A Rustic Southern French Cake

Located in Southeastern France, the Ardèche is a department famous for its valleys, trails, lush forests and abundance of chestnuts. Chestnut purée, roasted chestnuts, candied chestnuts, chestnut cream… the local repertoire boasts a variety of chestnut-focused recipes, with this Chestnut Cream Cake being one of the most popular. 

This simple cake recipe involves a basic batter of flour, sugar, eggs and a good amount of butter and chestnut cream, resulting in a cake that tastes rich and flavorful. 

About Chestnut Cream 

The star ingredient of this cake recipe is – you’ve probably guessed it – chestnut cream. Known in French as “crème de marrons”, chestnut cream is the ultimate Winter treat in France, enjoyed by kids and adults alike. It is made from cooked chestnuts, peeled and reduced to a puree to which a syrup is then added to turn it into a sweet paste. We love to enjoy it on toast, waffles, crêpes, or stirred into yogurts. It is also the star ingredient of some classic French desserts, like a fancy Mont Blanc or this Gateau Ardèchois. 

Chestnut cream is sold in tubes or cans in France and can be found in most grocery stores. I recommend the Clement Faugier brand, which is made in Ardèche. For those outside of France who can’t find it that easily, I offer on this blog a recipe for homemade Chestnut Cream. Especially for this cake recipe, I like to make my own chestnut cream ahead of time, as I know exactly the amount of sugar that is in it. I also always prefer fresh, homemade ingredients. 

However, when chestnuts aren’t in season, or for convenience, you can definitely make this cake with store-bought chestnut cream. I guarantee it will taste delicious too!

Cooking Tips and Substitutions

• This Chestnut Cream Cake is traditionally baked in a large circular cake pan. I usually use a 9-inch circular pan, which is perfect. Avoid using a smaller pan (ie. 8-inch circular pan) as this cake is slightly bigger than your average cake. You can also use a large Bundt cake pan here. 
• Use pristine equipment. When beating the egg whites, make sure you are using a bowl and beater that are perfectly clean. Egg whites tend to refuse to whip if they encounter any residual fat or even if there are tiny amounts of egg yolk.
• Fold, don’t stir. When folding the egg whites with the chestnut mixture, use a large rubber spatula and be gentle. The important thing is not to stir, but fold. In small additions, carefully place a portion of the egg whites on top of the chestnut mixture and fold it in by using a flipping motion. Stop when the batter is just uniform – do not overmix. 

How to Store This Chestnut Cream Cake

• Chill it. After making (and enjoying) this cake – if you have any leftovers – you can cover it with plastic film. Store it in the fridge for up to 6-7 days.
• Freeze it.  Once the cake is baked and completely cooled to room temp, wrap it in aluminum foil. Then place it in a freezer-safe container (ie. tupperware), for up to 3 months. 

I hope you’ll love this Chestnut Cream Cake as much as I do! If you have any questions, please leave a comment. 

More French cake recipes you may like: 

• French Walnut Coffee Cake (Gâteau Grenoblois) 
• Classic French Apple Cake
• Lemon Yogurt Poppy seed Cake
• Classic French Chocolate Moelleux Cake
• Classic French Pear Cake

Chestnut Cream Cake (Gâteau Ardéchois)

Print Recipe

Serves: 1 cake Prep Time: 30 Minutes Cooking Time: 50 Minutes 50 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 50M calories 20 grams fat

Rating: 3.5/5

( 56 voted )

Ingredients

5 large eggs, yolks and whites divided
½ cup (100g) sugar
500g Chestnut Cream 
1 cup (250g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 cups (250g) all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt

Instructions

Pre-heat your oven at 350F (180C) with a rack in the middle. Grease and lightly flour a 9-inch cake pan.

Step 1 - In a large bowl, beat the egg whites to a firm peak. Set aside.

Step 2 -In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and sugar for about 5 minutes, until paler in color and a ribbon forms from the whisk.

Step 3 -In a separate bowl, combine the chestnut cream with the soft butter. Mix until homogeneous. Add the chestnut cream/butter mixture to the egg/sugar mixture, and mix until fully combined.

Step 4 -In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.

Step 5 -Using a spatula, fold in about a quarter of the egg whites into the chestnut cream mixture, and then fold in about a quarter of the flour. Repeat, alternating a quarter of egg whites and a quarter of flour, until all folded in. Do not overmix; stop working when just incorporated. The batter should be fluffy.

Gently transfer the batter into your cake pan. Bake for 50-55 minutes, until a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean. Transfer to a cooling rack for 5 minutes and unmold.

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