This is a good chocolate cake! I have been meaning to make it since Rachel made it and that was a whole year ago. It had been on my to make list before that as I had looked at it longingly in Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall’s The River Cottage Year, which believe it or not I have had in my possession for seven years. How time flies, and what a long to make list I must have.
It’s a great cake for this time of year, when chestnuts feature heavily on market shelves and in Christmas cooking. But to be honest it’s a great cake for any time of the year.
It’s easy to make too and can be enjoyed warm for dessert or cold with a cup of tea (or coffee, or a mulled wine).
250g good quality dark chocolate
250g butter
250g peeled and cooked chestnuts (I use vacuum packed as life is too short)
250ml milk
4 eggs, separated
125g caster sugar
Method
Grease and line a 25cm round cake tin.
Melt the chocolate and butter in a pan over a gentle heat. In another pan heat the chestnuts and milk together until it just comes to the boil. Remove from the heat and mash the chestnuts into the milk until smooth.
Whisk the egg yolks and caster sugar together until combined. Pour in the chocolate mixture and the chestnut mixture and whisk together well. I used a balloon whisk to do this.
In a very clean bowl whisk the egg whites until they form stiff peaks and then carefully fold into the chocolate and chestnut mixture. Pour the mixture into the tin and place in a preheated oven at 170°c, gas mark 3, or the baking oven of the Aga for 25-30 minutes, until it is set, but it will still have a little wobble in the centre.
Leave in the tin to cool a little if you are serving warm or leave to cool completely. Sift cocoa powder over the top.
Oh heavenly! Fabulous recipe.
🙂 Mandy
Thank you Mandy, I hope you have a wonderful (warm) Christmas. x
Thanks Kath and to you and your family too. xo
Help, what did I do wrong ? I followed your recipe almost exactly except I used canned chestnut puree .As I don’t have an Aga I cooked it in an ordinary gas oven.After an hour and a half it still wasn’t cooked.I had to remove it from the oven as I was taking it with me to my nieces as a surprise dessert .After a super meal we started on the cake ,yummy ! there was only a tiny piece left,so it was a success ! But I would like to make it again,should I have used whole chestnuts ?
Hello Auntie Em,
I made it again this year for Christmas dessert and it is very mousse like and wobbly in the centre. It sounds as if yours was a success in the end though. The canned chestnut puree probably did make it stickier and sweeter (as it tends to be sweetened puree). Try it with whole chestnuts from a vacuum pack and see what you think. It is definitely worth trying again.
Best Kath
The cake looks just perfect for Christmas and is a great recipe too.
Happy Christmas and New Year. Mx
Thank you Margaret, HFW is a good chap for providing recipes that work every time. Happy Christmas to you too. Looking forward to reading your posts in 2011.
Oh I’m so glad. I am planning to make one this week. I love the top picture by the way.
It only took me a year to get round to!
That last photo is a killer! Looks and sounds very lush … just the thing for this time of year ;0)
Thanks Chele, it really is lush.
Brownies, stollen, chocolate cake – it’s a cake frenzy round yours.
Good times!
Oh VBB, you should know by now it is always a cake frenzy round here. Happy Christmas to you and yours. x
Wow, Kath, this is sure calling my name. But I do think that I’ve liked everything you have baked!
Ah thank you Michele. x
Looks heavenly. I have a huge to make list too. I’m wondering if I should just stop keeping it???? It might take me several years to get round to things on it. This cake makes the list as I love chestnuts (and chocolate but that goes without saying).
Louise, I know that feeling well 🙂
Kath, I turn my back for two minutes and you’ve created a feast. This cake looks so completely scrumptious, I bet it tastes wonderful. It certainly looks heaps better than the one I made earlier this year and I’d love that slice of yours right now.
Hope you all have a Very Merry Christmas with lots of cake and other good things.
Now I recall Rachel’s chestnut diary from last year—and this cake is a beauty! Wishing you and yours a happy happy Christmas, with much love and joy.
Nancy
Kath; hope Santa brings you lots of goodies. Have a lovely Christmas, x
You made any more cake? – Must’ve nearly run out by now!
Pingback: chocolate chestnut cake « eelmsthenovicebaker
Pingback: Chestnut and chocolate cake - i try to eat healthy
Could you freeze this cake?
Hi, I have never tried but I can’t see why not. It should be ok well wrapped.