Chestnut Cake - Castagnaccio
This is a wonderful cake that I really enjoy. I like to buy a piece fresh at the bakery when I can, otherwise I just make the cake at home. In Verona you can only find it in October/November when the chestnuts are in season.
Ingredients:
4 cups chestnut flour
16 fluid oz. water
6 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp. pine nuts
1/3 cup raisins
pinch of salt
Instructions:
1. In a large bowl mix the chestnut flour with water.
2. Then add a pinch of salt and 4 Tbsp. oil. Add the oil one tablespoon at a time and mix each one in well.
3. In the meantime soak the raisins in luke warm water until soft.
4. Drain, dry and flour the raisins with some chestnut flour.
5. Add the raisins to the batter and mix them in.
6. Grease a 9 inch springform pan with olive oil and then pour the batter in.
7. Sprinkle the pine nuts on top and add 2 Tbsp. of olive oil too.
8. Bake in a preheated oven for 30 minutes at 390° F.
9. Serve once it has cooled off.
Notes:
This is a wonderful dessert, however it isn’t very sweet for some peoples tastes. Also note that this is a humid cake it won’t bake to dry and fluffy texture.
Hi Patty, I am really looking forward to baking this cake but really don’t know what a sprngform pan is, can you help? Also what consistency will the cake have?
Many Thanks Dee
Dee, a springform pan is a two-piece pan with removable rind. For more info check here http://whatscookingamerica.net/Q-A/SpringForm.htm. In any case if you don’t have one, a cake pan will be just fine.
Hi Patty having a hard time to find chesnut flour, but this recipe sounds good to me please advise, thanking you Cecilia.//
@Cecilia: I don’t know where you live, but chestnut flour can usually be found in natural stores, here in Italy also in regular grocery stores.