Spisigona cake is a dessert from the peasant tradition, hailing specifically from the province of Piacenza. Its name comes from the local dialect’s term ‘spisigar,’ meaning ‘spizzicare’ in standard Italian (meaning ‘to pinch’ in English). And that’s exactly how the cake is made – by pinching the dough into small tufts, which give the cake an irregular yet inviting appearance. Also, the way you eat the spisigona is a little unusual: Its consistency requires that you break the cake apart with your hands, bite-after-bite.
Spisigona or sbrisolona?
The textures of both recipes are similar – hard and crumbly at the same time. And both have peasant origins with no fillings present. The sbrisolona, however, contains almonds in addition to the flour, eggs and butter, making the flavor a little tastier. You can also find a variety made with hazelnuts.
Our recipe for spisigona cake
Ingredients:
1 lb flour, 9 ozg butter, 9 oz sugar, 5 eggs, a pinch of salt
Method:
Leave the butter at room temperature to soften. Then knead it in a bowl with the sugar and flour. Add a pinch of salt, followed by the egg yolks one at a time and combine until smooth. Continue working the dough until soft and elastic. Then cover with plastic wrap and set it in the fridge to rest for at least 30 minutes. Once removed from the fridge, knead the dough for a few more minutes. Then grease a round baking tin (24 cm in diameter), flour it and begin to break up the dough with your hands. Transfer the dough to the baking tin and bake at 355°F (170°C) for about 45 minutes. Once out of the oven, let it cool before breaking up pieces for your guests.