Recipe: Castagnaccio aka Chestnut Cake

Castagnaccio is a typical cake from Tuscany and Latium regions. It is a flat cake with pine nuts and raisins. No milk or eggs and the chestnut flour has got no gluten, so perfect in case of allergies. Chestnut flour can be found at Italian delis. I've tried British chestnut flour but it was too coarse, the taste was fine but the texture of the cake wasn't right, so in case you find British chestnut flour you can put it in the mixer to make it fine and then using it for the cake.

The ingredients are the following: 500 grams of Chestnut Flour. This flour from Molino Spadoni is sold at Lina Stores in Soho 18 Brewer Street London and it can be bought online as well. Six spoonfuls of Vegetable Oil, I've used Tesco Sunflowers Oil, 600ml of cold Water, 100 grams of Pine Nuts and 100 grams of Raisins, both bough in Tesco.

Put the Raisins in warm water  to soften them up.

While the Raisins are in warm water, use this time to mix the Chestnut Flour in a bowl with no ridges inside, so that  no unmixed flour will remain, together with the 6 Spoonfuls of Vegetable Oil and the 600 ml of Water, which is just over a pint. I've used the Dualit Hand Mixer with the flat beaters. Mix until the compost is smooth and with no trace of flour.

Add the Pine Nuts and the Raisins drained and squeezed in order to remove the water

Mix with a silicone spatula or wooden spoon so that everything is well mixed and at the end add a pinch of salt.

Pre heath the oven at 200C or 6 and drizzle some Extra Virgin Olive Oil in the baking tin. I've found the perfect size in this lovely ceramic tin at Asda. Spread the oil evenly at the bottom and the sides of the baking tin, you can use a brush for a better result. It will be easy to cut the cake once ready.

Put the compost in the baking tin and drizzle some Extra Virgin Olive Oil on top. If you like you can as well  add some Rosemary needles on top. Put it in the oven at 200C or 6 for 35 minutes checking the cooking time using a toothpick inserted in the cake at the end of the 35 minutes. If the toothpick is dry and with no traces of cake the Castagnaccio is ready, if not leave it for few minutes more. The absence of baking powder gives you the opportunity to open the oven and check without compromise the aspect of the cake.

Done, leave it in the baking tin, it is delicious to eat warmish or cold. Great for afternoon tea or for breakfast.