An almond crumb cake that's practically synonymous with the region of Lombardy, Sbrisolona originated in Mantua, a city southeast of Milan that sits directly south of Lake Garda – it also happens to be famous for its tortelli.
Like most cherished Italian dishes, sbrisolona unsurprisingly has humble origins. First crafted from lard and cornmeal, the crumb cake dates back to at least the 16th century. Its name derives from brìsa, the word for “crumb” in the local Mantua dialect.
Sbrisolona has evolved into one of the most sought-after sweets, found not only at old-school classic pasticcerias, but also at inventive contemporary pastry chops like Pavé in Milan.
Sbrisolona – Almond Crumb Cake Recipe
Skill Level: Easy
Time: 1 hour
Ingredients for 2 cakes
1½ cups/200 g. flour 00
1½ cups/200 g. very fine corn flour
1¾ stick/200 g. butter or lard (or 3½ oz./ 100 g. butter and 3½ oz./100 g lard)
7 oz./180 g. granulated sugar
3½ oz./100 g. peeled almonds
3½ oz./100 g almonds with the skin
2 large egg yolks
1 vanilla pod
1⁄2 lemon
salt
Preheat the oven to 400°F/180°C.
Cut the butter into small pieces and keep it cold.
Chop the almonds, setting aside 10-15 whole to use as a garnish.
Combine the flours, sugar, chopped almonds, a pinch of salt, the seeds of the vanilla pod, grated lemon zest, and the cold butter in a mixing bowl, and mix everything with your fingertips, until you the texture feels grainy. Add the egg yolks, continue to mix until the dough is crumbly.
Line the tins with baking paper, making sure it adheres well to the bottom. Lightly grease the paper with butter and pour in the mixture.
Garnish with the whole almonds and place in the oven to bake for around 40 minutes, until the sbrisolona is golden brown.