I must admit that I had not heart about Castagnaccio alla Toscana until very recently but it is a recipe my Italian teacher introduced me to, and I immediately fell in love. As you know, I am always on the hunt for great gluten-free recipes, and so I recreated the recipe she sent me, and then made some further adjustments, because, traditionally, every household has its own version of castagnaccio alla Toscana. So let me introduce you to my slightly more modernized version.
What You Will Find In This Post
- What is Castagnaccio alla Toscana?
- What is chestnut flour, and where can I get it?
- Easy swaps and questions
- How to adjust this recipe to your individual dietary requirements
- Similar recipes on the blog
What Is Castagnaccio alla Toscana?
Castagnaccio alla Toscana is a traditional Tuscan chestnut cake. It is naturally sweet and deeply rustic. It is also very heavily tied to the autumnal season, mainly made around the chestnut harvest time. Think of this as a cake that is heavy, dense, and earthy. It is primarily made with chestnut flour and water. Traditionally, rosemary, nuts, and olive oil are added. I, personally, found the castagnaccio alla Toscana too unsweetened. So, I added a bit of xylitol and some eggs to make it less heavy. I also swapped the more traditional raisins for dried figs.
What Is Chestnut Flour, And Where Can I Get It?
Chestnut flour is a gluten-free flour that is made from ground chestnuts. Sometimes the chestnuts get roasted before grinding, which provides an even nuttier flavor. Chestnut flour tends to be a lot denser than regular (glutenous) flour, but it is also a lot sweeter, meaning you can definitely scale back on an added sweetener. Chestnut flour is high in fiber and contains magnesium, potassium, copper, phosphorus, manganese, and vitamins B6 and B9. Chestnuts also contain antioxidants. The ones found in chestnuts have been shown to reduce your risk of heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. In large supermarkets, they tend to carry chestnut flour in the gluten-free flour aisle. However, I tend to buy it on Amazon (or in store when I am in Italy), as I find that it is the most convenient and easiest.
Easy Swaps and Questions
Can I use another type of flour if I do not have chestnut flour? Chestnut flour is unique in its flavor and absorption profile, as it is quite dense, and a lot sweeter than other flours. For this particular recipe, I would not recommend swapping the chestnut flour out with another one.
Other recipes contain oil; why not yours? Correct, there are versions that you can make with olive oil, and you could add some on top to this cake before baking. Because I wanted a more modern, sweeter version, I opted to forego a more savory ingredient, such as olive oil.
Should this rise like a cake? No, it definitely should not. This is likely not rising and/or becoming fluffy. A castagnaccio alla toskana is meant to be more dense and flat.
How to adjust this Castagnaccio Alla Toscana recipe to your individual dietary requirements
This recipe is vegetarian and gluten-free. In order to make it vegan, and thereby also dairy-free, increase the water intake to 325 ml and skip the eggs. The cake may be a bit denser, but as it is rustic, that is exactly how it is meant to be!
Similar Recipes on the Blog
If you love this cake, be sure to try out the following recipes for some great afternoon or weekend baking:
- Potato Pound Cake
- Gluten-free Ginger Quince Crumble Cake
- Apple Crumble Cake
- Gluten-free Almond Chocolate Cake
- Very Coconutty and Lime Naked Cake
And there you have it for this week! I hope you enjoy this delicious Castagnaccio alla Toskana as much as we do over here. As always, please leave a message, comment, or rating if you are making this recipe. They help others to find those recipes on the site that are most loved as well. Thank you!
Castagnaccio alla Toscana
8
servings15
minutes30
minutesThis traditional Tuscan chestnut cake, called Castagnaccio alla Toscana, is a rustic, dense, naturally sweetend cake. Perfect for autumn!
Ingredients
250 gr. chestnut flour
250 gr. (1 cup) acqua
2 eggs
50 gr. xylitol
100 gr. dried figs
50 gr. almonds
50 gr. pine nuts
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
How to
- Preheat your oven to 195 degrees Celsius (380 Fahrenheit) on a top and bottom setting. Line a baking tin (22 cm/8.5 inches in diameter) with baking paper and set aside
- Start by soaking the figs in warm water whilst you prepare the other ingredients. In a bowl, combine the chestnut flour with the eggs and water, and whisk until smooth. Add the xylitol, baking powder, and salt. Chop the almonds and figs into small bite-sized pieces. Add the almonds, figs, and pine nuts. Be sure to reserve a couple of each to spread on top. Whisk everything until super smooth. Pour the batter (it will be very wet) into a baking form and bake on a middle rack for ca. 28-30 minutes until golden on top and the cake is a little bit firm/springy under your hand. You can also insert a toothpick to see whether it comes out largely clean, but be aware that gluten-free flour, until fully cooled, always leaves a slight residue
- Take the Castagnaccio alla Toscana out of the baking form (simply lift the baking paper) and let cool completely. You can serve this on its own or along with some whipped or vanilla ice cream. You can also serve it more traditionally with some ricotta and a glass of Vin Santo. Enjoy!
Notes
- Your dough will likely be very wet. Do not be concerned about that.
- In order to make it vegan, and thereby also dairy-free, increase the water intake to 325 ml and skip the eggs.
- If you cannot find dried figs, feel free to use raisins instead.
