egg yolks.
Also add the powdered sugar, grated lemon zest, salt and operate the food processor again. Pour the dough onto the kneading board and quickly form two loaves, one slightly larger than the other. With the rolling pin form two discs (with parchment paper underneath), place them in the fridge until 5 minutes before using them.
Preheat the oven to 350°F in static mode. Remove the pastry discs from the fridge. The larger one, once it becomes a little more manageable, roll it out into the pan lined with parchment paper. Prick the bottom with a fork, so it will not swell during cooking. Use a knife to remove the excess dough on the edge. Pour the cream inside the shell, level it, and sprinkle with 3/4 of the pine nuts. Cover with the other disc and again remove the excess. Use the handle of a wooden spoon to seal the edge well.
Finish by sprinkling the surface with the remaining pine nuts and bake at mid-height. Bake the cake for 60 minutes, checking that it does not darken too much. If it happens after 45 minutes, cover with an aluminum foil. Once cooked, remove it from the oven and let it cool completely. To turn it, place a lid on top, flip it, remove the pan, place the serving plate, and turn it over. Decorate with powdered sugar.
