French Market Recipe 2024 03
L’Ardechois au chocolat
Chestnut chocolate cake from the Ardeche
Ingredients
- 1 kg cooked chestnuts
- 10 Eggs
- 500g sugar
- 100g 90% dark chocolate
- 85g unsalted butter
- 100g Walnuts
- 1 tablespoon vanilla essence
- 1 tablespoon cognac (optional)
- Crème fraiche
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 160C degrees.
- Blend the cooked chestnuts to a puree
- Put the chestnut puree into a large mixing bowl and stir in the vanilla essence and Cognac.
- Separate 6 eggs and mix the egg yolks into the puree with a wooden spoon.
- Mix in the sugar.
- Beat 6 egg whites until stiff peaks are formed.
- Carefully add the egg whites to the cake mixture using a spatula and lifting the mixture high.
- Butter a deep baking tin
- Pour in the cake mixture.
- Cook in the preheated oven for at least 1 hour.
- Check to see if it is cooked by inserting a knife all the way down through the middle of the cake, if it comes away clean the cake is cooked. Note it can take longer depending on your oven
- Once cooked, take out of the oven and allow to cool.
- Remove from pan and place on a serving dish.
While the cake is cooking make the chocolate sauce.
- Separate 4 eggs and lightly beat the egg yolks.
- Chop the chocolate into small pieces.
- Pour 2 tablespoons of water into a heavy based saucepan.
- Add the chocolate and melt over a gentle heat stirring all the time.
- Once it smooth, remove from heat and add the butter, stir in well
- Add the egg yolks and mix well together
- Once the cake has cooled, spread the chocolate sauce over the top and sides.
- Decorate with walnuts
Serve with the bowl of crème fraiche and a glass of Cognac available at our French Market shop in Cape Town or order online with us.
Bon Appétit