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Make an authentic torta della nonna recipe for a borderline addictive taste of Tuscany. This custard tart or pie with Italian pastry cream is a must-try for lovers of rustic desserts. The textures are a heavenly combination of flaky, sweet pastry dough and a creamy center topped with pine nuts – so crunchy! This Italian custard pie (also known as grandmother’s cake when translated) looks incredibly pretty on your lunch or dinner spread. It is a classic Italian dessert that’s perfect for any occasion.
Try this torta della nonna, made with delicate, golden-brown shortcrust pastry and luscious, lemony Italian pastry cream, and a pine nut topping.
If you love this, try other Italian dessert recipes like baci di mama, my homemade nougat, or this indulgent recipe for Nutella cookies.
Why You’ll Love It
Authentic Italian delight: This classic Tuscan dessert is the perfect blend of creamy, nutty, and citrusy goodness.
Rich pastry cream: The silky smooth pastry cream is a luscious, velvety filling that pairs beautifully with the crisp, buttery crust.
Crunchy pine nuts: The toasted pine nuts add a delightful crunch and a unique, nutty flavor.
Beautiful presentation: With its golden crust, a dusting of powdered sugar, and pine nut garnish, this tart is as stunning as it is delicious.
Ingredients for Torta della Nonna
A complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
All-purpose flour: The base of our pastry, giving structure and texture.
Baking powder: Check your batch is fresh!
Granulated sugar: Sweetens the pastry and helps with browning.
Lemon zest: Use freshly zested lemon for a balanced taste.
Unsalted butter: Cold and cubed, it adds richness and flakiness.
Eggs: Binds the ingredients together and enriches the dough.
Whole milk: Adds creaminess and body to the pastry cream.
Cornstarch: Thickens the cream, giving it a smooth consistency.
Sugar: Sweetens the cream and balances the other flavors.
Vanilla extract: Adds a warm, aromatic flavor to the cream.
Pine nuts: Soaked in water for a softer texture and a delicate, nutty crunch.
Powdered sugar: Lightly dusted on top for a sweet finish and a beautiful presentation.
How to Make Torta della Nonna
For more detailed instructions with weights and measurements, jump to the printable recipe card.
Make the crust: Add the flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, and lemon zest to a food processor (I use this one) and pulse a few times. Add cold butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add eggs and pulse until the dough forms.
Knead the dough: Knead the dough by hand into a smooth ball, wrap, and chill for 45 minutes to 1 hour.
Make the pastry cream: Whisk egg yolks and sugar in a large bowl until combined. Whisk cornstarch into the egg mixture. Heat milk in a saucepan, cool and remove from heat. Add the vanilla.
Temper the eggs: Slowly pour a ladle of warmed milk into the egg mixture while whisking constantly to avoid lumps.
Cook the cream: Pour the egg mixture into the saucepan with the remaining milk. Cook on low heat, stirring frequently until thick and creamy.
Cool the cream: Pour the thickened cream into a shallow bowl to cool. Cover with plastic wrap touching the surface to prevent skin from forming, then refrigerate for about 1 hour.
Soak pine nuts: Place pine nuts in a bowl and cover with water.
Line the tart tin: Divide the chilled dough into 2 pieces, one of which is two-thirds of the dough. Roll out the larger piece and line the tart tin with it.
Fill with pastry cream: Spread the cooled pastry cream evenly over the bottom crust.
Prepare top crust: Roll out the smaller dough piece and place it over the filled tart. Seal the edges with the bottom crust and trim any excess dough. Brush the top with water and poke small holes to allow steam to escape. Drain the pine nuts and spread them on top of the tart. Bake the Italian custard tart then let it cool completely before serving.
Substitutions and Variations
Gluten-free dough: For a gluten-free version, swap the all-purpose flour with a gluten-free blend (this one never lets me down!)
Dairy-free options: Replace the unsalted butter with a plant-based butter substitute. Use almond milk, oat milk, or any dairy-free alternative instead of whole milk for the pastry cream.
Nut toppings: Replace pine nuts with slivered almonds or chopped hazelnuts.
Chocolate pastry cream: Melt dark chocolate and vanilla bean paste into the pastry cream for a rich, chocolatey filling.
