{"id":7652,"date":"2015-07-22T12:10:21","date_gmt":"2015-07-22T10:10:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/walks.friday.ie\/?p=7652"},"modified":"2025-09-17T14:12:12","modified_gmt":"2025-09-17T13:12:12","slug":"italian-pastries-and-cakes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/food-and-wine\/italian-pastries-and-cakes","title":{"rendered":"Italian Pastries &#038; Cakes: From Cornetto to Cassata Siciliana"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Italy is famous for its food. With delicious pizzas, unique pastas, world-class cheeses, and, oh yea, incredible wine, it has a lot to offer! But after that pizza, don\u2019t forget about all the scrumptious Italian cakes and <strong>Italian pastries<\/strong>!<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Don\u2019t know where to start? Here are some of our favorite Italian pastries and cakes for you to try:<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_80 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/food-and-wine\/italian-pastries-and-cakes\/#Brioche_or_Cornetto\" >Brioche or Cornetto<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/food-and-wine\/italian-pastries-and-cakes\/#Tiramisu\" >Tiramis\u00f9<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/food-and-wine\/italian-pastries-and-cakes\/#Crostata\" >Crostata<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/food-and-wine\/italian-pastries-and-cakes\/#Cassata_Siciliana\" >Cassata Siciliana<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/food-and-wine\/italian-pastries-and-cakes\/#Cannoli\" >Cannoli<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/food-and-wine\/italian-pastries-and-cakes\/#Torrone\" >Torrone<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/food-and-wine\/italian-pastries-and-cakes\/#Panettone\" >Panettone<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Brioche_or_Cornetto\"><\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Brioche or Cornetto<\/strong><\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<div id=\"attachment_7657\" style=\"width: 560px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a style=\"color: #000000;\" href=\"https:\/\/walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/8344423880_04c051ff2b_z.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-7657\" class=\"wp-image-7657\" src=\"https:\/\/walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/8344423880_04c051ff2b_z.jpg\" alt=\"fresh-baked cornettos are some of the finest Italian pastries.\" width=\"550\" height=\"550\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-7657\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Italians typically start their morning with something sweet, and these Italian pastries called cornetti perfectly fit the bill! Photo by Joy (flickr)<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><br \/>\nA type of pastry, the brioche (or cornetto, depending on where you live in Italy) is exclusively eaten for\u00a0breakfast, usually accompanied by <a href=\"https:\/\/walksofitaly.com\/blog\/how-to\/drink-coffee-in-italy\">a coffee or cappuccino<\/a> that you can dip it into. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">The dough has more sugar than a French brioche or croissant and a more cake-like texture. Also, unlike the French purists, Italians don\u2019t mind mixing it up and you can find empty brioches, or ones filled with cream, jelly, honey or chocolate. Take your pick!<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Tiramisu\"><\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Tiramis\u00f9<\/strong><\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<div id=\"attachment_23869\" style=\"width: 1610px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-23869\" class=\"wp-image-23869 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/b5ytivuwqh8.jpg\" alt=\"close-up of a delicious-looking tiramisu dessert. The soft layers of creamy mascarpone filling are visible between layers of soaked ladyfingers, topped with a dusting of cocoa powder.\" width=\"1600\" height=\"1067\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/b5ytivuwqh8.jpg 1600w, https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/b5ytivuwqh8-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/b5ytivuwqh8-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-23869\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Delicious Italian Tiramissu!<\/p><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><br \/>\nPerhaps the \u201chappiest\u201d Italian dessert of the bunch, <em>tiramisu\u00a0<\/em>in\u00a0Italian literally means \u00a0<strong>\u201cpick me up<\/strong>.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">It makes sense \u2013 who wouldn\u2019t feel uplifted by a delicious dessert made of coffee-coated soft cookies called Savoiardi (lad fingers), a delicious mascarpone cream and chocolate? <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Though many regions claim it as their own, including Friuli-Venezia Giulia and Piedmont, most accounts link the delicious dessert to Treviso, in the Veneto region. (Check out our guide for the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/food-and-wine\/food-in-venice-veneto-verona-italy-travel-tips\">best foods of Venice and Veneto)<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Crostata\"><\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Crostata<\/strong><\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<div id=\"attachment_7654\" style=\"width: 610px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a style=\"color: #000000;\" href=\"https:\/\/walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/11862985216_d718910380_z.