Castagnaccio Recipe: Tuscan Chestnut Flour Cake

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This castagnaccio recipe makes the classic Tuscan chestnut flour cake. It is dense, a little bitter-sweet and full of rosemary and pine nuts. You need only six simple ingredients, and you can bake it in under an hour.

Castagnaccio is not a sponge cake. Nobody adds sugar, butter or eggs. The batter is just chestnut flour, water and olive oil. The oven turns it into a firm, moist cake with a cracked top. Many Italians eat it in autumn and winter, when chestnuts are in the markets.

What Is Castagnaccio?

Castagnaccio is a traditional cake from Tuscany. Cooks also make it in other chestnut-growing parts of the Apennines. It has a deep brown colour and a flat shape, about as thick as your finger. The taste is earthy and gently sweet. The sweetness comes from the chestnuts themselves.

The cake grew out of poor mountain kitchens. In the chestnut woods of areas such as the Garfagnana, families dried chestnuts and ground them into flour. Chestnut flour kept well and filled people up. It was often called the bread of the mountains. Castagnaccio was one of the simplest ways to cook with it.

Today you will find castagnaccio in Tuscan bakeries and at autumn food fairs. If you visit Lucca, our Lucca guide to walking and cycling the Renaissance walls will help you plan the day. Then look for a slice in a local pasticceria.

Castagnaccio Recipe: Ingredients

This recipe fills one round tin, 24 to 26 cm across. It cuts into eight slices.

• 300 g chestnut flour (farina di castagne)
• 450 to 500 ml cold water
• 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more for the tin
• 50 g pine nuts
• 40 g raisins
• 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary needles
• A pinch of fine salt

Buying chestnut flour

Look for farina di castagne in Italian delicatessens, health food shops and online. Choose a fresh bag with a sweet, nutty smell. Old flour tastes flat and bitter. Chestnut flour clumps easily, so always sieve it before you mix.

Optional extras

Some cooks add a few walnuts or a little orange zest. Others skip the raisins. A spoonful of honey is not traditional, but it softens the bitter edge if you prefer a sweeter slice. Try the plain version first.

How to Make Castagnaccio, Step by Step

1. Heat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan). Oil a round tin well, then line the base with baking paper.
2. Soak the raisins in warm water for 10 minutes. Drain them and pat them dry.
3. Sieve the chestnut flour into a large bowl. Add the salt.
4. Pour in the cold water slowly. Whisk as you go, so no lumps form. Stop when the batter looks like thin double cream.
5. Stir in 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Let the batter rest for 15 minutes. The flour will drink in some of the water.
6. Check the texture again. If the batter is too thick, add a splash more water.
7. Pour the batter into the tin. It should be about 1.5 cm deep.
8. Scatter the raisins, pine nuts and rosemary over the top. Drizzle on the last 2 tablespoons of oil.
9. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes. The surface should crack and darken, and the edges should pull away from the tin.
10. Cool the cake in the tin for 10 minutes. Then cut it into wedges and serve warm or at room temperature.

How to tell it is ready

Look at the top. Fine cracks mean the cake has lost enough water. The pine nuts should be golden, not dark brown. Press the centre lightly. It should feel firm but still slightly moist.

Tips for a Better Castagnaccio

• Keep the batter thin. A thick batter gives a heavy, dry cake. The right batter pours easily.
• Do not skip the rest. Resting stops the cake from turning gritty.
• Use plenty of oil in the tin. It crisps the edges and stops sticking.
• Watch the rosemary. Press the needles into the batter so they do not burn.
• Cool it a little. The flavour is better warm than hot.

Serving ideas

Italians eat castagnaccio as a snack or a plain dessert. A spoonful of fresh ricotta goes well with it. So does a glass of Vin Santo. Some cooks serve it with a few shavings of dark chocolate. For a full autumn table, try it after our creamy Italian polenta.

Storing leftovers

Wrap the cake and keep it at room temperature for up to two days. Warm a slice in the oven for a few minutes to bring back the crisp edges. The cake is naturally free of wheat, but check your flour label for cross-contamination if you cook for someone with coeliac disease.

Regional Variations of Castagnaccio

Every chestnut valley has its own habits. In Tuscany, rosemary and pine nuts are the usual toppings. Cooks in Liguria and Piedmont sometimes add fennel seeds or walnuts. Others fold in dried figs or a little orange zest. The base never changes: chestnut flour, water and oil. Try one extra at a time, so you can taste what it adds.

Where Chestnuts Matter in Italian Food

Chestnuts are part of Italian cooking from the Alps to Calabria. Cooks roast them over open flames and boil them with bay leaves. They mill them into flour for pasta, bread and cakes. In autumn, street sellers in many cities roast chestnuts in iron drums.

Tuscany has a long chestnut tradition. Villages in the Apennines hold sagre, which are local food festivals, to celebrate the harvest. Many of them serve castagnaccio, chestnut polenta and roast chestnuts with new wine. Check the local tourist board for dates before you travel, as events change each year.

Autumn is a good time to eat your way through Italy. Read about the Alba truffle fair and the olive harvest and olio nuovo. For another Tuscan classic, bake our cantucci almond biscotti.

Frequently Asked Questions About Castagnaccio

What does castagnaccio taste like?

Castagnaccio tastes nutty, earthy and lightly sweet, with a touch of bitterness. The rosemary adds a savoury, piney note. It is closer to a dense flatbread than a sweet dessert cake.

Is castagnaccio gluten free?

Yes, the traditional recipe has no wheat flour, so it is naturally gluten free. Check the label on your chestnut flour. Some brands mill it in the same place as wheat.

Can I make castagnaccio without raisins or pine nuts?

Yes. The cake works with just chestnut flour, water, oil, salt and rosemary. The raisins and pine nuts add sweetness and crunch, but many Tuscan families leave one or both out.

How do I stop castagnaccio from cracking too much?

Some cracking is normal and traditional. Deep cracks usually mean the batter was too thick or the oven was too hot. Thin the batter slightly and bake at 180°C fan next time.

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