Castagnaccio (Chestnut cake)

By lkalemba

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 1/2 cups Chestnut Flour (available at specialty stores)
• 1 1/2 cups Cake Flour
• 2 tablespoons Baking Powder
• 1 tablespoon Baking Soda
• 1/4 cup Sugar plus 1/2 cup Sugar
• 1/2 cup Walnut Pieces
• 1 1/2 cups Cold Milk
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh Rosemary Leaves
• 2 cups Seedless Red Grapes
• 1/4 cup Lambrusco Wine

Details

Servings 1
Cooking time 60mins
Adapted from abc.go.com

Preparation

Step 1

1. Preheat the oven to 375° F. Grease a 12-inch springform pan, preferably nonstick, with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and 2 tablespoons sugar.

2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flours, baking powder, baking soda, and 2 tablespoons sugar. Stir in cold milk, then slowly add the remaining olive oil, stirring constantly to prevent lumps from forming. Fold in walnuts. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, and spread into the corners of the pan with a spatula. Drizzle the top with olive oil. Distribute the rosemary evenly over the top. Bake for 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

3. Place the grapes and remaining 1/2 cup sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add 1/4 cup lambrusco and cook until quite soft and bubbly, about 10 minutes.

4. Cut the cake into wedges and serve either warm or cool, with the grape sauce spooned over.

Helpful Tips:

1. Castagnaccio is a chestnut flour cake (castagna in Italian means chestnut) usually with raisins (Mario is using seedless red grapes), pine nuts, walnuts and rosemary.

2. The traditional version usually has no yeast, baking powder or sugar – Mario’s version has all three of these.

3. This recipe is traditionally made in the autumnal and winter seasons of the year - October/November is chestnut season in Italy.

4. You can buy chestnut flour in a specialty food store.