Recipe for torta della nonna, or Tuscan ricotta cake with pinenuts or almonds (2024)

Recipe for torta della nonna, or Tuscan ricotta cake with pinenuts or almonds (1)

Case Vecchie, Sicily

I am still in Sicily, still enjoying the hospitality of Anna Tasca Lanza’s cookery school in Case Vecchie, near Vallelunga. I’ve just got back from the most amazing garden party I’ve ever attended - just under 200 guests seated around a huge long table, set under an elegant makeshift canopy built in the middle of a vegetable patch :)

Who knows, we may have lingered at the table for another few hours, sipping one of the extremely “quaffable” wines from Tasca d’Almerita, if it weren’t for the thunder and rain that suddenly appeared. Not really out of nowhere - the skies were threatening with rain already yesterday - but apparently heavy showers are pretty much unusual in this part of Sicily in this part of the year. In any case, I use the thunderstorm as an excuse to retreat to my room for a short while and finish another blog post. Being in the company of all those bloggers mentioned yesterday - David, Rachel and Johanna - as well as some others I met today (Elizabeth, Elisia, Alec, Anissa, Linda) - has certainly been very inspiring :)

Recipe for torta della nonna, or Tuscan ricotta cake with pinenuts or almonds (2)

Filippo and his ricotta.


We arrived at Case Vecchie on Wednesday evening, just in time to have dinner overlooking Fabrizia’s (she’s the owner of the cooking school) gorgeous herb garden. On Thursday morning, just after the breakfast, we ventured out to visit a local shepherd, Filippo at Azienda Agricola Rivitera. We were shown his sheep - 400 in total, milked by hand twice a day, to produce about 800 litres of sheep’s milk during peak times (winter, usually). The milk is turned into wonderfully tasty and fresh ricotta and flavoursome picurinu sicilianuor pecorino siciliano right there, at the small dairy at the premises. We were privileged to watch Filippo making the cheese, and get to taste freshly made tuma and ricotta.

Recipe for torta della nonna, or Tuscan ricotta cake with pinenuts or almonds (3)

Just before dinner at the courtyard of Case Vecchie (Instagram)

Back at the Case Vecchie, the location for the Anna Tasca Lanza’s cooking school, we perused some of the wonderful products at the Natura in Tasca’s produce range. I chose to bake a cake from my latest cookbook, Torta della Nonna. It’s a typical cake from Tuscany, and while the pâtisseries would fill the cake with thick custard, then at homes the grandmothers (nonna stands for grandmother in Italian :)) would use ricotta cheese. I couldn’t resist the chance to bake this cake with sheep’s milk ricotta, as it’s supposed to be. Back at home in Estonia, I’ve made it with cow’s milk ricotta or goat’s milk ricotta. It’s still lovely, though much milder in flavour.

Recipe for torta della nonna, or Tuscan ricotta cake with pinenuts or almonds (4)

The Tuscan ricotta cake I baked at the Case Vecchie (Instagram)

Torta della Nonna or Tuscan ricotta cake

(Toscana ricotta-kook)

Serves eight to ten

Pastry:

100 g butter, at room temperature

85 g caster sugar (100 ml/7 Tbsp)

1 large egg

180 g all-purpose flour (300 ml/1 cup + 3 heapedTbsp)

0,5 tsp baking powder

a pinch of salt

Filling:

500 g fresh ricotta

85 g caster sugar (100 ml/7 Tbsp)

1 lemon, juiced and zested

2 Tbsp all-purpose flour

3 large eggs

75 g pinenuts or almonds

Butter a 24 or 26 cm (9 or 10 inch) springform pan and/or line with a parchment paper. Preheat the oven to 180 C/375 F.

First, prepare the pastry. Put the butter and sugar into a mixing bowl and cream with a wooden spoon or a mixer fitted with the blade. Add the egg, then the dry ingredients (mix these first). Spoon the dough into the springform pan and using your hands, spread the dough at the bottom and halfway up the sides - the dough is pretty soft and sticky, so you’re almost pasting it to the bottom and sides. (You may be tempted to add more flour - go ahead, if you wish, but the cake base will be somewhat denser and harder then).

