Grain Free Chestnut Chocolate Cake Food

CHESTNUT CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• For cake: Preheat oven to 350F.
• Butter two, 8 inch round cake pans.
• Line with parchment, cut to fit, butter and lightly flour paper.
• Melt chocolate with espresso.
• Stir until smooth.
• Stir in yolks, one at a time.
• Place over hot water over double-boiler, and warm just until yolks thicken slightly, about 1 minute.
• Remove from over water.
• Stir in butter, one piece at a time, until melted.
• Blend in Cognac.
• Beat whites in large bowl with salt and cream of tartar until soft peaks form.
• Gradually add sugar, beating until stiff but not dry.
• Beat in cornstarch.
• Stir ¼ of whites into chocolate mixture to lighten.
• Fold in remaining whites and pour into prepared pans.
• Bake until edges are firm, but inside is still slightly creamy, about 25 minutes.
• Cool in pans; cakes will deflate.
• Remove from pans and brush off crumbs.
• For ganache: Bring cream to boil in small saucepan over low heat.
• Remove from heat.
• Pour into mixing bowl.
• Add chocolate, cover, and let stand 5 minutes.
• Stir gently until chocolate is melted.
• Add Cognac.
• Refrigerate until mixture just begins to thicken.
• Beat at medium-high speed until light, increased in volume, and just beginning to form soft peaks.
• Cut out piece of cardboard slightly smaller than cake.
• Wrap in foil, set on rack.
• Top with 1 cake layer.
• Spread with ganache.
• Sprinkle with chopped chestnuts.
• Top with second layer.
• Press with baking sheet to level.
• Smooth edges.
• Refrigerate until ganache is chilled.
• (can be prepared up to 2 days ahead) For glaze: Bring cream to boil in medium saucepan.
• Remove from heat.
• Add chocolate, cover, and let stand 5 minutes.
• Stir gently until chocolate is melted.
• Blend in Cognac.
• Cool glaze until just warm to touch.
• Reserve ½ cup.
• Pour remainder over cake, tilting back and forth so glaze drops to coat sides.
• Smooth with offset spatula.
• Transfer to platter.
• Cool reserved glaze until set.
• Spoon half of reserved glaze into pastry bag fitted with small plain tip.
• Pipe crisscross pattern over top and sides of cake.
• Carefully sprinkle crumbled violets in a thick border around outer edge of cake.
• Brush off any violet crumbs that don’t make it.
• Fit bag with leaf tip; spoon in remaining glaze.
• Pipe leaves around bottom.
• Set violet in center.

NIGELLA LAWSON CHOCOLATE CHESTNUT CAKE ( GLUTEN FREE )

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C, gas mark 4. Grease a 23 cm spring form or cake tin.
• Break the chocolate into pieces and melt in the microwave or in a double boiler (au bain-marie), and set aside.
• Whisk the egg whites with a pinch of salt until stiff, but not dry.
• In another bowl, whisk butter and chestnut puree with the sugar. Gradually whisk in the egg yolks, then add the rum and chocolate.
• Stir in a dollop of the egg white, whisk well to mix everything together, then carefully fold the rest of the egg white in the chestnut mixture.
• Pour the batter into the tin and let bake for 40 to 60 minutes. You could do the toothpick test, but it should not come out completely clean. Let the cake cool in it's tin on a rack before you unmold it on to a plate.
• Decorate with whipped cream and candied chestnuts.

CHOCOLATE CHESTNUT CAKE WITH HAZELNUTS AND CHESTNUT CREAM GLAZE

Steps:

• FOR THE CAKE: Beat together first 6 ingredients. Beat in the melted chocolate. Combine and add the remaining ingredients and beat until blended. Do not overmix.
• Spread batter into a buttered and floured 9-inch kugelhopf pan and bake in a 350°F oven for 45 to 50 minutes, or until a cake tester, inserted in center, comes out clean. Allow to cool in pan for 15 minutes, and then invert and continue cooling on a rack.
• When cool, drizzle top decorative.
• FOR CHESTNUT CREAM GLAZE: Stir together sugar, cream and vanilla until blended. Stir in hazelnuts and chestnut puree until blended.
• NOTE: -- This can be baked in a 9-inch tube pan, but the kugelhopf pan is far more attractive for this cake.
• Hazelnuts can be toasted in a 350°F oven for 10 to 15 minutes or until skins have loosened. Place between kitchen towels and rub to remove skins.
• Easiest & Best! Coffee Cakes and Quick Breads.

GRAIN-FREE COCONUT CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
• With a Magic Bullet or food processor, grind shredded coconut into a fine, powdery meal. Scoop almond flour into measuring cup, and pack it in firmly with your hands, like you're measuring brown sugar. Sweep it level. Add to coconut and the rest of the dry ingredients. Melt butter, and beat in eggs, vanilla extract, and coconut milk. Add dry ingredients into wet ingredients, and beat together for a couple of minutes. Line a mini muffin pan with mini muffin papers, and spray with extra virgin olive oil spray. Alternatively, grease mini muffin wells very well with coconut oil. Pour batter almost to the top of mini muffin cups. Rap muffin tin gently on the counter to pop air bubbles. Bake for 18-20 minutes, until springy and firm to the touch. You might have to bake these longer since my oven in this apartment runs hot. Remove cakes from muffin tins as soon as they are cool to the touch, and cool on a wire rack. Dip cakes into glaze. Serve at room temperature.