Coffee pastry cream: Infuse the milk with instant coffee granules.
Crust variations: Use a shortbread crust recipe or a cookie crust made from crushed biscotti or graham crackers mixed with melted butter.
Serving Suggestions
Appetizer: Start with a light white bean salad or my cheerful antipasto salad.
Main: This lasagna is a guaranteed win, or try my Tuscan chicken pasta. This easy gnocchi makes a great vegetarian option.
Dessert: End off with a slice of this torta della nonna recipe with fresh strawberries.
How to Store Torta della Nonna
Store: Wrap any leftovers tightly with plastic wrap or in an airtight container and refrigerate them. The tart will remain fresh for up to 4 days after baking.
Freezer: Wrap the tart tightly in plastic wrap and then aluminum foil, and store it in the freezer for up to 3 months for longer preservation.
Thaw: When ready to serve, thaw the tart in the refrigerator overnight to ensure it maintains its texture and flavor.
Top Tips
Chill your ingredients: For a flakier crust, use cold butter and eggs in the dough.
Don’t overwork the dough: Handle it as little as possible to keep it tender.
Use warm not hot milk: If the milk is too hot, it will scramble the eggs in the custard cream.
Prevent lumps in pastry cream: Whisk constantly when adding the warm milk to the egg mixture to avoid lumps.
Seal the crust well: Press the top and bottom crusts together firmly to prevent the filling from leaking during baking.
Use a rolling pin transfer: Roll the dough around your rolling pin to lift and transfer it easily to the tart pan without tearing.
Room temperature serving: Let the tart come to room temperature before serving for the yummiest texture and flavor.
Torta della Nonna FAQs
Making the dough in the food processor is quick, efficient and helps disperse the ingredients evenly.
The nuts must be soft so they do not burn or crisp too quickly when they are cooked on top of the tart.
The dough needs some chilled rest time for the ingredients to come together. It will be too soft to work with to roll out immediately after mixing which could result in a fragile crust.
Yes, you can swap pine nuts with almonds or hazelnuts. Pine nuts are traditional and provide a unique flavor and texture to the cake, though.
Torta della Nonna Recipe
Torta della Nonna
Equipment
Ingredients
For the Pastry:
- 2½ Cups all purpose flour
- ¾ Teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ Teaspoon salt
- ⅔ Cup granulated sugar
- Zest from 1 lemon
- ¾ Cup unsalted butter, cubed and cold
- 2 eggs
For the Pastry Cream:
- 5 egg yolks
- 2½ Cups whole milk
- ¼ Cup cornstarch
- 1/3 Cup granulated sugar
- 1½ Teaspoons vanilla extract
Toppings:
- ¼ Cup pine nuts
- water, for soaking the pine nuts and brushing the top of the tart
- ¼ Cup powdered sugar, or as needed to top the tart
- whipped cream, optional
Instructions
Make the Crust:
- Add the flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, and lemon zest to a food processor and pulse a few times to combine.
- Add the cold butter and pulse until it looks like coarse crumbs.
- Add the eggs and pulse for another minute. The dough should start to form now; if it is still crumbly, pulse a few more times.
- Turn out the dough mixture onto a rolling mat. Using your hands, knead the dough so it comes together into a ball.
- Continue kneading until completely smooth, about 3 to 5 minutes. Note: A silicone mat can help knead and press the pastry dough together to form a ball.
- Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 45 minutes to 1 hour.
Make the Pastry Cream:
- While the pastry dough chills, make the pastry cream.
- Add the egg yolk and sugar in a large bowl and whisk until combined.
- Add the cornstarch to the egg mixture and whisk together.
- Heat the milk over medium heat in a medium saucepan for 4 to 5 minutes until it starts to steam. Remove from the heat, let it sit for 1 minute, and add the vanilla.
- Slowly pour a ladle or 2 of the warmed milk into the egg mixture while constantly whisking the egg mixture, so there are no lumps (and the eggs don’t cook).
- Pour the warmed egg mixture back into the saucepan with the remaining warmed milk, and on low heat. Continue stirring or whisking every 30 seconds to 1 minute until it is thick and creamy, 5 to 7 minutes.
