My first chestnut cake

[satimis]

Based on the recipe of following thread I baked my first Chestnut.

Chestnut Cake with Maple Icing
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Chestnut-Cake-with-Maple-Icing-102693

Modified recipe and preparation steps:-

Chestnut preparation:
After shelled and peeled, cook the chestnuts in a pressure cooker for 5 min at high pressure with small amount of water for generating steam.

Ingredients:-

Cake:
1 cup all purpose flour (125 g)
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 teaspoon salt
340 grams fresh chestnuts
80g Granulated sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature (113g)
1/2 cup pure maple syrup (166g)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 large eggs


Icing:
3/4 cup powdered sugar (60 g)
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted (57 g)
60g pure golden syrup

Preparation:-

For cake:
- Preheat bread machine including the baking pan to 320 deg F
- shift flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt 3 times.
- Coarsely chop 227g chestnuts. Set aside.
- Finely blend remaining 113 g chestnuts in blender. Add 80g granulated sugar, butter, golden syrup and vanilla to mashed chestnuts. Using electric mixer, beat until well blended.
- Beat egg yolk until pale yellow in colour.
- Add the beaten egg yolk to the mixture of chestnut and mix them thoroughly
- Add flour to above chestnut and egg yolk mixture and fold them gently
- Beat egg white until forming ribbon in shape and add it to above mixture. Mix the compound thoroughly.
- Stir the chopped chestnuts. Spread batter in the baking pan.

Bake cake until the cake tester inserted into center comes out with some moist crumbs attached, about 40 minutes.
Cool cake on the rack.


For icing:
- Stir powdered sugar(60 g), butter(57 g) and 60g golden syrup, to blend in small bowl.
- Thin with golden syrup, 1 teaspoon at a time, until icing is smooth and forms thick ribbons when poured.
If too thin keep the bowl in refrigerator a while.
- Spread icing over cool cake. Let stand until icing is set.


A wonderful chestnut cake was baked, tasty and tender in quality. But I don't enjoy it because too sweet and oily. I haven't icing the cake on account of the icing mixture being too sweet as well. It'll be better using whipped cream.

I think I prefer plain sponge cake with whipped cream topping more.


Photos
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photo-01_blended_chestnut.jpeg
http://ubuntuone.com/2DTBiip2RB4bqJMB9CTvXk

photo-02_chopped_chestnut.jpeg
http://ubuntuone.com/5qGtWl0Lerqv3ciddW7Hc7

photo-03_chestnut_sugar_butter.jpeg
http://ubuntuone.com/6FgwgGo9njN7xGmzpSG1JP

photo-04_blended_chestnut_sugar_butter.jpeg
http://ubuntuone.com/0ZpgW5bdtHjRi6pAugbQlE

photo-05_mixed_with_flour.jpeg
http://ubuntuone.com/6z7NkzlwFFSKKCE3mqC7kH

photo-06_whisk_n_egg_white.jpeg
http://ubuntuone.com/2GtxxcN6iLWElZHEmBDg4U

photo-07_whisked_egg_white.jpeg
http://ubuntuone.com/1vsghxtQU2HX7EjYlPJXlp

photo-08_mixing_egg_white_n_chopped_chestnut.jpeg
http://ubuntuone.com/7dp4i6l5zjgEsaDsrHxs28

photo-09_mixing_egg_white_n_chopped_chestnut.jpeg
http://ubuntuone.com/6OHE00MzwOLxI8GwI6HWCJ

photo-10_icing.jpeg
http://ubuntuone.com/3l7avNizDbX7JSX5LlxFl7

photo-11_cake_tester.jpeg
http://ubuntuone.com/3Z5XyuBiMzgH76NqpnWuim

photo-12_chestnut_cake.jpeg
http://ubuntuone.com/7DtqoExul8rVQNjqwBhfkz

photo-13_chestnut_cake.jpeg
http://ubuntuone.com/0V6gyLbmvAF4fI0jeglHvi

photo-14_homemade_powder_sugar.jpeg
http://ubuntuone.com/4kWCiaV67W4rgsh4ZJ1HZO

Comment and suggestion are welcome.

B.R.
satimis