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-7654\" class=\"wp-image-7654\" src=\"https:\/\/walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/11862985216_d718910380_z.jpg\" alt=\"Photo by Judy Witts\" width=\"600\" height=\"401\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-7654\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Though the crostata is technically a rustic pie and doesn&#8217;t fall into the category of Italian pastries, you can get as elaborate as you&#8217;d like \u2013 like this one with additional decoration! Photo by Judy Witts<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">The crostata is an \u00a0pie with a crust made from Italian pastry (hence the name, crostata) and a fruit or jelly filling. Rustic in nature, there are endless variations to the <em>crostata<\/em>, with fillings ranging from cherries and other berries to nectarines, apricots or even Nutella! <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">The <em>crostata<\/em> is easy to make and an Italian classic \u2013 you\u2019re sure to find it in any Italian nonna\u2019s house!<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Cassata_Siciliana\"><\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Cassata Siciliana<\/strong><\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<div id=\"attachment_3345\" style=\"width: 610px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a style=\"color: #000000;\" href=\"https:\/\/walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/10\/cassata-siciliana-for-web.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-3345\" class=\"wp-image-3345 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/10\/cassata-siciliana-for-web.jpg\" alt=\"Cassata siciliana, one of the sweetest Sicilian desserts there is!\" width=\"600\" height=\"399\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-3345\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Cassata siciliana, one of the sweetest Sicilian desserts there is!<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><br \/>\nThe Sicilian cassata is a traditional Italian cake from Palermo and Messina in Sicily. It\u2019s made from a round sponge cake soaked in fruit juices or liqueur and layered with ricotta cheese, candied fruit peels and a cream similar to the smooth ricotta cheese found in cannoli. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Then, it\u2019s covered with a marzipan shell, traditionally a pastel pink or green icing and sugar or candied fruit decorations. This classic Sicilian dessert is a sugar bomb, and a must-try! (For more info on the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/food-and-wine\/sicilian-cuisine-cannoli-arancini\">best foods of Sicily<\/a>, check out our handy food guide to the region).<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Cannoli\"><\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Cannoli<\/strong><\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<div id=\"attachment_7655\" style=\"width: 610px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a style=\"color: #000000;\" href=\"https:\/\/walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/3134062094_23298b6646_z.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-7655\" class=\"wp-image-7655\" src=\"https:\/\/walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/3134062094_23298b6646_z.jpg\" alt=\"Photo by John Rudolph Mueller\" width=\"600\" height=\"405\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-7655\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">You <em>really<\/em> know that cannoli are good when you see them empty in the window. That means they&#8217;ll add the cream fresh as you order! Photo by John Rudolph Mueller<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Also from Sicily, <em>cannoli<\/em> are rolls of fried Italian pastries filled with a creamy ricotta filling. The ends can then be sprinkled with chocolate chips, pistachio crumbs or candied fruits. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Just remember that the singular of <em>cannoli <\/em>is <em>cannolo<\/em>, so be careful about ordering \u201cone cannoli.\u201d Or don&#8217;t worry about it, we highly recommend that you try the\u00a0chocolate, pistachio and candied fruit flavors!<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Torrone\"><\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Torrone<\/strong><\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<div id=\"attachment_7653\" style=\"width: 603px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a style=\"color: #000000;\" href=\"https:\/\/walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/343863738_3fe19c8d8f_z.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-7653\" class=\"wp-image-7653\" src=\"https:\/\/walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/343863738_3fe19c8d8f_z.jpg\" alt=\"Photo by Francesco Pozzi\" width=\"593\" height=\"445\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-7653\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Torrone can be made with nearly any kind of nut, like the hazelnut torrone shown here. Photo by Francesco Pozzi<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><em>Torrone<\/em> is a traditional Italian dessert during\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/walksofitaly.com\/blog\/traditions-2\/christmas-traditions-in-italy\">winter and Christmas<\/a>. Shaped like a candy bar, it&#8217;s somewhere between an Italian cake and a confection. