Chocolate Caramel Chestnut Cake

Last week it was my dad's birthday so as per a family tradition we made him a cake.
His favourite kind of cake is Black forest gateau, but seeing as my sister had made this for him before we plumped for something different but just as indulgent; Chocolate Caramel Chestnut Cake


The cake recipe is again from Dorie Greenspan's Baking book.
I had some trouble with the ingredients, mostly mixing up where I used my bitter chocolate and milk chocolate, but I managed to make it work and it still tasted great! The caramel was also a bit tricky, I had to adjust the recipe a little as I didn't think there was enough sugar to make a caramel (I was right). However if you can't be bothered you could actually completely miss out the caramel! Next time I might try and use a toffee sauce to flavour the chocolate ganache and make it more creamy and even more rich!

The chestnut puree can be difficult to find but we managed to find it in a few Waitrose supermarkets. We also used their canned roast chestnuts, which were actually brilliant and saved a lot of time in roasting and shelling the nuts ourselves. Although if you do have time this would obviously be a nice touch. I might even caramelise the chestnuts next time to add a different texture to the cake.
I left out the brandy syrup but you can add it if you wish.


Also another thing to note is this is a time absorbing recipe. You will need to make the ganache the day/ night before, and start the glaze first thing in the morning so it all has time to cool and set. But make sure you take the ganache out of the fridge to warm up to room temperature otherwise it wont spread nicely and will ruin your cake.


So if you have a spare few evenings have a go!


Chocolate Caramel Chestnut Cake
(From Baking by Dorie Greenspan)


Ingredients


Caramel Ganache
255g (9oz) high-quality milk chocolate (such as Lindt or Perugina)
85g (3oz) bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
6 tblspns sugar
2 tblspns water
1 cinnamon stick
126g (1 cup) plus 2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
1/4 teaspoon salt
126g (1 cup) plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature


Cake

• 252g (2 cups) Plain flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 126g (1 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 183g (1 1/4 cups) (packed) golden brown sugar, divided
• 4 large eggs, separated
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 126g (1 cup) sweetened chestnut spread with vanilla
• 59ml (1/4 cup) whole milk
• 
  
• Brandy syrup

• 59ml (1/4 cup) brandy
• 2 tablespoons golden brown sugar
• 24 jarred peeled whole chestnuts; 12 coarsely chopped, 12 left whole (about 7.25oz)
• 
  
• Glaze

• 236ml (1 cup) heavy whipping cream
• 57g (1/4 cup) sugar
• 59ml (1/4 cup) water
• 226g (8oz) bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped
• Edible gold dust (optional)

Method

For ganache:

1. Combine milk chocolate and bittersweet chocolate in medium bowl. Stir sugar, 2 tablespoons water, and cinnamon stick in heavy medium saucepan over medium-low heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat and boil without stirring until syrup turns deep amber, occasionally brushing down sides of pan with wet pastry brush and swirling pan, about 6 minutes (time will vary depending on size of pan). 

2. Add cream and salt (mixture will bubble vigorously). Bring caramel to boil, whisking until smooth and caramel bits dissolve, about 1 minute. Discard cinnamon stick. Pour hot caramel over chocolate; stir until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth. Let stand until completely cool, stirring occasionally, about 1 hour.

3. Using electric mixer, beat butter in large bowl until fluffy. Beat in chocolate mixture in 4 additions. Cover and refrigerate ganache overnight.

For cake:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and flour 9x9x2-inch metal baking pan (I used 3 20cm round cake tins instead). Line bottom of pan with parchment paper. 

2. Sift flour, baking powder, and salt into medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat butter in large bowl until fluffy. Beat in 1 cup brown sugar, then egg yolks and vanilla extract. 

3. Beat in chestnut spread, then milk. Sift dry ingredients over and gently mix together. Using clean dry beaters, beat egg whites in another large bowl until soft peaks form. Add remaining 1/4 cup brown sugar and beat until stiff but not dry. Fold egg whites into batter in 3 additions.

4. Transfer batter to pan. Bake cake until golden and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 48 minutes (if using more than one cake tin, cut the time down to 30 minutes). Cut around cake to loosen. Cool cake completely in pan on rack.

For syrup:

1. Stir brandy and brown sugar in small bowl until sugar dissolves.

2. Turn cake out onto work surface. Peel off parchment. Using long serrated knife, cut cake horizontally into 3 equal layers. Place 1 cake layer, cut side up, on 8x8-inch cardboard square. Brush cake layer with half of brandy syrup. Spread with 1 cup ganache. Sprinkle with half of chopped chestnuts. Top with second cake layer, cut side up. 

3. Repeat with remaining brandy syrup, 1 cup ganache, and remaining chopped chestnuts. Top with remaining cake layer, cut side up. Spread remaining ganache over top and sides of cake. Place cake rack on sheet of foil; place assembled cake on rack. Chill while preparing glaze.

For glaze:
1. Bring cream, sugar, and 1/4 cup water to boil in heavy medium saucepan, stirring until sugar dissolves. Add chocolate and whisk until melted and glaze is smooth. Let cool until thick but still pourable, about 4 hours.

2. Pour glaze atop cake, spreading evenly over sides. Chill until glaze sets.

3. Brush 12 whole chestnuts with gold dust. Arrange chestnuts across top of cake. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover with cake dome and refrigerate. Let cake stand at least 4 hours and up to 8 hours at room temperature.) Serve cake at room temperature

Ps. Thank you to my little sister for taking all these pictures for me!