Chocolate Chestnut Cake
Updated Sept. 26, 2022
- Total Time
- 1 hour
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
- 4ounces/115 grams chocolate (64 percent cacao or less)
- 4ounces/113 grams unsalted butter
- 4large eggs, separated
- ½cup/100 grams sugar plus 2 tablespoons for topping
- ⅛teaspoon salt
- ¼teaspoon cream of tartar
- ½cup/55 grams chestnut flour
- ½cup/85 grams chopped cooked chestnuts (use canned or vacuum-packed)
- 1cup heavy cream, for topping
- Chocolate curls or cocoa powder, for garnish
Nutritional analysis per serving (10 servings)
321 calories; 23 grams fat; 14 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 7 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 27 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram dietary fiber; 19 grams sugars; 4 grams protein; 67 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
Heat oven to 375 degrees. Melt chocolate and butter in a bowl set over boiling water until chocolate is nearly completely melted, then remove from heat and whisk mixture until smooth.
- Step 2
In a mixing bowl, whisk egg yolks with half the sugar (¼ cup/50 grams) and the salt until pale and thick. Stir in the warm chocolate and set aside.
- Step 3
Put egg whites in a clean bowl with cream of tartar and beat until fluffy, then add remaining ¼ cup/50 grams sugar and beat until whites are stiff but not dry.
- Step 4
Stir chestnut flour and chopped chestnuts into the chocolate batter, then fold in ¼ of the whites to lighten mixture. Fold in remaining whites and scrape batter into an unbuttered 8-inch springform pan, smoothing top if necessary.
- Step 5
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out almost clean. Cool on a rack. It may sink and crack a bit on top — this is fine. Run a knife around the edge of cake to free sides and remove form. Transfer to a serving platter. (Cake may be stored, covered, at room temperature for up to 3 days.)
- Step 6
To serve, whip cream with 2 tablespoons sugar to a very soft consistency. Spoon over top of cake and quickly spread with a spatula. Sprinkle with chocolate curls or cocoa powder.
Private Notes
Comments
Oh dear, like others I have not located chestnut flour (not at Whole Foods in Ann Arbor, FYI) and it is too late to order online. I have the whole chestnuts and understand the cake is not the same without the flour but at the 11th hour…mix chestnuts with another flour? Hazelnut? Almond? Help! no time to test!
Delicious cake; just grind chestnuts finely in the food processor if you cannot find chestnut flour. I put some parchment paper on the bottom of my springform pan, and the cake came out very easily. You do need to run a knife around it before opening the pan, otherwise the cake will break.
I made this cake with 64% cocoa chocolate bar and almond flour. I had a 10 inch springform pan so I did 1.5 times the recipe. I couldn't find chestnut flour. My grocery store did have canned chestnuts. They looked and smelled totally gross so I was very uncertain about this cake.
Well, it was absolutely delicious! The chocolate is just the right intensity, the chestnuts give a nice texture. The inside was very moist.
I have made this many many times without chestnut flour. Just take an average single package of roasted chestnuts (110 grams in the US) and toss it in the cuisinart. Process until dust. Done!
This was absolutely delicious. It’s relatively low carb, if that’s a concern, but very rich and satisfying. I used an 8” cake pan which was a little too shallow and hard to get a pretty slice, as I was afraid of taking it out of the pan, it was a bit delicate. The cake puffed up beyond the top and then quickly fell. I hid the disfigurement with the whipped cream. Found bags of shelled, cooked chestnuts at Fairway. Food processor did a fine job making the flour. Also I only had bits of 84% and 76% chocolate that I mixed and it was fine. This is something I will make a lot, as long as I can find chestnuts, and worthy of adding an 8” springform to my kitchen.
If you're like me and don't enjoy raisins and nuts in your baked goods, leave out the chopped chestnuts. They give the cake that same type of nubbley, am I eating a scab? kind of feeling. Otherwise the texture of the actual cake is very good, soft yet rich.