Torta Nua

An Italian cake with hints of citrus and filled with a crème pasticcera. Stock up on our organic Premium All-Purpose flour to keep this classic Italian cake on rotation for breakfast or an afternoon treat! 

Download a printable version of the recipe here.

Torta Nua

Yield: 8-inch cake 

 Ingredients:

Cake:

300g BSM All-Purpose Premium flour

8g baking powder

4g fine sea salt

200g cane sugar

4 large eggs (room temp)

115g grapeseed oil or olive oil

115g whole milk (room temp)

6g Fiori di Sicilia extract (sub lemon or orange extract + vanilla extract)

zest of two large lemons

Crème Pasticcera:

340g whole milk

60g cane sugar

2 large egg yolks

10g BSM All-Purpose Premium flour

25g cornstarch

2g fine sea salt

4g vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste

40g unsalted butter (cold, diced into cubes)

Method:

Crème Pasticcera: Make ahead of time to allow the pastry cream to cool slightly.

In a small sauce pot, add the milk. In a medium bowl, combine all of the remaining ingredients except for the butter and vanilla extract. Add a splash of the milk from the pot to the bowl of ingredients to loosen. Whisk the ingredients until the mixture emulsifies and is pale yellow. Meanwhile, heat the remaining milk just until it starts to simmer. Temper the milk by pouring it slowly into the mixture while whisking vigorously. Add the uncooked pastry cream back into the pot, and whisk continuously over medium until it becomes very thick. Remove from heat immediately and whisk in the cold butter and vanilla extract. Use a spatula to scrape the pastry cream into the bowl and place it over an ice bath. Continue to whisk over the ice bath until it cools down. Place a piece of plastic wrap directly over the pastry cream to prevent a skin, and place into the fridge to chill for at least 1 hr. before using.

Cake:

Preheat an oven to 350°F.

In a large bowl, rub the sugar and lemon zest together to release the lemon oils. Add the eggs, oil, milk, and extract. Whisk vigorously until emulsified. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in thirds, whisking gently after each addition until completely incorporated.

Pour the batter into an 8-inch cake pan that has been lined with parchment paper. You can pre-crumble the parchment, then place into the cake pan for a better fit. Give the pan a good tap to release any large air bubbles. Generously spoon dollops of the pastry cream over the top of the cake batter. Bake for 40-45 min or until a cake tester or toothpick comes out clean. Allow to slightly cool, serve either warm or completely cooled. This cake will need to be stored in the fridge for up to 5 days. Enjoy with coffee as a morning treat or evening dessert!