Name: Merengue Castaña Chestnut Cake
Prep time: 2 h
Cook time: 1 h
Total time: 3 h
Yield: 12
Cuisine: Chilean
Ingredients: 6 large egg whites; 1 cup plus 5 tablespoons of fine granulated sugar; a pinch of salt; 3 cups Heavy Whipping Cream (fresh cream); 400 grams chestnut puree; 1/4 cup of granulated sugar

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Chestnut Cake is traditional in Chile and is usually bought at the favorite family bakery. I don't remember my mother ever making it at home, but it is so easy to come by.

But after moving to the USA, I didn't have another option but to learn to do it by myself, and soon, I was making it for other Chilean families living here in Houston, which is always welcomed with cheers and sweet memories.

Chestnut is the flavor of choice for me during fall. I like to eat my cake with an espresso.

You may also want to make this recipe: Lucuma Cake with Meringue

Merengue Castaña Chestnut Cake

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Author: Pilar Hernandez
Prep Time: 2 hours
Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 3 hours
Yield: 12
Category: Cakes
Method: Oven
Cuisine: Chilean

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Description

A delicious and sophisticated cake.

Ingredients

Units

For the meringue,

6 large egg whites
1 cup plus 5 tablespoons of fine granulated sugar
a pinch of salt

For the chestnut cream,

3 cups Heavy Whipping Cream (fresh cream)
400 grams chestnut puree
¼ cup of granulated sugar

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Instructions

For the meringue discs: Draw four circles of 20cm or 8″ in diameter on parchment paper, leaving one ear on each circle, and place the parchment on two baking sheets.
Preheat the oven to 200F or 100 C.
Place egg whites and salt in a large bowl of a stand mixer set with the whipping attachment. Whip at medium speed until the whites form soft peaks and hold when lifted (without gliding down).
Add the sugar slowly while beating on medium speed, then whip on high speed for 8-10 minutes until it looks silky, and if you rub the meringue between your fingers, do not feel any grains of sugar. Spoon the meringue into a piping bag with a round tip of about half an inch diameter or a Ziploc bag and cut one end.
Fill on the pre-draw circles in a concentric motion starting from the outside with the meringue. Spread with a knife to level or leave like that.
Bake for 1 ½ hour. The discs should feel dry to the touch but not brown. Allow cooling in the oven. Once cooled, wrap without removing the parchment paper with plastic wrap and store for up to 2-3 days. The meringue is fragile. Treat it gently. Do not refrigerate.
Assemble the cake: Use a chilled bowl. Put the cream in the bowl and whip on high speed until it doubles in volume and forms soft peaks.
Add the chestnut puree and the sugar and beat for 1 minute to fully incorporate at high speed. Sweeten to taste, but remember that the meringue is very sweet.
Assemble the cake by alternating meringue disc (remember to remove the parchment paper) and chestnut cream.
Storage the cake frozen, move to the refrigerator 2 hours before serving, and serve cold.