Castagnaccio

Name: Castagnaccio
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 55 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Toscana
Ingredients: 300 g chestnut flour; 400 ml Water; 50 g Raisins; 40 g pine nuts; 40 g Walnuts; 2 tbsp Fresh rosemary; 45 ml Extra virgin olive oil; 2 g Fine sea salt

A traditional Tuscan flat cake made from naturally sweet chestnut flour, studded with pine nuts, walnuts, raisins, and fresh rosemary.

🇮🇹Italy· Tuscany

Prep: 20 min
Cook: 35 min
Total: 55 min
Servings: 6
Difficulty: Easy
Calories: 310 kcal

Ingredients

0 of 8 gathered

Servings

300 g chestnut flour — sifted to remove lumps
400 ml Water — cold tap water
50 g Raisins — also called sultanas
40 g pine nuts — raw
40 g Walnuts — roughly chopped
2 tbsp Fresh rosemary — fresh needles only
45 ml Extra virgin olive oil — divided into batter and garnish
2 g Fine sea salt — one generous pinch

Equipment

•Large mixing bowl
•Fine mesh sieve
•Whisk
•Small bowl
•Low-sided 28 cm round baking tin

Nutrition

Per serving, approximate

Calories: 310 kcal
fat: 10 g
carbs: 52 g
fibre: 7 g
protein: 5 g
calories: 310 kcal

Instructions

1
Soak the raisins in a small bowl of warm water for 10 minutes to plump up.
2
Preheat your oven to 195 degrees C (175 degrees C fan).
3
Sift the chestnut flour and salt into a large mixing bowl.
4
Pour in the cold water gradually while whisking constantly to create a smooth, runny batter without lumps.
5
Whisk one tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil into the batter.
6
Drain the raisins thoroughly and squeeze out any excess water with your hands.
7
Fold half of the raisins, half of the pine nuts, and half of the chopped walnuts into the batter.
8
Grease a low-sided 28 cm baking tin generously with one tablespoon of olive oil.
9
Pour the batter into the tin so it sits roughly one centimetre deep.
10
Scatter the remaining raisins, pine nuts, walnuts, and fresh rosemary needles evenly across the top.
11
Drizzle the remaining tablespoon of olive oil over the surface.
12
Bake for 30 to 35 minutes until the surface is deep brown with fine, mosaic-like cracks.

Chef's tips

Always sift the chestnut flour, as it compacts easily and forms stubborn lumps. Keep the layer thin, around one centimetre, so the cake bakes with a dense, soft interior and a crisp, cracked crust rather than a rubbery texture.

Ingredient substitutions

walnuts → extra pine nuts, if you prefer the traditional coastal Tuscan style
raisins → dried sour cherries, though raisins are the traditional choice

Storage

Keep the cooled cake covered at room temperature for up to three days.

Reheating

Enjoy at room temperature, or warm gently in a low oven for five minutes before serving.

Common mistakes to avoid

•Using a baking tin that is too small, resulting in a cake that is too thick and wet in the centre.
•Skipping the sifting step, which leaves dry pockets of raw chestnut flour in the batter.
•Adding refined sugar, which masks the delicate, natural earthy sweetness of good chestnut flour.

Serving suggestions

Serve at room temperature cut into diamond-shaped slices.Accompany with a spoonful of fresh sheep ricotta cheese.Pair with a small glass of Tuscan Vin Santo dessert wine.