When we did our Christmas shop, we picked up a bag of chestnuts – something you’d only really see in the shops around that time of year.
We had thoughts of a lovely Christmas lunch, followed by a walk in the snowy countryside and then coming home to roast the chestnuts in our wood-burner. Chance would be a fine thing! Three weeks on, the bag of chestnuts was still in our vegetable rack waiting for its big day.
I had a look through my cookbooks and online and came across a recipe for a chocolate caramel chestnut cake. The original recipe has a brandy syrup which I substituted with rum. It also calls for edible gold dust to brush on the chestnut garnish – not something I had to hand! It looks so pretty that I’d definitely plan ahead and order some if I was making the cake for Christmas or another special occasion.
This recipe looks like a big, time-consuming job but as its author, Dorie Greenspan, says:
“Because every element of the cake can be made ahead, you can work on it in stages. The filled and glazed cake can be kept in the refrigerator for a day, but add the chestnut garnish right before serving.”
“The ganache is best if refrigerated overnight. The glaze needs a 4-hour rest and the cake, if it’s been seriously chilled, needs some serious time on the counter to come to room temperature – serve it cold, and you won’t get the full measure of pleasure from the ganache so plan ahead.”
To roast the chestnuts (in an oven, if you don’t have the quintessential ‘open fire’), preheat the oven to 200ºC/400ºF/Gas mark 6. Mark a small cross on the flat side of each using a small sharp kitchen knife making sure you pierce the skin but not cut the nut inside. You could also pierce a few times with the fork. Put the nuts on a baking sheet, cut side up, and cook for about 10-20 minutes, turning a couple of times until the skins open. Peel while still warm.
The completed chocolate caramel chestnut cake looks very impressive with it’s height, multiple layers and glossy finish. Tasty too – well worth the time and effort!
Check out some of our other Cakes & Bakes offerings here!
Chocolate caramel chestnut cake
Ingredients
For the caramel ganache
- 250 g/9oz milk chocolate
- 85 g/3oz dark chocolate finely chopped
- 6 tbs golden granulated sugar
- 2 tbs water
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 275 ml/10fl oz tablespoons whipping cream
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 250 g/9oz butter softened
For the cake
- 265 g/9oz plain flour
- 35 g/1oz cornflour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 225 g/8oz butter softened
- 250 g/9oz golden granulated sugar divided
- 4 large eggs separated
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 250 g/9oz sweetened chestnut spread with vanilla not something in my store cupboard, but similar can be made with several cooked chestnuts puréed in a processor with 1tsp vanilla essence and 2tbs caster sugar
- 60 ml/2fl oz milk
For the syrup
- 60 ml/2fl oz rum
- 2 tbs golden caster sugar
- 12 roasted chestnuts coarsely chopped
For the glaze
- 240 ml/8½fl oz whipping cream
- 35 g/1oz sugar
- 60 ml/2fl oz water
- 225 g/8oz dark chocolate chopped
For the garnish
- 8 roasted chestnuts whole
- edible gold dust optional
Instructions
For the ganache
- Combine milk chocolate and dark chocolate in medium-sized bowl
- Stir sugar, 2 tbs water, and cinnamon stick in heavy medium saucepan over medium-low heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat and boil without stirring until syrup turns deep amber, occasionally brushing down sides of pan with wet pastry brush and swirling pan, about 6 minutes (time will vary depending on size of pan). Add cream and salt (mixture will bubble vigorously). Bring caramel to boil, whisking until smooth and caramel bits dissolve, about 1 minute. Discard cinnamon stick
- Pour the hot caramel over chocolate; stir until chocolate has melted and mixture is smooth
- Let stand until completely cool, stirring occasionally, about 1 hour
- Using an electric mixer, beat butter in large bowl until fluffy
- Beat in the chocolate mixture in 4 additions
- Cover and refrigerate the ganache overnight
For the cake
- Preheat oven to 175ºC/350°F/gas mark 4
- Grease 4 rectangular 18cm x 9cm 450g/1lb loaf tins before lining the bottoms with parchment paper. (If you don't have this number of tins, you can cook the cakes one by one)
- In a medium-sized mixing bowl, sift together the flour, cornflower, baking powder and salt
- In another bowl and using an electric mixer, beat the butter until pale & fluffy
- Add 200g/7oz of the sugar, egg yolks and vanilla extract and combine well
- Add the chestnut spread, then the milk and combine well
- Sift the dry ingredients over and carefully mix together
- In another large bowl, and using clean beaters, beat the egg whites into soft peaks
- Add the remaining 50g/1¾oz sugar and beat until stiff but not dry
- Fold the egg whites into the batter in 3 additions
- Transfer batter equally across the prepared cake tin(s) (kitchen scales can be useful for this - I made it about 325g per tin)
- Bake the cakes until golden and a skewer inserted into the middle comes away clean (about 25-30 minutes)
- Allow to cool completely in the pan(s) on a wire rack
For the syrup
- Stir the rum and brown sugar in small bowl until the sugar completely dissolves
To complete
- Turn cakes out onto work surface and peel off the parchment
- Place one of the cakes, bottom side up, on a clean piece of parchment
- Brush the cake layer with ¼ of the rum syrup
- Spread with ¼ of the ganache and sprinkle with ¼ of the chopped chestnuts
- Top with second cake layer, bottom side up
- Repeat this twice - ¼ rum syrup, ¼ ganache, and ¼ chopped chestnuts
- Top with the fourth, final cake layer, bottom side up
- Spread the remaining ¼ of the ganache over the top and sides of the cake
- Place cake rack on sheet of foil; place assembled cake on rack
- Chill while you prepare glaze
For the glaze
- Bring cream, sugar, and 60ml/2fl oz water to boil in heavy medium saucepan, stirring until sugar dissolves
- Add the chocolate and whisk until melted and the glaze is smooth. Allow to cool until thick but still pourable
- Pour glaze over the top of the cake, spreading evenly over the sides
- Chill until the glaze sets
For the garnish
- Brush the top of the whole chestnuts with the edible gold dust (optional)
- Arrange the chestnuts across top of cake
- Serve at room temperature