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">It&#8217;s made from honey, sugar and egg white, with toasted almonds. Similar to the French nougat or the Spanish turr\u00f3n, the bar is usually brittle and sweet, but there are many varieties, including soft and chewy, pistachio-flavored or even chocolate. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Though many cities in Italy have their own recipe for <em>torrone<\/em>, the traditional version from Cremona, Lombardy is the most wide-spread. In fact, Cremona is so serious about their recipe they have a <a href=\"http:\/\/www.festadeltorronecremona.it\/2015\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><em>torrone<\/em> festival every year<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Panettone\"><\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Panettone<\/strong><\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<div id=\"attachment_1743\" style=\"width: 610px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a style=\"color: #000000;\" href=\"https:\/\/walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/11\/Panettone-.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1743\" class=\"wp-image-1743\" src=\"https:\/\/walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/11\/Panettone-.jpg\" alt=\"Milan dessert\" width=\"600\" height=\"458\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-1743\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Panettone, a Christmas treat in Milan<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><br \/>\nAnother Christmas treat, <em>Panettone<\/em> is a typical sweet bread filled with candied fruit and raisins. A staple gift during Christmastime, the dome-shape bread has many \u201csister\u201d breads throughout Italy, such as the <em>pandolce<\/em> from Genova or the star-shaped\u00a0<em>pandoro<\/em> from Verona.\u00a0Here\u2019s more on\u00a0<em><a style=\"color: #000000;\" href=\"http:\/\/walksofitaly.com\/blog\/food-and-wine\/italian-christmas-treats-pandoro-panettone-italy\">panettone\u00a0<\/a><\/em><a style=\"color: #000000;\" href=\"http:\/\/walksofitaly.com\/blog\/food-and-wine\/italian-christmas-treats-pandoro-panettone-italy\">and Italy\u2019s other regional Christmas cakes<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>There&#8217;s one more Italian pastry that we love so much, we want to keep it a secret. But if you join our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/rome-tours\/testaccio-market-food-tour\/\">Tastes &amp; Traditions of Rome: Testaccio Food &amp; Market Tour<\/a>, we&#8217;ll let you in on it! Trust us when we say that there&#8217;s no sweeter way to start your morning.<\/strong><\/p>\n<div style=\"display: none;\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-8030\" src=\"https:\/\/walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/HOW-TO-DRESS-2-358x1024.jpg\" alt=\"Italy's cakes and pastries are among the best in the world. Find out which are the best right here!\" width=\"358\" height=\"1024\" \/><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Italy is famous for its food. With delicious pizzas, unique pastas, world-class cheeses, and, oh yea, incredible wine, it has a lot to offer! But after that pizza, don\u2019t forget about all the scrumptious Italian cakes and Italian pastries! Don\u2019t know where to start? Here are some of our favorite Italian pastries and cakes for [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":40,"featured_media":7657,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[62],"ppma_author":[161],"class_list":["post-7652","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-food-and-wine","tag-food"],"authors":[{"term_id":161,"user_id":40,"is_guest":0,"slug":"ginamussio","display_name":"Gina Mussio","avatar_url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/d9497ce1b0417babd82886ad23b18998?s=96&d=mm&r=g","user_url":"","last_name":"Mussio","first_name":"Gina","job_title":"","description":"Gina is a Midwesterner living in Lombardy, Italy where she writes about Italian culture, travel and food. She is a bilingual primary school teacher by day, forever interested in developing cross-culture communication skills across languages. Gina loves touring Italy's beautiful and tiny borghi with her family and exploring Italy's culture through its culinary history."}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7652"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/40"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7652"}],"version-history":[{"count":13,"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7652\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":23871,"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7652\/revisions\/23871"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7657"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7652"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7652"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7652"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ppma_author?post=7652"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}