Sbrisolona Recipe (Crunchy Italian Almond Cake)

• Whole almonds: Don’t skimp here. Toasting them first makes ALL the difference in flavor. I love watching them transform in the oven, becoming more fragrant and developing that deeper flavor that makes this traditional almond cake so special.
• Butter: You’ll need it cold and cubed, not at room temperature like most desserts. This is key for creating those delicious crumbs that give sbrisolona its characteristic texture. The butter should be chilled, just like when making pie crust.
• All-purpose flour: Nothing fancy needed here! This provides structure while letting the almonds shine. I’ve tested this with a good GF flour blend too, and it works beautifully if you need that substitution.
• Stone-ground cornmeal: This might seem unusual in a dessert, but trust me, it’s what gives sbrisolona its special texture. It’s authentic to northern Italy recipes and adds this pleasant grittiness that makes each bite interesting.
• Sugar: I typically use granulated cane sugar, but I’ve played around with maple sugar too. If you’re watching sugar intake, a low-glycemic sweetener like Lakanto can work, though the texture will be slightly different.
• Sea salt or kosher salt: Just a pinch, but don’t skip it! It wakes up all the other flavors.
• Egg yolks: These hold everything together without making the dough cake-like. We want crumbles, not cake!
• Extracts: I use both vanilla and almond. The almond extract really amplifies the nuttiness of the whole almonds. A little goes a long way!
• Orange zest: This brightens everything up! I’ve found orange works beautifully with the almonds, though some classic recipes call for lemon zest instead.

How to Make Sbrisolona

Step 3: Add 1 cup of your toasted almonds and put them in a food processor with ¼ cup of flour. Pulse until they’re roughly the size of small peas – don’t overdo it! You don’t want almond butter. Transfer this to a large bowl.

Step 4: Now pulse the remaining almonds, but keep these chunkier – larger than peas. You can even just chop these by hand if you prefer. Add them to your bowl with the finer almond mixture.

Step 5: Add the remaining cup of flour, cornmeal, sugar, and salt to your bowl and give everything a good stir to combine.

Step 6: Add the cubed butter to the mixture and, with your hands, rub the butter pieces and flour mixture between your fingers until you achieve a coarse texture. Some butter pieces can be larger than others, but the mixture should not be dry or powdery. It should feel moist.

Step 7: In a small bowl, whisk together your egg yolks, orange zest, and both extracts. Pour this into your almond mixture and continue mixing with your hands until a crumbly dough forms.

Step 8: Transfer this crumbly mixture into your prepared pan and spread it into an even layer. Here’s the important part: do NOT pack it down firmly! Just an even, loose layer.

Step 9: Bake for about 40 minutes until it’s beautifully golden brown. Let it cool completely in the pan. Once cool, break it into irregular pieces for serving!

This humble Italian treat deserves a spot in your dessert rotation! I used David Lebovitz’s recipe as a starting point and adapted it to make it my own. It’s such a hit that I included it in my all-access June 2024 cooking class, which features my Sheet Pan Chicken Piccata, the perfect dish to pair with this dessert.