Chestnut Cake – Perfect for The Fall

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 ½ cups chestnut flour
• 1 tb baking powder
• 2 tbs honey
• ½ extra virgin olive oil
• 1 cup whole milk
• ½ cup drige cranberries
• 1/3 cup walnuts – toasted, chopped
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 2 tb cocoa powder – more for dusting
• pinch of salt
• 2 large eggs – room temperature
• ½ cup rasins
• 1/3 cup pine nuts – toasted
• vin santo – for plumping raisins

METHOD:

1. Preheat oven to 350º.
2. Lightly brush a 9-inch cake pan with olive oil.
3. Put the raisins and dried cranberries into a ¼ cup of Vin Santo to plump them up.
4. Sift together flour, sugar, baking powder, cocoa powder and salt in a large bowl.
5. In a separate bowl, whisk together olive oil, honey eggs and milk.
6. Slowly pour the liquids into the dry ingredients, whisking very well and making sure there are no lumps. The batter should be smooth but a bit liquidy.
7. Reserve some of the fruits and nuts to sprinkle on top of the cake. Add the remaining to the batter and mix well to make sure all is combined and spread evenly.
8. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, sprinkle the reserved fruits/nuts on top and bake for about 25 minutes, or until the cake begins to swell lightly and the middle is set.
9. Remove from the oven and cool completely before removing from the pan.
10. When ready to serve dust lightly with powdered sugar and cocoa powder. When serving, sprinkle some warmed honey on each slice.

Buon Mangiata!