Chestnut Génoise

By norsegal8

Chestnut flour has the same starch content as cornstarch, so it occurred to me one day to try substituting it for the cornstarch portion of a genoise. The result was exciting; The incredible lightness of genoise remained, augmented by the mild spiciness of chestnut. This particular genoise tastes exquisite with rum syrup and frosted with Chestnut Whipped cream. I call the finished cake La Chataigne (la shaTAIN), a lovely French word for chestnut. This cake makes an elegant and unusual Thanksgiving dessert.

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup clarified butter
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
• 6 large eggs
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup sifted cake flour
• 2/3 cup sifted chestnut flour
• RUM SYRUP
• 1/4 cup + 3 tablespoons
• 3/4 cup water
• 3 tablespoons dark rum

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease 2 9-inch cake pans, line the bottoms with parchment paper; grease the parchment and then flour the entire pan.

Warm the clarified butter until almost hot (110 to 120 degrees). Add the vanilla and keep warm.

In a large mixing bowl set over a pan of simmering water, heat the eggs and sugar until just lukewarm, stirring constantly to prevent curdling. Using the whisk beater, beat the mixture on high speed for 5 minutes or until triple in volume.

While the eggs are beating, sift together the flours. Remove one scant cup of the egg mixture and thoroughly whisk it into the clarified butter.

Sift 1/2 the flour mixture over the remaining egg mixture and fold it gently but rapidly with a large balloon whisk, slotted skimmer or rubber spatula until almost all the flour has disappeared. Repeat with the remaining flour mixture until the flour has disappeared completely. Fold in the butter mixture until just incorporated.

Pour immediately into the prepared pans and bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until the cakes are golden brown and start to shrink slightly from the sides of the pan. No need for a cake tester - once the sides begin to shrink, the cake is done. Avoid opening the oven door before the minimum time or the cakes could fall. Test toward the end by opening the oven door slightly and, if at a quick glance they do not appear done, close the door at once and check again in 5 minutes.

Loosen the sides of the cake with a small metal spatula and unmold at once onto lightly greased racks. Reinvert to cool. Trim the bottom and top crusts when ready to complete the cakes and sprinkle the syrup evenly on all sides.