A home adaptation of Mantua's crumbly almond cake. Keep the mixture rough and loose: the charm is in the crumbs, not a smooth batter.
Recipe at a glance
Serves / makes1 cake / 8 portions
Prep20 minutes
Cook35–45 minutes, plus cooling
SkillStraightforward
Ingredients
- 150 g plain flour
- 100 g fine maize flour
- 150 g almonds, roughly chopped; reserve a few whole
- 130 g caster sugar
- 140 g cold butter, cubed
- 1 egg yolk
- Finely grated zest of 1 unwaxed lemon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- A pinch of salt
Method
- Heat the oven to 170°C conventional / 150°C fan. Line the base of a 24 cm shallow cake tin.
- Mix both flours, sugar, salt, lemon zest and chopped almonds. Rub in the butter until you have coarse, uneven crumbs.
- Add the egg yolk and vanilla. Work them in lightly with your fingertips; do not knead the mixture into a smooth dough.
- Scatter the crumbs into the tin and spread them evenly without pressing firmly. Add the reserved almonds on top.
- Bake for 35–45 minutes until evenly golden. Cool fully in the tin before lifting out, then break into pieces to share.
The technique that matters
Avoid compacting the crumbs. A loose mixture and complete cooling help the cake keep its characteristic crumbly bite.
Ingredient notes
Contains almonds, wheat, dairy and egg. Fine maize flour gives a gentler texture than coarse polenta. Ovens vary, so use the colour and set texture as well as the suggested time.
Italy by Taste home adaptation, guided by regional references. Not kitchen-tested for this edition.
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