Chocolate Chestnut Cake
chocolate, chestnuts, cakes, flourless, gluten-free
Updated 4th December 2024
Everyone needs a flourless chocolate cake in their lives and this one is a very special one. It includes chestnuts and is simply a joy to eat. This flourless chocolate cake has a rich, decadent, and intense chocolate flavor, and has a rich and fudgy texture between a brownie, cake, truffle, and moussey texture. The chestnut puree adds a sweet, nutty, buttery flavor. This cake is flavoured with vanilla, spiced rum and a pinch of cinnamon. We love the subtle warm flavors added by those three but the rum can be replaced with anything boozy your prefer or left out. It feels so sinful to eat too, almost like it’s too rich but then the slice that you thought you wouldnt/couldn’t finish on your plate in front of you is gone and your eyeing the piece beside you.
This cake has a marvellous texture as most flourless chocolate cakes have but the chestnut does add an extra layer of delicious flavours plus a hint of something different. I can only describe it as adding flavor that is something between a sweet potato with the nuttiness of walnuts. It’s worth a try even the biggest skeptics can’t resist once they try any baked good with chestnut including this cake or even savory dishes like my creamy chestnut soup.
Chocolate Chestnut Cake Recipe Ingredients:
- CHESTNUT PUREE: I use unsweetened canned chestnut purée, but really this cake is not overly sweet at all especially if you are using dark chocolate so feel free to use sweetened chestnut puree if that is all yo can find
- EGGS: Six room temperature eggs that have been separated lends richness and moisture. Plus, they help bind the batter together and by beating the egg whites to stiff peaks you get that really nice lift in the cake.
- SUGAR: Just a small amount for this recipe - for a sweeter version I suggest using either a sweetened chestnut puree or add a little extra sugar, up to 1/2 cup.
- CHOCOLATE: Dark chocolate or Bittersweet chocolate can be used or a combination of both resulting in a wonderfully rich and flavorful cake. There is not very much sugar in this cake at all so using the dark chocolate really will create a bold and chocolate rich flourless cake. Semi sweet chocolate will bring out more of the sweetness and will be slightly more mellow. I use chopped chocolate but you can also use chocolate chips.
- SALT: A pinch of salt enhances the overall flavor of the chocolate cake.
- BUTTER: One stick of unsalted butter adds richness and moisture.
- VANILLA: Adds warm flavor to all baked goods - I recommend pure vanilla extract. If you want to change the flavor profile you can also use a different flavor extract like orange or even maple.
- RUM: I like to use a spiced rum but you could also use mezcal, whiskey, brandy, bourbon, port, Baileys, Frangelico, or even sweet marsala depending on the flavors you were going for. They all go well with chocolate. Skip if you prefer no alcohol or replace a little bit of it with more vanilla.
- CINNAMON: Optional but I love the warm subtle flavor it adds to the cake.
How To Make Chocolate Chestnut Cake:
- SEPARATE EGGS: The eggs need to be separated so that the egg whites can be whipped to stiff peaks.
- MELT CHOCOLATE: I like to use a double boiler for this but you can do this in the microwave in spurts stirring in between. Just be careful not to burn the chocolate.
- BEAT EGG WHITES: Beat egg whites with a pinch of salt until stiff peaks.
- BEAT CHESTNUT PUREE: Beat the puree until smooth or softened then cream along with the butter and sugar, followed by the egg yolks, rum, vanilla and melted chocolate
- FOLD EGG WHITES INTO BATTER: Carefully fold in the egg whites into the chestnut chocolate mixture so as not to deflate them.
- BAKE: Transfer batter to springform cake tin and bake for 45 min
- COOL: Cool on rack in pan for 20 minutes then remove collar from pan and slide cake off pan onto rack and allow cake to cool before slicing and serving.
How to Serve Flourless Chocolate Chestnut Cake
Serve this chocolate chestnut cake with with a dusting of powdered sugar or cocoa powder or sweetened vanilla whipped heavy cream, ice cream, drizzles of chocolate sauce or chocolate ganache, or even some chopped up candied chestnuts /marron glacem, a drizzle of raspberry sauce, or caramel sauce for extra decadence. It also pairs well with fresh fruit, or vanilla ice cream.
This cake is quite simple to whip up and it’s decadent and fabulous. It’s perfect with a dusting of confectioners sugar (decorative or not) or even a dollop of whip cream. It’s serves well to all those people in your life who may be allergic to gluten as it is flourless. The texture is absolutely fabulous and is like nothing else and I have a feeling you will love it. It has the sort of decadence and richness that keeps you going back for more bite after bite. It’s the perfect dessert for all the chocoholics in your life. Hope you make it enjoy it as much as we did! All this talking about it has me wanting to make it again – I just might have to!
Recipe
Ingredients
- 225 g (approx 8 oz) dark chocolate, roughly chopped
- 6 eggs, room temperature and separated
- 1 pinch salt
- 125 g (4 oz) unsalted butter, softened (½ cup /1 stick)
- 439 g (15.5 oz) unsweetened chestnut puree canned or homemade (approx 1 3/4 cups)
- 2 tablespoons rum ( I used spiced rum)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 65 g (2 oz) granulated sugar (approx ⅓ cup)
- Confectioners sugar for dusting before serving
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 350˚F, and grease a springform pan or cake tin. You can also line the bottom of the springform pan with parchment paper for easy removal.
- Roughly chop the chocolate into pieces and melt in the microwave or in a double boiler then set aside.
- In a large bowl using a mixer with whisk attachment, beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt until stiff peaks, but not dry approx 5-7 min.
- In a separate large clean bowl, using mixer with standard attachment gently beat the chestnut puree until smooth then beat in the butter and sugar until well combined.
- Gradually beat in the egg yolks 2 at a time to make a smooth cream, then add the rum, vanilla extract and drizzle in the melted chocolate while mixing.
- Add just a dollop of the egg whites to the batter and whisk the batter very well to mix everything together, then carefully and gently fold the remaining egg whites into the chestnut mixture until fully incorporated being careful not to deflate the egg whites too much while you fold them in.
- Pour the batter into the prepared tin, gently smooth the top, transfer to preheated oven and bake for 40-50 minutes or until the cake has risen and is firm on top but will still have a slight wobble in the middle. It will appear dry with or without cracks on top but it will not be dry once cooled.
- Let the cake cool in its tin on a rack for 20 minutes before you unmold it onto cooling rack.
- Just before serving, dust with icing sugar and cut into about 10-12 generous pieces.
Recipe Notes
- Storage: Cover and store leftover cake in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Freeze: Store slices wrapped tight and in a freezer-safe container for up to 1-3 months. Just keep in mind it may compress a little when frozen and thawed.
- Make Ahead: You can make this cake a day in advance for a celebration. Just store it covered on the countertop, and wait to add any toppings (including cacao powder) until right before serving.
Adapted from Nigella Lawson’s recipe
