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Sbrisolona Recipe (Crunchy Italian Almond Cake)
Sbrisolona isn’t just a cake, it’s a little piece of northern Italy you can break apart with your hands. This rustic almond dessert comes from Mantua, where tradition says you don’t slice it, you crack it into chunks and share it. Made from just a few simple ingredients like cornmeal, flour, butter, sugar, and plenty of toasted almonds, it’s crumbly, golden, and full of rich, nutty flavor. A touch of lemon zest adds brightness, while the buttery crunch makes it hard to stop at one piece. Enjoy it with a shot of espresso or a sip of vin santo, and you’ve got yourself a moment worth slowing down for.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings: 10
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1¼ cup all-purpose flour
  • 1¼ cup cornmeal (fine yellow cornmeal)
  • ¾ cup granulated sugar
  • 1 cup (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
  • 1 cup whole almonds, roughly chopped or coarsely ground
  • Zest of 1 lemon
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract (optional)
  • ⅛ tsp Pinch of salt

Equipment

  • Baking sheet or round cake pan (about 9 inches / 23 cm diameter)

Instructions
 

  1. Preheat oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 9- to 10-inch tart pan or springform pan with parchment paper.
  2. Mix dry ingredients.: In a large bowl, combine the flour, cornmeal, sugar, salt, and lemon zest.
  3. Add butter: Add the cold, cubed butter to the dry ingredients. Use your fingers or a pastry cutter to rub the butter into the flour mixture. Aim for coarse crumbs with some pea-sized pieces.
  4. Stir in almonds and vanilla: Add the chopped almonds and vanilla extract (if using). Mix until combined. The dough will be crumbly and a bit dry — that’s exactly right.
  5. Transfer to pan: Pour the mixture into your prepared pan. Press it down lightly with your hands or the back of a spoon — but don’t compact it too much. You want it crumbly, not dense.
  6. Bake: Bake for 35-40 minutes. The cake should turn golden brown and smell fragrant. Edges may look crisp.
  7. Cool completely on a wire rack: Once cool, break into chunks by hand to serve.

Notes

Use Cold Butter: Cold butter is essential for achieving that classic crumbly, sandy texture. Don’t soften it—cut it into cubes straight from the fridge and work it into the flour with your fingertips or a pastry cutter.
Don’t Overmix the Dough: This cake is supposed to be rustic. You’re not forming a smooth dough—just a loose, crumbly mixture that holds together slightly when pressed.
Toast the Almonds First (Optional, but Worth It): Toasting the almonds before adding them gives the cake a richer, nuttier flavor. Just a few minutes in a dry skillet or oven at 350°F (175°C) makes a big difference.
Don’t Press the Dough Too Firmly: Lightly press the mixture into the pan, but don’t compact it like a cookie base. A looser press creates the perfect “crack apart” texture when baked.
Don’t Skip the Lemon Zest: That little bit of lemon zest lifts the whole cake and balances the richness of the butter and nuts. You can also add orange zest for a twist.
Never Cut: Traditionally, Sbrisolona is broken into chunks by hand, never cut with a knife. This adds to the charm and highlights its crumbly, rustic nature.