- Once thickened, pour it into a shallow bowl and let it come to room temperature for 15 to 20 minutes. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, allowing the wrap to touch the top of the cream (this prevents skin from forming) and place it in the refrigerator for about 1 hour to finish cooling. Pro tip: Pouring the mixture into a shallow pan or bowl will allow it to cool quickly.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Remove the pastry dough and the pastry cream from the refrigerator. Re-whisk the chilled cream until completely smooth.
- Put pine nuts in a bowl and cover with water to soak.
- Grease a 10-inch tart pan with nonstick spray or vegetable shortening.
- Divide the dough into 2 pieces, with 1 piece being two-thirds of the dough. Note: The dough will weigh approximately 24 ounces. One piece should be around 8 ounces, and the second piece for the bottom crust should be around 16 ounces.
- Place the larger dough piece on a floured surface (rolling mat or parchment paper), dust with additional flour and knead it smooth, about 1 minute. Once the dough is workable, roll it out so it is ¼-inch thick and large enough to fit the tart pan, at least 12 to 14 inches around.
- Place the dough into the tart pan, gently lift and press the bottom crust into the pan. Gently press the crust into the bottom/sides of the tart pan and then cut off any excess dough. Pro tip: Roll the dough onto the rolling pin to move it carefully on to the greased tart pan.
Assemble the Pie:
- Pour the pastry cream into the tart pan and spread it evenly over the dough with a rubber spatula.
- Add the excess dough cut from the bottom crust to the second piece of dough and lightly flour to knead together. Roll out this remaining dough and gently lay it on top of the filled tart. Lift and press the edges to seal to the bottom crust and cut away any excess, discarding leftover dough.
- Brush the top of the tart with water and, using a small knife, poke small holes so steam can escape.
- Drain the pine nuts well and spread on top of the tart.
- Bake for 35 to 40 minutes. The tart might puff up a bit while cooking and if not sealed before baking, the top crust may look as if it is “floating” on top. If this happens, don’t worry! This tart will still taste amazing and will settle back down as it cools.
- Cool completely, refrigerate for 2 hours minimum (overnight for 8+ hours is recommended).
- When ready to serve, dust with powdered sugar or add homemade whipped cream.
Notes
Don’t overwork the dough: Handle it as little as possible to keep it tender.
Use warm not hot milk: If the milk is too hot, it will scramble the eggs in the custard cream.
Prevent lumps in pastry cream: Whisk constantly when adding the warm milk to the egg mixture to avoid lumps.
Seal the crust well: Press the top and bottom crusts together firmly to prevent the filling from leaking during baking.
Use a rolling pin transfer: Roll the dough around your rolling pin to lift and transfer it easily to the tart pan without tearing.
Room temperature serving: Let the tart come to room temperature before serving for the yummiest texture and flavor.
Nutrition
Whip up a genuine torta della nonna for a taste of Tuscany that’s impossible to resist. This Italian classic, Grandmother’s cake or custard tart, is an ultra-delicious recipe. Picture this: a heavenly mix of flaky, sweet pastry and a velvety custard center crowned with crunchy pine nuts. Serve it at your next gathering and watch it disappear.
Other Sweet Recipes to Try
- Try these feather-light ricotta and lemon cookies for a delicate treat.
- Italian Easter cookies are crumbly, vanilla goodness.
- Spoon light, luscious bites of Limoncello panna cotta into your mouth and fall in love with this classic Italian dessert.
- Sweet Italian ricotta pie is absolutely delicious and perfect as part of your Italian spread.
- This recipe for chocolate salami is a total crowd-pleaser.
Bella Bucchiotti
Bella Bucchiotti is a Canadian-based syndicated food, travel, and lifestyle writer, photographer, and creator at xoxoBella. She founded xoxoBella in 2015, where she shares her love for food, dogs, sustainability, fitness, crafts, outdoor adventures, travel, and philanthropy to encourage others to run the extra mile, try new recipes, visit unfamiliar places, and stand for a cause. Bella creates stress-free and family-friendly recipes for weeknight dinners and festive feasts.
This dessert is just lovely. The texture and the depth of flavor makes it addicting!