(Editor”™s note: When it comes to the December holidays, everyone has their favorite foods, including beloved desserts. Here, however, tea expert and Westfair contributor Ellen Easton offers something different using a holiday staple, roasted chestnuts: )
Ingredients:
1/2”¯cup, plus 2 tablespoons”¯unsalted butter,”¯room temperature
1 cup Domino Light Brown Sugar or granulated sugar ”¯(plus extra sugar to prepare baking pan)
2”¯cups cake flour, sifted
2”¯teaspoons baking powder
1/2-cup”¯milk,”¯room temperature
1 teaspoon”¯pure vanilla extract
1 tablespoon chestnut purée
4”¯large egg whites, room temperature
”¯Ingredients for the ginger whipped cream
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 tablespoon candied ginger
1 teaspoon”¯pure vanilla extract
1 or 2 cups to taste, roasted chestnuts, peeled, for topping
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. ”¯Position the oven rack in the middle of oven. Prepare a Bundt pan ”“ you can also use two 9-inch cake pans or 2 or 3 6-inch teacake pans ”“ by coating the bottom and sides of the pans with nonstick baking spray. (I use Pam baking spray.) ”¯Dust the bottom and sides with Domino Light Brown Sugar or granulated sugar until lightly coated.
Cream the butter in an electric mixer at medium speed.”¯Add a small amount of sugar at a time and continue beating until creamy. ”¯Add the cake flour, baking powder, milk, vanilla extract and chestnut purée. Beat until smooth.
In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form and cling to the bowl. ”¯Fold the egg-white meringue into the prepared batter mixture very carefully so as not to break the air in the eggs. ”¯Pour into the prepared pan/pans.
Bake for approximately 20 to 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Remove from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool.
Prepare the ginger whipped cream.”¯Place the heavy cream, ginger and extract into a mixing bowl.”¯On a high-speed, whip until soft peaks form. Stop and scrape down the sides.”¯(Do not over-whip or it will turn into butter.)
When the cake is cool, remove from the pan/pans. Top with the ginger whipped cream and garnish with the additional roasted chestnuts.
