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Sbrisolona Cake Recipe

Sbrisolona Cake

Sbrisolona is a rustic Italian cake from Mantua, known for its delightfully crumbly texture and rich almond flavor. Made with basic pantry ingredients, it's easy to prepare and traditionally broken by hand for sharing.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Servings: 8 Servings
Course: Dessert, Snack
Cuisine: Italian (Mantuan)
Calories: 220
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 100  g “00” flour
  • 100  g fine cornmeal
  • 100  g chopped almonds or almond flour
  • 80  g granulated sugar
  • 100  g cold butter cubed
  • 1 egg yolk
  • Zest of 1 lemon

Method
 

  1. Combine flour, cornmeal, sugar, and chopped almonds in a bowl. Add cold butter and rub it in with fingertips until crumbly.
  2. Stir in egg yolk and lemon zest. Mix gently without kneading — keep the mixture crumbly.
  3. Transfer to a lined round baking pan. Press lightly into an uneven layer. Bake at 180 °C (350 °F) for 35–40 minutes, until golden.

Notes

Do not overmix or knead the dough — the crumbly texture is essential. Almond flour works if chopped almonds aren’t available. Traditionally, sbrisolona is broken by hand, not sliced. Perfect with espresso, cappuccino, or Vin Santo. Store at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 5 days.