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.

11 Responses to “Chestnut Cake – Castagnaccio”

  1. Dee coleman said:

    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

  2. Patty said:

    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.

  3. cecilia said:

    Hi Patty having a hard time to find chesnut flour, but this recipe sounds good to me please advise, thanking you Cecilia.//

  4. Patty said:

    @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.

  5. Katherine said:

    We have our own chestnut orchard and was hoping to be able to use the chestnuts in this cake, but it calls for chestnut flour, no idea how to make chestnut flour though, any ideas would be very much appreciated. Regards, Katherine

  6. Patty said:

    @Katherine: I finally found a site that explain how to make chestnut flour. I hope it can be helpful.

  7. cecilia said:

    Hi Patty I live in Toronto Canada,still having a hard time to find chesnut flour I tried some Italian
    specialty shops but to no avail please let me know if you know of some store thanking you, cecilia.//

  8. Celia said:

    Thanks Patty- It tasted great. Celia, Scotland.

  9. Patty said:

    @Celia I’m glad you liked it not so many people like the strong taste of chestnut flour.

  10. Joan said:

    This message is for Cecelia who is looking for chestnut flour. i also live in Toronto and have been looking for chestnut flour for the longest time. My husband has many memories of some recipes from his childhood using the flour. His family had chestnut orchards in the mountains of Granalgone (not sure of spelling). I finally found a 500 gr package from Aurora Foods at a Highland Farm store a few months ago. Hope you will be able to find it

  11. cecilia said:

    Thanking you so very much Joan for the location where I can find chesnut flour, Cecilia//

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