Chestnut Coconut Cake
Yesterday I went to say goodbye to our friends here in the little village Azias in North Portugal, as we are preparing to go to the Center of the country for winter. Since they have already showed how much they love my culinary presents when we meet up, I brought them a cake, a new invention. This time, I came up with the idea to make a coconut layer cake and fill it with our chestnut cream that I have been preparing and preserving over the last days (we are so blessed with beautiful castanhas around the house!). I was happy that it turned out so nicely – they loved it!
Here is the recipe. Enjoy!
Chestnut cream and Coconut Cake
A beautiful layered lemon and coconut sponge cake filled with freshly made chestnut cream.
Equipment
- 1 round cake tin Ø ca. 24 cm
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup softened coconut oil
- 1/3 cup cane sugar
- 1 cup plant milk at room temperature
- 1/3 cup agave or maple syrup
- 2 tbsp lemon or orange juice
- zest of 1 large lemon
- 1 cup dessicated coconut shredded
- 1 cup white flour
- 1/2 cup corn flour
- 1/4 cup potato starch
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 3/4 tsp baking soda
- ca. 400 g chestnut cream (see recipe in the notes!)
- 2-3 tbsp plant butter
- 4-5 uncooked chestnuts
- 1 handful shredded coconut
Instructions
- Grease and dust your baking tin. Preheat the oven to 180℃.
- Whisk the coconut oil with the sugar.
- Add the agave, lemon zest and juice, and the milk. Fold in the shredded coconut.
- In a separate bowl, mix together the flours, baking powder and soda.
- Sieve the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, combine.
- Pour the batter into the prepared tin, bake until a toothpick comes out clean (approximately 45 minutes).
Layer and decorate the cake
- Prepare the chestnut cream or use storebought crème de marron.When still warm, add the butter (if cold, warm the cream up a little). Adjust the sweetness with more agave or cane sugar.
- Boil the decoration chestnuts for 5 minutes, or until the peel breaks. Peel them carefully. Set aside.
- Take the cake out of the tin.
- With the help of toothpicks, mark a line all around the cake side, opting for the perfect middle. Now carefully cut the cake into two layers. I usually remove the top, to obtain a more even surface. If your cake is not rounded too much on top, just leave it the way it is.
- Place the bottom layer on a cake tray or plate. Place 4-5 spoonfuls of chestnut cream on it, and spread evenly. Place the top layer, but upside down, on top. Press down lightly.
- Nicely coat the cake with the rest of the chestnut cream. Decorate it with the whole chestnuts. Finish with a handful of shredded coconut.
Notes
Here is the recipe for a homemade chestnut cream.