Gluten-free chestnut, chocolate & hazelnut cake
This vegetarian and gluten-free cake is flavoured with rich dark chocolate, cooked chestnuts and toasted hazelnuts. Topped with a tempting blend of crème fraîche and vanilla chestnut spread, it's an irresistible dessert option for Christmas gatherings or special occasions.
- Serves8
- CourseDessert
- Prepare25 mins
- Cook45 mins
- Total time1 hr 10 mins
- Pluscooling
Ingredients
- 60g Essential Unsalted Butter, plus extra for greasing
- 250g cooked chestnuts (freshly cooked, canned or vacuum-packed)
- 150ml Essential British Free Range Whole Milk
- 75g dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids), roughly chopped
- 50g hazelnuts, toasted and chopped
- 125g caster sugar
- 3 Essential Free Range White Eggs, separated
- 1 tbsp brandy
- ½ Essential Orange, zest
- 100g sweetened vanilla chestnut spread
- 100g Essential Crème Fraîche
Method
Preheat the oven to 180ºC, gas mark 4; grease a deep 18cm cake tin and line with baking parchment. Simmer the chestnuts in the milk for 10-15 minutes, until soft, then drain and cool; discard the milk. Whizz the chocolate in a food processor until it forms a coarse grit; set aside. Rinse out the processor and whizz the chestnuts and hazelnuts to a rough paste; set aside.
Put the butter and sugar in the processor; cream together until smooth. Blend in the egg yolks, one at a time, then the brandy and orange zest. When everything is well combined, transfer to a large bowl and fold in the chocolate and the chestnut mixture. Whisk the whites to stiff peaks and beat 2 tbsp into the cake mix, then fold in the rest. Tip into the tin, level the surface and bake for 30 minutes, until risen and firm to the touch.
Cool for 10 minutes, then carefully turn out onto a wire rack. Remove the parchment and leave to cool completely. Swirl the chestnut spread through the crème fraîche and serve with the cake, lightly dusted with icing sugar, if liked.
Nutritional
Typical values per serving when made using specific products in recipe
Energy | 1,590kJ/ 381kcals |
|---|---|
Fat | 22.9g |
Saturated Fat | 11.4g |
Carbohydrates | 37g |
Sugars | 26.7g |
Fibre | 2.5g |
Protein | 6.7g |
Salt | 0.1g |