Sbrisolona al pistacchio is a rustic Italian crumb cake made with buttery pasta frolla (Italian shortcrust pastry) and filled with a creamy pistachio layer. It’s simple to make and perfect with morning coffee or as a dessert.
Originating in Lombardy, sbrisolona is traditionally made with almonds, but filled versions can feature jam, chocolate-hazelnut spread or nut creams. This pistachio variation is especially good for pistachio lovers. You can use a good-quality store-bought pistachio cream or make one at home for a fresher flavour.
Ingredients
- Italian 00 flour – or use all-purpose flour.
- Unsalted pistachios – if only salted pistachios are available, rinse briefly and dry well to remove most salt.
- Sugar – caster sugar works best; granulated is fine too.
- Butter – cold, unsalted butter straight from the fridge.
Flavour variations
- Nuts – substitute pistachios with almonds (with or without skins).
- Hazelnut spread – use a good-quality, not overly sweet spread or a palm-oil free alternative.
- Jam – try strawberry, raspberry, cherry, mixed berry or apricot.
More Italian cakes and tarts to try
Breakfast
Italian Breakfast Bundt Cake – Ciambella Allo Yogurt
Italian Desserts
Crostata di Frutta (Italian Fruit Tart)
Italian Desserts
Apple Crostata with Apricot Jam
Italian Desserts
Torta della Nonna: Italian Custard Tart
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Sbrisolona al Pistacchio (Pistachio Crumb Cake)
By Emily
Equipment
- 9 inch springform cake tin
- Food processor
- Baking parchment
Ingredients
- 250 g (2 cups) Italian 00 flour (or all-purpose flour)
- 100 g (3/4 cup) unsalted pistachios
- 1 egg
- 150 g (10 tablespoons) cold unsalted butter
- 100 g sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- Pinch of salt
- 300 g Pistachio cream
Instructions
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Place the pistachios in a food processor and pulse to fine crumbs. Avoid over-processing or they will start to turn into nut butter.100 g (3/4 cup) unsalted pistachios
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Combine the blitzed pistachios with the flour, sugar, baking powder and a pinch of salt in a large mixing bowl.250 g (2 cups) flour, 100 g sugar, 1 tsp baking powder, pinch of salt
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Add the cold butter and rub it into the dry ingredients with your fingers until the mixture becomes crumbly. Lightly whisk the egg and add it, mixing by hand until you have a rough, rustic crumb texture.150 g cold unsalted butter, 1 egg
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Press just over half of the crumb mixture into the base of a 9-inch springform tin to form an even layer. No need to grease if the tin is non-stick and the pastry is buttery.
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Spread the pistachio cream over the base, leaving about a ½ inch (1 cm) border around the edge. If the cream is very thick, warm it gently to make it spreadable.300 g Pistachio cream
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Crumble the remaining pastry over the top in large pieces. Chill the assembled cake in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to firm up.
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Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) fan (200°C/400°F static). Bake the cake for about 30 minutes, until the top begins to turn lightly golden.
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Serve warm or at room temperature — it’s lovely with a morning cappuccino.
Notes
- Storage – keep sbrisolona in a sealed container at room temperature for 3–4 days.
- Prep ahead – you can prepare the pastry in advance and store it in the fridge until needed.
Helpful Info for All Recipes
- I typically use extra virgin olive oil unless stated otherwise.
- All vegetable sizes are medium unless noted.
- Recipes are tested using a fan (convection) oven unless specified.
- Nutrition is automatically calculated and should be used as an approximation.
Nutrition
| Carbohydrates: 27 g
| Protein: 4 g
| Fat: 15 g
Nutrition information is an approximation.
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