Chestnut Cake

I can describe how to prepare a delicious chestnut cake, typical in Italian cuisine, especially during the autumn months when chestnuts are in season. It is a dessert that combines the delicacy of chestnuts with intense and enveloping aromas and flavors.

Ingredients

• 400 g chestnuts
• 250 ml milk
• 100 g sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 pinch of salt
• 50 g melted butter (plus a little for greasing the cake pan)
• 1 packet of baking powder
• Powdered sugar (for decoration)

Preparation

1. Score the chestnuts with a cut on the rounded side and boil them in water for about 30 minutes. After cooking, peel them, removing both the outer shell and the inner skin.
2. Place the peeled chestnuts in a pot with the milk and sugar, then cook over medium heat for about 20 minutes or until the chestnuts have softened, stirring occasionally.
3. Blend the chestnuts with the milk and sugar to obtain a smooth cream.
4. Separate the yolks from the whites. Beat the yolks and incorporate them into the chestnut cream along with the melted and cooled butter.
5. Whip the egg whites to stiff peaks with a pinch of salt and gently fold them into the previous mixture without deflating them, adding the baking powder at the end.
6. Pour the mixture into a cake pan previously greased and floured.
7. Bake in a preheated oven at 180 °C for about 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean.
8. Let the chestnut cake cool completely before dusting it with powdered sugar.

Trivia

The chestnut cake is a dish with a long history, tied to Italian rural traditions where, before the arrival of potatoes from the Americas, chestnuts were one of the main sources of carbohydrates. In many regions of Italy, chestnuts are still the stars of festivals and traditional recipes, especially in Tuscany, Piedmont, Campania, and Lazio.