Italian · Dessert
Custard Pine Nut Cake
A rustic Italian cake with a double personality: a thin golden crust gives way to a soft, custard-like crumb beneath, the batter deliberately loose so it separates into layers as it bakes. Toasted pine nuts scattered over the top turn deeply aromatic and faintly bitter-sweet, echoing the pinoli biscuits of Tuscany and Liguria, while a whisper of lemon zest keeps the whole thing bright rather than heavy.
$1
15 minsPrep
32 minsCook
57 minsTotal
MediumLevel
Nutrition per serving
265Calories
7gProtein
14.6gFat
27.2gCarbs
17.5gSugar
0.6gFiber
380mgSodium
161mgChol
4.9gSat Fat
155mgPotassium
71mgCalcium
1.5mgIron
0.5mcgVitamin B12
0.9mgVitamin C
0gPolyol
0gAllulose
0.3gAlcohol
vegetarian
sweet-spot
hidden-gems
Instructions
1
Preheat the oven to 160°C (320°F) and butter a 10cm/4 inch round cake tin, lining the base with a disc of parchment.
2
Warm the whole milk gently in a small pan until just steaming, then set aside to cool slightly.
3
In a bowl, whisk the whole egg, egg yolk and sugar together with a hand mixer for 2-3 minutes until pale and slightly thickened.
4
Sift in the flour, baking powder and salt, folding gently until just combined and no dry streaks remain.
5
Whisk in the melted butter, warm milk, lemon zest and vanilla extract until the batter is smooth and loose, almost pourable like a thick custard.
6
Pour the batter into the prepared tin and scatter the toasted pine nuts evenly over the surface; they will sink slightly and toast further as the cake bakes.
7
Bake for 30-34 minutes, until the top is golden and the pine nuts are deep amber, and the centre is just set with a gentle wobble beneath a firm crust.
8
Cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then run a knife around the edge and turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely before slicing - the custardy layer firms up as it cools.
Serves
2 portions ·
2 adults, 0 over 10, 0 under 10
Ingredients
- 0.8 oz22g all purpose flour
- 2.8 oz78g whole milk
- 3/43/4 eggs, beaten (38g)
- 7/87/8 egg yolks (14g)
- 1.1 oz30g sugar white
- 0.4 oz10g melted butter
- 0.6 oz16g lightly toasted pine nut
- 0.1 oz3g zested lemon
- 0.1 oz2g vanilla extract
- 0.1 oz2g baking powder
- 0 oz1g salt