Place the springform pan into the fridge to wait, while you make the filling.

(You may use the same bowl you made the dough in). Mix the ricotta, sugar, the juice and finely grated rind of the lemon, flour and eggs in a bowl until combined. Stir in about two-thirds of the pine nuts or almonds.

Take the cake pan out of the fridge, pour in the ricotta filling. Sprinkle the remaining pine nuts or almonds on top.

Carefully transfer the pan to the pre-heated oven and bake in the middle of the oven for about 45 minutes, until the cake is lovely golden brown on top.


Take out of the oven, and let it cool till room temperature before cutting into slices and serving.

Recipe for torta della nonna, or Tuscan ricotta cake with pinenuts or almonds (5)

Torta della Nonna and ricciarelli cookies. Photo by Juta Kübarsepp for Nami-Nami.

Recipe for torta della nonna, or Tuscan ricotta cake with pinenuts or almonds (2024)

FAQs

What is Torta della Nonna made of? ›

Description. Torta della nonna originated in Arezzo, a comune (municipality) in Tuscany. It is a sweet pastry cake filled with vanilla-flavored custard and covered with pine nuts and confectioner's sugar. The creamy filling is flavored with fresh lemon zest.

Which ingredients are in addition to a sugar and almond glaze cassata the queen of sicilian desserts? ›

A cone-shaped pie made of soft sponge cake and a delicious ricotta cream enriched with candied fruit and chocolate drops: the Cassata Siciliana. The Cassata Siciliana is a traditional pie based on sugared ricotta (traditionally sheep), sponge cake, royal pasta, and candied fruit.

What is the origin of the torta cake? ›

The origin of the torta is unclear, but some claim it sprouted in Puebla due to Spanish-French interaction; others argue it was a late-arriving example of American influence. Teleras (the bread usually used in tortas) were inspired by French baguettes.

What is the name of the classic cake that originated in Italy? ›

Christmas wouldn't be Christmas without Italy's king of cakes. Hours spent recipe perfecting and leavening, the panettone is no longer purely an Italian holiday icon.

What is almond cassata? ›

Cassata is a Sicilian cake made from sweetened ricotta, layered with slices of liqueur soaked sponge cake covered in green almond paste and decorated with candied fruit. To say it is decadent is an understatement.

What 2 ingredients makes the baked product tender? ›

Baking powder and baking soda both help make biscuits and cakes have a nice soft texture.

How long is cassata cake good for? ›

Because of the high sugar content, cassata should keep well for many days.

What is torta bread made of? ›

While there are different types of tortas in Mexico (such as tortas cubanas or tortas ahogadas), when Mexicans talk about tortas, they usually refer to a sandwich made with a specific type of bread known as telera. A telera is soft, oval bread made with wheat flour.

What is torta de asada made of? ›

Today I will share with you my favorite torta recipe with grilled meat. It is served with tomato, lettuce, avocado, refried beans and mayonnaise, and then wrapped in a lightly toasted roll. To give it an authentic touch, don't forget to add thin slices of jalapeños. Enjoy and Viva Mexico!

What is Filipino torta made of? ›

It's essentially a round omelette with ground pork, onions, and potatoes. It is sometimes referred to as “tortang giniling” (giniling = ground) because it is made with ground meat, typically pork or beef. This distinguishes it from different versions of torta. For instance, there's “tortang talong” (talong = eggplant).

What is Torta Barozzi made of? ›

The basic ingredients, however, are few and simple: dark chocolate, almonds, peanuts, eggs, butter and sugar. That's right – no flour; the Torta Barozzi is gluten-free! It is strictly served in the aluminum foil it's sold in. And if you cut it upside down, it can stay fresh for up to 40 days!

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