Marron Gateau Recipe

425 g/15 oz/1 large can chestnut puree

6 eggs, separated
5 ml/1 tsp vanilla essence (extract)

5 ml/1 tsp ground cinnamon
350g/12 oz/2 cups icing (confectioners') sugar, sifted
100 g/4 oz/1 cup plain (all-purpose) flour
5 ml/1 tsp powdered gelatine
30 ml/2 tbsp water
15 ml/1 tbsp rum
300 ml double (heavy) cream
90 ml/6 tbsp apricot jam (conserve), sieved (strained)
30 ml/2 tbsp water
450 g/1 lb/4 cups plain (semi-sweet) chocolate, broken into pieces

100g/4 oz Almond Paste

30 ml/2 tbsp chopped pistachio nuts

Method:

Sieve the chestnut puree and stir until smooth, then divide in half. Mix one half with the egg yolks, vanilla essence, cinnamon and 50 g/2 oz of the icing sugar. Whisk the egg whites until stiff, then gradually whisk in 175 g/6 oz/ 1 cup of the icing sugar until the mixture forms stiff peaks. Fold into the egg yolk and chestnut mixture. Fold in the flour and spoon into a greased and lined 25 cm/10 in cake tin (pan). Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4 for 45 minutes until springy to the touch. Leave to cool, then cover and leave overnight.

Sprinkle the gelatine over the water in a bowl and leave until spongy. Stand the bowl in a pan of hot water and leave until dissolved. Leave to cool slightly. Mix the remaining chestnut puree with the remaining icing sugar and the rum. Whip the cream until stiff, then fold into the puree with the dissolved gelatine. Cut the cake horizontally into three and sandwich together with the chestnut puree. Trim the edges, then chill for 30 minutes.

Boil the jam with the water until well blended, then brush over the top and sides of the cake. Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of gently simmering water. Shape the almond paste into 16 chestnut shapes. Dip the base into the melted chocolate, then into the pistachio nuts. Spread the remaining chocolate over the top and sides of the cake and smooth the surface with a palette knife. Arrange the almond-paste chestnuts round the edge while the chocolate is still warm, and mark into 16 slices. Leave to cool and set.