I promise you that this recipe will appeal to those who love a bit of indulgence. Those wonderful souls who don’t think twice about calories and think more about taste. This recipe will also appeal to those that like easy recipes, after all, this one only has 4 ingredients and they’re all easily obtained (ok perhaps not the chestnut puree, but this is available at pretty much all delis). I made this years ago for my husband’s birthday and served it with double chocolate ice cream. However this was a mistake. The cake itself was so rich and the ice cream made it even richer. I could only finish 1/2 a slice. So I thought that perhaps this time, I would make a smaller, more portable version.
Nigella recommends crystallised violets but as they’re $20 for a tiny bag for a smashed up lot of them I declined. She has Charles Saatchi to keep her in crystallised violets. I used a violet coloured flowers instead. The idea I had of adding fondant to the cakes worked well in theory and is fine if you’re just about to serve them but after a while the fondant starts to disintegrate and melt and the whole thing looks very Dali-esque. So whilst a violet flower on top would serve you well, the fondant if not serving immediately (and who would be piping a cake when guests are over aside from me?) is not ideal. Go instead with some cream for a luxurious Mont Blanc homage.
Melting fondant-not what you want!
Miniature Chocolate Chestnut Cakes
Makes 10-12 Slices or 8 dariole moulds
Preparation Time: 10 Minutes
- 2 x 250g/9oz Jars Sweetened Chestnut Puree
- 175g/6oz soft, unsalted butter
- 300g/12oz dark chocolate, minimum 70% cocoa solids
- 3 tablespoons dark rum
1. Beat the puree in a bowl until it’s smooth and then add the butter, beating again to make a well-blended mixture.
2. Melt the chocolate and let it cool slightly, before adding it to the chestnut and butter in the bowl. Beat in the rum, and spoon and chocolate mixture into a 23 x 10cm loaf tin or 8 dariole moulds, lined with cling film, in two batches, making sure the first layer reaches the corners and sides of the bottom of the tin before you smooth over the rest. Wrap the over hanging clingfim over the cake so that it is completely covered, and put it in the fridge to set for at least four hours, but a day or so in advance if you want.
3. Don’t take the tin out of the fridge until you want to eat it, when you just unmould the cake, cut it into thin slices and serve with crème fraiche or sour cream. Using cling wrap is much easier for unmoulding the dariole moulds but you do get the wrinkles on the outside which may or may not be a concern to you, especially if you pour some lovely luscious cream over it to create your own Mont Blanc.
Recipe adapted from Nigella Bites by Nigella Lawson
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18 Comments | Add your own
Hi Lorraine- I absolutely adore chestnuts,so I know I would love these cakes. As usual they are gorgeous. BTW, I adore Chanel Nail Polish also.
they look to die for!!
loved how you have done the icing for it too!
x
Wow, these look so pretty. And I do admire your efforts in making homemade chestnut puree. They sound wonderfully rich and exceptionally tasty – I love chestnuts!
Love chocolate and chestnuts, though I can’t ever seem to remember to get myself a tin of chestnut puree to play with! You know you can crystalise your own violets, if you’re able to buy some that haven’t been sprayed with chemicals.
That comment about Charles Saatchi was so hilarious by the way
Hi Kim-They’re fantastic aren’t they. If only they weren’t such a bugger to peel!
Ooh YAY what’s your favourite colour? I’m wearing Mythe now 
Hi Iron Chef Shellie-Thankyou!
The icing required a really steady hand, something I don’t usually have as you might be able to see from the wandering lines 
Hi Helen-Yes I recall you mentioning that you like chestnut puree. I don’t know if I’d bother making my own again, only because it was so much trouble but it was good to make it once
Hi Y-Yes I always have to make a special trip for the puree. Oh cool, is it easy? I should try that, they look so lovely!
Haha I wasn’t sure if I should say that, in case someone thought it was Anti Nigella which of course I’m not in any way!
What darling little cakes! And divinely simple, too. I suppose you could roll the mixture into little after-dinner truffles, too, if an individual cake was too rich for you.
only four ingredients, but each one is fabulous! plus, they’re beautiful little cakes–i firmly believe that the color purple enhances anything (unless the source of the purple is mold…). it may be rich, but i’m up for the challenge!
The ingredients are decadent already.
Love the cake – I’m a total sucker for purple, Lorraine! And as for the fondant, it’s quite humidity-sensitive. It can’t go anywhere near water. And it can’t be placed in the refrigerator, either.
these look absolutely divine! love the colours and that little flower…
Hi Angela-Brilliant idea with the truffles! It definitely has that rollable truffle texture to it and that way it won’t ever be too much. Genius!
Hi grace-I’ve become addicted to adding purple to things, especially chocolate and dark colours. I agree, it really enhances things!
Hi Patricia-Thanks!
This one was royal icing which I guess is much the same as fondant. Temperamental ingredients but I love working with them 
Hi airy fairy-Thankyou so much!
That sounds like a lot of work, but totally worth it!! your cakes look amazing Lorraine! great work!:)
Hi mansibshah-Thanks so much!
The icing required a bit of patience and drama but the rest of it was ok and of course it’s much easier if you do the sensible thing and buy the chesnut puree, unlike me 
I think Nigella can keep herself in crystallised violets lol!! Have you ever tried using crystallising flowers yourself? I’ve seen the technique (I think it’s the technique?) in either printed publications.. or on the TV.. not sure! But I remember egg white being brushed onto petals and then being dusted with caster sugar? Is that how it’s done?
Did you make these lovely little flowers yourself? I can hardly believe the very few ingredients in this! The cakes look *beautiful*..but pity about the melting fondant. Interesting re: serving with sour cream!
Hi Maria-True I suppose! Is that crystallising them? I thought crystallised violets were harder and more dried? I’ve done that with petals but not with flowers.
Hehe no I didn’t make the little flowers, I bought a container of them and they’re so adorable and go so well with so many colours, I’ve almost exhausted my supply of them!
How elegant!
I love these!
They would make a great dessert to impress!
Duckey x
Hi Duckey-Thanks, the cake itself is very easy but so gorgeously rich that people would think that it was very hard
it was so great! i was really amazed by the idulgent of your cake. i hope i could also have that kind of talent.
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