This chestnut chocolate cake is rich, dense, and deeply flavored - the kind of classic Italian chestnut cake you find in Northern Italy during fall. Made with chestnut purée and dark chocolate, it's naturally flourless, incredibly moist, and perfect for holiday baking.
If you're making this Chocolate and Chestnut Cake, be sure to also check out my Orange Bundt Cake with Orange Glaze and Sicilian Orange Sweet Bread for more traditional Italian baking inspiration.
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If you're looking for the best chestnut cake recipe, this one balances sweet chestnut and bold chocolate beautifully. It's elegant enough for Christmas dinner and simple enough for Sunday dessert.
The combination of chestnut and chocolate creates a soft, truffle-like texture that feels somewhere between a flourless chocolate cake and a traditional Italian torte..
Why This Chestnut Cake Works
- Naturally flourless chestnut cake
- Made with real chestnut purée
- Rich chocolate flavor
- Gluten-free friendly
- Traditional Italian flavor profile
If you enjoy rustic Italian cakes like my Italian Lemon Ricotta Cake or my Torta Caprese, this chestnut chocolate version will feel right at home in your kitchen.
I baked this awesomeness for my little sweethearts. They thanked me and asked me to hurry and bake another one. It's luscious and it's easy to make. They weren't too excited when they saw I was cooking chestnuts to put in it. They exclaimed, "We don't like chestnuts!". But once the cake was finished, they didn't remember their chestnut issue.
It's an amazing gluten-free cake. The kind of cake you take tiny slivers of and say, "This is the last bite." Then you hope there is still some left and you come back for another sliver. Make this for your love. Make this for yourself!
Ingredients
1 cup pre-cooked, peeled chestnuts
2 tablespoon sugar (I used organic)
½-3/4 cup milk (I used unsweetened almond milk)
7 tablespoon unsalted butter
¾ cup dark chocolate chips
3 large organic eggs
½ sugar (I used organic)
cocoa powder for dusting
How to make chestnut cake
Preheat the oven to 350 F. Grease the inside of a 10-inch springform pan and line the base with a disc of buttered parchment paper. Dust with 1 tablespoon of cocoa powder and tip out the excess.
Toss the chestnuts into a medium sized frying pan.
Add in the sugar and milk and cook over a medium-low heat for 5-10 minutes until the chestnuts start to soften. Remove from the heat and spoon it into the bowl of a food processor; pulse until smooth. Add more milk if needed until you achieve a smooth consistency. (I started with ½ cup in the frying pan and then added about another ¼ cup into the food processor.)
Place the dark chocolate chips and unsalted butter in a microwave safe bowl and melt on a low setting or over a pan of barely simmering water. If melting in a pan over simmering water, remove from heat when melted; add the vanilla and stir until smooth.
Let cool slightly. In the bowl of a mixer, whisk together the eggs and sugar until pale, fluffy, and doubled in volume (about 6 minutes). On medium-low speed, mix in the chestnuts until thoroughly combined. Be sure to scrape the sides of the bowl to incorporate all the chestnuts. Gently fold in the melted chocolate until smooth.
Carefully pour the batter into your prepared pan. Spread the batter evenly on top with a spatula and bake on the middle rack of the oven for about 30 minutes or until the top has formed a light crust. Remove the cake from the oven and let cool on a cooling rack to room temperature. The cake may sink and the crust may crack as it cools or when you remove from the springform pan. Dust with cocoa powder and serve with crème fraiche.
Variations (Targets Long-Tail Keywords)
Chocolate Chestnut Layer Cake
Bake in two thinner pans and stack with lightly sweetened whipped cream between layers.
Chocolate Chestnut Mousse Cake
Chill the baked cake and top with a whipped chocolate ganache layer.
Vegan Chestnut Chocolate Cake
Replace butter with plant-based butter and eggs with flax eggs. Texture will be slightly denser but still delicious.
Storage
Room temperature: 2 days
Refrigerator: 5 days
Freezer: 2 months
Did you make this and love it? Please RATE THE RECIPE below:)
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Chestnut Chocolate Cake (Flourless Chestnut Cake Recipe)
Ingredients
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 175°C (350°F).
- Line the bottom of a 20 cm (8-inch) springform pan with parchment paper. Lightly grease the sides.
- Place the chopped dark chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl.
- Melt over a pot of gently simmering water (double boiler method) or microwave in 20-30 second intervals, stirring each time, until smooth.
- Set aside to cool slightly.
- In a large bowl, whisk the egg yolks and sugar together until pale and slightly thickened (about 2-3 minutes).
- Add vanilla extract and salt. Mix.
- Stir the melted chocolate mixture into the egg yolk mixture until smooth.
- Fold in the chestnut purée until fully incorporated and creamy.
