Chestnut and Vanilla Cake

The chestnut and vanilla cake is a very tasty autumnal dessert. Here is the recipe, which combines the sweetness of chestnuts with the delicate aroma of vanilla.

Ingredients

• 200 g chestnut flour
• 100 g sugar
• 100 g soft butter
• 3 eggs
• 200 ml milk
• 1 vanilla pod
• 1 sachet baking powder for cakes
• A pinch of salt
• Powdered sugar for decoration (optional)

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 180 °C.
2. In a bowl, mix the chestnut flour with the sugar, baking powder, and the pinch of salt.
3. Split the vanilla pod in half lengthwise and scrape out the inner seeds with the tip of a knife.
4. In another bowl, cream the soft butter with the vanilla seeds until you obtain a homogeneous mixture.
5. Separate the egg yolks from the whites and add the yolks to the butter and vanilla mixture, stirring well.
6. Alternately incorporate the chestnut flour mixture and the milk into the butter, egg, and vanilla mixture, stirring until you obtain a smooth batter without lumps.
7. Whip the egg whites to stiff peaks with a pinch of salt and gently fold them into the remaining batter, using a spatula and movements from bottom to top to avoid deflating them.
8. Pour the batter into a previously buttered and floured cake pan.
9. Bake for about 30-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.
10. Let the cake cool in the pan for a few minutes, then transfer it to a wire rack to cool completely.
11. Before serving, you can dust with powdered sugar for an extra touch of sweetness.

Fun Facts

Chestnut flour was a very commonly used ingredient in Italian mountainous areas, where cereals were less accessible. This cake is an example of how traditional flavors can be reinterpreted in a modern way.

For a more Italian variant, you could also add some boiled and mashed chestnuts to the batter, or chocolate chips, to make it even more in line with the Italian taste for rich and satisfying desserts.