21Jun 12
by Sarah White
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A traditional Czech dessert, this almond and chestnut cake (called Dort Kastanovy in the Czech Republic) is very hearty and rich. Â Chestnuts are not easy to find most of the year except in the autumn, so this is a great seasonal recipe to keep in mind when the leaves start turning colour. I really like the combination of chestnuts and almonds, but if you prefer just almonds, I recommend this almond cake with orchard fruits recipe.
Ingredients:
- 500g chestnuts, washed, shells and skins left on
- 500ml whole milk
- 70g butter, softened
- 200g granulated sugar
- 6 eggs, yolks separated from whites, whites stiffly beaten
- 175ml almonds, blanched, peeled and ground
- 500ml double cream, whipped
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Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 180ºC.
- Butter a 20cm spring-form cake pan and dust with breadcrumbs.
- Make an incision on the rounded sides of the chestnuts with a sharp knife and roast them on a baking tray in the preheated oven for about 15 minutes to loosen the shells and skins.
- Remove from the oven and peel, then cook them on the stovetop in the milk for about 30 minutes.
- Reduce the heat of the oven to 150ºC.
- Set aside 50ml of the chestnuts and purée the rest through a strainer while they’re still hot. Add any liquid that wasn’t absorbed during cooking.
- To prepare the cake, cream the butter very well with the granulated sugar and the egg yolks.
- Mix in the ground almonds and the puréed chestnuts.
- Fold in the egg whites.
-  Pour the batter into the buttered and dusted spring-form pan and bake in the 150ºC oven for 45 minutes to one hour, or until a knife inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean.
-  Cool the cake in its pan for about 10 minutes, then remove the rim. Run a spatula or knife under the cake to loosen it and then turn it out onto a wire cooling rack.
- When it has cooled, split the cake into two layers.
- Fill and cove the cake with the whipped double cream.
- Â Shred the remaining chestnuts (or leave whole according to preference) and sprinkle them over the top.
- Slice and serve.
Prep Time:Â 45 minutes
Cooking Time: Â 60 minutes
Serves: Â 8
Difficulty: Â Medium
Tags: Almond and Chestnut Cake, almonds, butter, cake, chestnuts, desserts, double cream, eggs, milk, sugar
This entry was posted on Thursday, 21 June, 2012 at 12:18 pm by Sarah White and is filed under Desserts.
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