- In a clean bowl, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. The peaks should gently hold their shape but still look glossy.
- Gently fold the whipped egg whites into the chocolate chestnut mixture in three additions.
- Use slow, sweeping motions to keep the batter light. Do not overmix.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top.
- Bake for 35-40 minutes, until the center is just set but still slightly soft. A toothpick inserted should come out with a few moist crumbs, not wet batter.
- Let the cake cool completely in the pan.
- It may slightly sink in the center - that's normal for a flourless chestnut cake.
- Remove from the pan. Dust with powdered sugar before serving.
- Slice and serve at room temperature.
Nutrition Disclaimer
Please keep in mind that the nutritional information presented below is an approximation and may vary depending on the exact ingredients used.
Notes
- Do not overbake. This is meant to be moist and dense.
- Use room temperature eggs for better volume.
- If your chestnut purée is thick, loosen it slightly before mixing.
- For deeper flavor, add 1 tablespoon espresso or rum.
- Chill for 1 hour before serving for cleaner slices.
so sad to hear about Whitney 🙁 I remember listening to her songs throughout my high-school and collage years.
I love her voice!
Your torta looks great! I have never made a cake using chestnuts. Sometimes I should try soon. 🙂
Ciao!!!!! Sai che io ho lo stesso problema, mia figlia quando vede le castagne, fa una smorfia!! Poi però apprezza il risultato finale!! ^_^
Provo sicuramente la tua torta, sembra fantastica!!!!
Ti mando un bacio grande!!!!!!!!!
Buon San Valentino!!!!!
This is really an amazing cake! Beautiful and flavorful! Happy Valentines Day!
Beautiful cake, although I do not like plain chestnuts, so I will take your sweethearts word for it and definitely try it out! I absolutely remember seeing Whitney Houston in Seventeen Magazine when I used to read it. Such a sad story. My kids just finished writing their valentines. They love celebrating, but it seems a little overrated to me. Happy Valentines Day!
What an amazing cake! Never would have used chestnuts like this - great idea!
Love Moms, the are the best!
I love chestnuts. Def need to try this beautiful cake!
wow gorgeous cake! and love that there are chestnuts in it!
Bruno Star, that is so cute! This cake looks lovely and I've never made a cake with chestnuts like that. Wonderful!
Lora this cake is beautiful! It sounds delicious with the toasted chestnuts and chocolate! I have yet to try baking with chestnuts, but I know I love them plain. Wonderful that this cake is gluten free as well! Happy Valentine's Day!
I loved reading the conversation with your Mom. What a fun and lovely lady! I also remember Whitney in Seventeen Magazine - such a beautiful girl and soon woman. Such a tragedy to lose her 🙁 Whether or not your husband celebrates Valentine's Day, I'm willing to bet he celebrated this amazing chocolate-chestnut cake! WOW, Lora! I feel chestnuts are underrated and should be used more - especially with chocolate!
I love your mom, too...such a sweetie! And I do the sliver thing, as well...and end up having more than if I would have just taken a slice. Thanks for sharing this delicious cake! And happy Valentine's Day to you and your family! xoxo
Love your mom..too cute. I also thought "how cool is bruno mars!" last night at the grammys.. your chestnut cake looks amazing!
A truly great voice has been silenced with Whitney's passing. So sad. I stuck with the Grammys last night too. I only wish I would have had some of this cake to go with it. It looks wonderful.
Tell your mom I agree with her, Bruno Mars is definitely one of the most talented young singers out there today. Youe chestnut cake looks divine. I love anything chestnuts and this dessert is perfect for Valentine's Day and any other special holiday!
Mmmm what a fabulous cake! I love chestnuts and chocolate and do you know I have about 3 packs of vacuum-packed cooked chestnuts in the cupboard! Bingo! And, yes, our "foreign" husbands are both driven absolutely nuts by this Valentine's Day thing...
That sounds amazing....loved it
What an absolutely beautiful cake, Lora! I can't think of any other dessert I'd rather have for Valentine's Day. Thanks for much for sharing! Wishing you and your sweetie a lovely celebration this Tuesday. 🙂
Chocolate, chestnut, cake..
Marry me? 😉
Lol, what a fabulous idea! Great post 🙂
The cake looks amazingly good, Lora!Love the scattered Bougainvillea alongside your lovely cake - feels so summery and light in this dreary weather.I too loved Whitney Houston and her voice was something that mesmerized me every time I heard her - still can't believe she's no more.Sad.Anyway, have a nice Valentine's Day dear!
Lora this Torta looks amazing. Roasted chestnuts are a must for us at Christmas but I've not tried using them in any desserts. I have a jar of Crema di Marroni that I've been meaning to use and you've inspired me to try and create something delicious.