More like a giant cookie than a cake, Torta Sbrisolona—or simply Sbrisolona—has one of those irresistible Italian names that rolls effortlessly off the tongue while accurately describing its texture: crumbly. Think crumbly like streusel.
An ancient dolce from the city of Mantova, Sbrisolona traditionally combines ground almonds, cornmeal, flour, sugar, and lard (modern versions use butter) into hand-crumbled, streusel-like clusters that are scattered like raindrops onto a pan and baked. The result is a crisp, crumbly cake that isn’t sliced with a knife but ceremoniously broken into cookie-like pieces instead.
This unique quality is one of the reasons I include Sbrisolona in my Italian Thanksgiving menu. It’s the perfect sharing dessert—placed in the center of the table for guests to break apart (a ritual reminiscent of breaking bread) and dip into sweet dessert wine.
Another reason? I add pecans—the quintessential American nut associated with Thanksgiving—to my Sbrisolona. They lend a rich, buttery sweetness that rivals the original.
Finally, and not to be underestimated, Sbrisolona is a true gift for the busiest cooking day of the year: quick, easy, and fun to make. With its satisfying taste, texture, and crumbly streusel-ishness, this Italian dessert might just become one of your sweet Thanksgiving traditions for years to come.
Get more recipes by Deborah Dal Fovo and visit her website for to join her in Italy for her 2025 Dolomites Culinary Tour and Parma-Modena-Bologna Food Tour.
Torta Sbrisolona (Crumbly Pecan Streusel Cake)
8
servings20
minutes1
hourIngredients
scant 3/4cup (100g) unbleached all-purpose flour
scant 3/4cup (100g) yellow corn flour
heaping 3/4cup (100g) finely ground pecans
1/2 cup 1/2 (100g) cane or granulated sugar
1 pinch 1 salt
Grated zest of 1/2 lemon
8 tablespoons 8 (110g) unsalted butter, softened at room temperature and cut into ½-inch dice
1 large 1 egg yolk
1 teaspoon 1 pure vanilla extract
powdered sugar to garnish
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F/163°C.
- Generously butter the bottom and sides of a 10-inch/25cm springform pan then set it aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the two types of flour, ground pecans, sugar, salt, and lemon zest and mix until well combined.
- Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the butter, egg yolk, and vanilla.
- Using your hands, crumble the butter, egg yolk, and vanilla into the dry ingredients, working it between your fingers until the mixture becomes crumbly and forms pea-sized clumps.
- Drop the crumbly mixture into the pan by the handful, like raindrops, to create an even layer with irregular surface resembling the moon (do not press the mixture down; as it bakes, the butter will melt, binding the crumbs into a crisp round that’s more of a giant cookie than a cake).
- Place pan in the center of the oven and bake for about 50 minutes, or until the surface is dry and and golden brown.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely before removing the sides of the springform pan.
- Carefully transfer the sbrisolona, still on the pan base, to a serving platter and dust the surface with powdered sugar.
- To serve, break into irregular, cookie-sized pieces, or place it in the center of the table for guests to break off their own pieces.
Notes
- Sbrisolona will keep for several days in a cookie tin or wrapped in foil.
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