Serves 8
750g chestnuts
250g butter
150g caster sugar
3 medium eggs
300g plain flour
1 tbsp baking powder
100g double cream
200g icing sugar
Preheat the oven to 200°C/gas mark 6. Place the chestnuts on a baking sheet and roast for 30 mins until the skins are bursting and the nuts are soft. Peel the chestnuts and allow to cool, setting aside a few for decoration. Using a food processor, turn them into a rough paste, then set 100g of the chestnut mixture aside.
Reduce the oven heat to 190°C/gas mark 5.
Add 150g of the butter to the main chestnut mix and process until combined thoroughly. In a large bowl, cream the chestnut butter and sugar together with the back of a wooden spoon until fluffy and light. Beat in each egg, one at a time, until smooth and combined. Sift the flour, then fold it into the mixture gradually, along with the baking powder. Stir in half of the cream.
Pour the batter into a greased and lined 1.4kg loaf tin. Bake for 1 hr until an inserted skewer comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool until it can be removed from the tin to cool completely.
Place the remaining chestnut mixture in the food processor with the rest of the double cream. Combine until a fine purée. In a bowl, cream the icing sugar into the remaining butter until smooth, then beat in the chestnut cream. Remove the cake from its baking paper and top with the icing, decorating with the reserved chestnuts.
Other chestnut recipes are in the Sept/October 2017 issue of LandScape magazine
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