Chestnut Cake with Chocolate Cream. Satisfy your sweet tooth with this delicious Chestnut Cake with Chocolate Cream, whether you are celebrating a birthday or looking for an afternoon tea treat this is sure to be a winner.
Chestnut Cake with Chocolate Cream
Serves 8
Ingredient
500g fresh chestnuts
1½ cups milk
1¼ cups caster sugar
6 eggs, separated
80g butter, melted
1 cup almond meal (ground almonds)
50ml brandy
1½ cups self-raising flour
pinch of salt
500ml thickened cream
500g good-quality dark chocolate, roughly chopped
Method
1 Preheat oven to 200C. Mark a cross on the base of each chestnut with a small sharp knife. Put chestnuts on a baking tray. Bake for 10–15 minutes or until shells crack. Remove from oven, cool slightly and remove shells and skin (you may find this easier using a tea towel).
2 Put chestnuts in a saucepan with milk and ¼ cup sugar over medium heat. Bring to the boil, reduce heat and simmer for 15–20 minutes or until soft. Drain, reserving liquid. Put chestnuts in a food processor until a puree forms, adding reserved liquid, a little at a time, as necessary.
3 Preheat oven to 180C. Grease and line a 22cm cake pan with baking paper. Using an electric beater, beat egg yolks and remaining sugar until thick and pale.
4 Add butter, almond meal, brandy and 1½ cups chestnut puree. Sift flour over cake mixture. Gently fold ingredients together with a large metal spoon. Beat egg whites and salt until soft peaks form. Add to cake mixture and gently fold into batter until well combined. Spoon into prepared baking pan.
5 Bake for 45–50 minutes or until cake is cooked through when tested with a skewer. Stand for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack. When cold, cut in half horizontally.
6 To make chocolate cream, heat cream in a saucepan until small bubbles form around the edge and the cream is hot. Remove from heat and add chocolate. Stir until melted. Transfer to a bowl and stand until spreadable. Spread over base of cake. Top with remaining half of cake and spread remaining chocolate cream all over.
