Gâteau aux Marrons (Chestnut Cake)
Adapted from Gâteau: The Surprising Simplicity of French Cakes, by Aleksandra Crapanzano. In her headnote, Crapanzano describes this cake as “gluten-free but quite decadent.” We’d call it simply delicious, the kind of cake you could eat for breakfast with coffee, in the afternoon with tea or after dinner. Leave it plain, and it’s nicely rustic, or dress it up with powdered sugar, or — as Crapanzano suggests — with a dollop of whipped cream mixed with crème fraîche.
The cake calls for sweetened chestnut purée, preferably from Clément Faugier; if you buy that brand, be sure to buy the one in the brown can — that’s the one that’s sweetened. You’ll also need 7 extra-large (not large) eggs for this recipe — 3 whole ones and 4 whites.
Gâteau was one of our Best New Cookbooks of 2022.
Serves 8.
Ingredients
200 grams / 7 ounces sweetened chestnut purée, preferably from Clément Faugier
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon / 150 grams confectioner’s sugar
7 tablespoons / 100 grams unsalted butter, at room temperature
3 extra-large eggs
1 tablespoon rum, Cognac or Armagnac, or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups / 150 grams almond flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
4 extra-large egg whites
Instructions
1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Generously butter and flour the sides of an 8-inch cake pan and line the bottom with a round of parchment.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer or a large mixing bowl if using an electric hand mixer, whisk the chestnut purée, confectioners’ sugar, butter, whole eggs and rum at medium-high speed until pale and smooth, about 5 or 6 minutes. Add the almond flour, baking powder and salt and beat to combine.
3. In a clean mixing bowl using clean beaters, beat the egg whites until nearly stiff. Mix a quarter into the chestnut batter to lighten it, then fold in the remaining egg whites.
4. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 50 or 60 minutes, until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean and the top of the cake is springy. Allow the cake to cool to room temperature on a rack before unmolding it onto a cake plate. Serve at room temperature, plain, dusted with confectioners’ sugar or with a dollop of whipped cream with some crème fraîche whisked into it.
Gâteau aux Marrons (Chestnut Cake)
Ingredients
- 200 grams / 7 ounces sweetened chestnut purée, preferably from Clément Faugier
- 1 cup plus 1 tablespoon / 150 grams confectioner’s sugar
- 7 tablespoons / 100 grams unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 3 extra-large eggs
- 1 tablespoon rum, Cognac or Armagnac, or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups / 150 grams almond flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 4 extra-large egg whites
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Generously butter and flour the sides of an 8-inch cake pan and line the bottom with a round of parchment.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer or a large mixing bowl if using an electric hand mixer, whisk the chestnut purée, confectioners’ sugar, butter, whole eggs and rum at medium-high speed until pale and smooth, about 5 or 6 minutes. Add the almond flour, baking powder and salt and beat to combine.
- In a clean mixing bowl using clean beaters, beat the egg whites until nearly stiff. Mix a quarter into the chestnut batter to lighten it, then fold in the remaining egg whites.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 50 or 60 minutes, until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean and the top of the cake is springy. Allow the cake to cool to room temperature on a rack before unmolding it onto a cake plate. Serve at room temperature, plain, dusted with confectioners’ sugar or with a dollop of whipped cream with some crème fraîche whisked into it.
