Castagnaccio, name comes from the Italian word castagna (chestnut), is a traditional Tuscan cake made from chestnut flour, very simple to prepare and gluten-free. Pine nuts, oil, rosemary and raisins also join this delicious, moist and very soft cake. Moreover, sugar-free since chestnut flour is already naturally sweet.

We indulged ourselves in making these chestnut flour crepes as well: chestnut-crepes-with-ricotta-persimmon-cream

Serves: 4-5 | Preparation time: 20 mins | Cooking time approx: 35 to 40 mins

  • Chestnut flour, sieved: 500 g
  • Walnuts: 100 g
  • Pine nuts: 80 g
  • Raisins: 80 g
  • Table Fine Salt: 5 g
  • Water: 450 ml
  • Extra Virgin Olive Oil, 2 tablespoons
  • Rosemary, fresh: 1 sprig

Method

Soak the raisins in some lukewarm water 10 minutes or until soften, squeeze to get rid of the excess water and pat dry. Roughly chop the walnuts, set aside.

Combine chestnut with salt in a large bowl, add water a little at a time until you get a smooth mix.

Join the walnuts, raisins and pine nuts, keeping some aside to garnish right before baking it. Pour half of the olive oil in the dough and mix it well.

Brush with oil the inside of a cake mould. The mould can be either round or rectangular in shape, but it should have a diameter or side of at least 30 cm and a border 2 cm tall. Pour in the dough and use a spatula, even out the surface. Sprinkle on top the walnuts, raisins and pine nuts that you kept aside, along with the rosemary leaves.

Drizzle on top with the rest of the olive oil.

Bake 25 to 30 minutes in the pre-heated oven. It’s important to cook Castagnaccio at a low temperature since it has to be soft and moist inside and slightly crunchy on the outside.

Ready when its surface starts cracking and the pine nuts on top will get a golden colour.

Allow to cool down before serving.

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