Chestnut Cream Cake

The chestnut cream cake is a delicious autumn dessert, rich and appetizing. Here’s how you can prepare it:

Ingredients

• For the base:

  • 200 g of 00 flour
  • 100 g of cold butter cut into cubes
  • 80 g of powdered sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 pinch of salt

• For the chestnut cream:

  • 350 g of chestnut cream (marrons)
  • 250 ml of fresh cream
  • 2 egg yolks
  • 50 g of granulated sugar
  • 20 g of 00 flour

• For decorating:

  • Natural or glazed chestnuts
  • Powdered sugar

Preparation

1. Base preparation:

   • In a bowl, mix the flour with the powdered sugar and the pinch of salt.
   • Add the cold butter cut into cubes and rub the mixture with your fingertips until you obtain a breadcrumb-like consistency.
   • Add the egg and quickly knead until you obtain a smooth ball.
   • Wrap the shortcrust pastry in plastic wrap and let it rest in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.

2. Chestnut cream preparation:

   • In a saucepan, heat the chestnut cream over low heat to make it easier to work with.
   • In another saucepan, heat the cream until it almost reaches a boil.
   • In a bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the sugar until you obtain a light and frothy mixture.
   • Add the sifted flour to the yolks and stir to avoid lumps.
   • Pour the hot cream over the yolk mixture, stir and return everything to the saucepan.
   • Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until you obtain a thick cream.
   • Remove the cream from the heat and let it cool slightly. Incorporate the warmed chestnut cream and stir until you obtain a homogeneous mixture.

3. Assembly and baking:

   • Roll out the shortcrust pastry into a thin layer and place it in a previously buttered and floured cake pan.
   • Pour the chestnut cream over the shortcrust base and level the surface.
   • Bake in a preheated oven at 180 °C for about 35-40 minutes or until the surface of the cake is golden.
   • Let the cake cool before removing it from the pan.

4. Decoration:

   • Decorate the cake with whole or chopped chestnuts and a light dusting of powdered sugar.

Trivia

Chestnut cream is a typical French product, known as “crème de marrons”, which lends itself perfectly to the preparation of autumn and winter desserts. In Italy, chestnuts are valued in multiple sweet and savory preparations, representing a fundamental ingredient of culinary tradition, especially in mountainous areas where chestnuts are abundant.