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Chestnut Flour Cake

17/11/2023

The chestnut flour cake is a rustic and delicious dessert, typical of Italian cuisine, especially from those regions where chestnut trees are abundant. Let’s see which ingredients you need and how to proceed to make it.

Ingredients

  • 250 g of chestnut flour
  • 150 g of sugar
  • 50 g of softened butter
  • 3 eggs
  • 250 ml of milk
  • 1 packet of baking powder
  • A pinch of salt
  • Icing sugar (optional, for decoration)
  • Raisins (optional)
  • Pine nuts (optional)

Preparation

  1. Preheat the oven to 180 °C.
  2. If using raisins, let them soften in warm water for about 15 minutes, then squeeze them out and pat dry with kitchen paper.
  3. In a bowl, mix the chestnut flour with the baking powder and a pinch of salt.
  4. In another bowl, cream the softened butter with the sugar until you get a creamy mixture.
  5. Separate the yolks from the whites and add the yolks to the butter and sugar mixture, continuing to beat until they are well incorporated.
  6. At this point, gradually incorporate the chestnut flour into the mixture, alternating with the milk, to obtain a smooth and homogeneous batter.
  7. Whip the egg whites to firm peaks with a pinch of salt and gently fold them into the batter, using a spatula and moving from the bottom up so as not to deflate the mixture.
  8. If you wish to add raisins and pine nuts, fold them into the batter.
  9. Pour the batter into a previously buttered and floured cake tin, or lined with parchment paper.
  10. Bake the cake for about 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
  11. Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool before dusting with icing sugar, if desired.

Curiosity

Chestnut flour was used in the past as a substitute or addition to wheat flour in mountainous or wooded areas where chestnuts were more readily available. The chestnut cake is thus a symbol of those culinary traditions that have developed from the resources available on the territory.

Raisins and pine nuts are optional, but they are a typical addition that enriches the flavor of the cake, giving it a pleasant variety of textures and a slight touch of extra sweetness and aroma.