CHOCOLATE CHESTNUT CAKE

Steps:

• To make the chocolate genoise: Sift together the flour, cornstarch and cocoa.
• Whisk the whole eggs, yolks, sugar, and salt.
• Place over simmering water until the temperature is 100 degrees.
• Whip on high 3-4 minutes.
• Fold in the dry ingredients.
• Cover the bottom of a springform pan with wax paper and pour in batter.
• Bake 30 minutes at 350 degrees, then remove from oven and let cool completely.
• Meanwhile, boil the water and sugar.
• Cool and add 1/4 cup kirsch and the vanilla.
• Beat the butter and add in chestnut spread.
• Mix the remaining 2 tbs kirsch into the chestnut mixture.
• If sweetened chestnut spread is not available, use 1 1/4 cup chestnut puree with 1/2 cup light corn syrup.
• Bring the cream to a simmer, then remove from ehat and add chocolate.
• Let stand for 5 minutes, then whisk smooth.
• Cut the cooled cake into 3 layers.
• Brush the bottom layer with 1/3 of the sugar syrup, then top with 1/4 of the chestnut mixture.
• Add the middle layer, brush with another 1/3 of the sugar mixture, and spread with 1/4 of the butter mixture.
• Add the top layer and brush with the remaining 1/3 of the sugar syrup.
• Cover the top and sides with the remaining chestnut mixture.
• Chill the cake for 1 hour.
• Cover the cake with the chocolate-cream glaze.
• If desired, garnish with chocolate shavings.
• Chill before serving.

CHOCOLATE CHESTNUT CAKE

Steps:

• For cake: Preheat oven to 350°F Butter and flour 9x2-inch round metal baking pan. Line bottom of pan with parchment paper.
• Put chestnut spread in small bowl. Mix in 3 tablespoons sugar, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract and 2 teaspoons cinnamon. Set aside.
• Sift flour, baking powder, and salt into medium bowl.
• Using electric mixer, beat butter in large bowl until fluffy. Beat in 1 cup brown sugar, then egg yolks and vanilla extract. Beat in chestnut spread mixture, then milk. Mixture will look a bit grainy.
• Sift dry ingredients over the mixture and gently mix together by hand.
• Using clean dry beaters, beat egg whites in another large bowl until soft peaks form. Add remaining 1/4 cup brown sugar and beat until stiff but not dry. Fold egg whites into batter in 3 additions.
• Transfer batter to prepared pan. Bake cake until golden and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 50 to 60 minutes. Cut around cake to loosen. Cool cake completely in pan on rack.
• For Chestnut Cream: Melt chocolate over simmering water or in microwave. Set aside to cool. Place one cup unsweetened chestnut spread in bowl of food processor (mini bowl is fine). Pulse a few times to loosen. Add powdered sugar, vanilla extract and process to combine well. Add melted chocolate and process to combine well.
• In large bowl of electric mixer (preferably chilled) whip the cream on high until until very soft peaks form. Add the chocolate chestnut mixture and beat until stiff peaks form.
• For Dark Chocolate Ganache: Place the semisweet chocolate in a 3-quart stainless steel bowl. Heat the heavy cream and the butter in a saucepan over medium high heat. Bring to a boil. Pour the boiling cream over the chocolate and allow to stand for 5 minutes. Add the vanilla, the coffee, the liquor and the salt. Stir until smooth. This may take a few minutes as the cream absorbs the chocolate. Once well combined, set aside to cool. If desired, set aside and chill about 1 1/2 cups ganache to pipe onto finished cake.
• For Chestnut Brandy Syrup: Mix all ingredients in a small bowl until sugar dissolves.
• Assemble the cake: Take the cake out of the pan and remove parchment. Split into three even layers. Arrange one of the cake layers in a 9-inch springform pan. Brush with the chestnut brandy syrup. Evenly spread half the filling over the cake and top with the second layer. (It's best to use an offset spatula to spread the filling). Brush layer with the with syrup. Remove ring from springform pan and coat sides and top with room temperature ganache. You will have some ganache left over which you can use for something else like chocolate truffles. Decorate with whole chestnuts, colored sugar and chopped chestnuts. If piping chilled ganache, place it in a pastry bag and pipe a decorative design onto cake.
• Cut cake with a serrated knife, wiping the blade clean after each slice.
• NOTES:.
• 1) If you can find sweetened chestnut cream with vanilla use one cup in cake instead of sweetening it as indicated.
• 2) If you can't find chestnut cream you can make your own with jarred chestnuts, or roast your own.
• 3) If you can't find chestnut liquor, use brandy, rum, or spiced rum.

GRAIN-FREE CHESTNUT CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 F and line the bottom of 8-inch springform pan with a circle of parchment paper.
• In a medium bowl, mix cashew butter, coconut flour, maple syrup/agave and coconut milk. Lightly press the dough on the bottom of springform pan and set aside.
• Place chestnut puree, maple syrup/agave, sea salt and vanilla into a bowl and mix well. Set aside.
• In a heavy bottom saucepan over low heat melt chocolate and coconut oil. Add to chestnut mix and whisk well. Add the eggs one at a time and whisk until creamy. Using an electric mixer works best.
• Pour batter in the prepared pan and bake for 35 minutes.
• Cool in the pan completely then refrigerate for 1 hour before serving.