Gluten-Free Chestnut Flour Cake with Root Vegetables

This gluten-free chestnut flour cake combines naturally sweet chestnut and tigernut flours with grated carrots, parsnip, and apple. Hazelnut butter and coconut cream give it a rich, tender texture, while the root vegetables provide enough sweetness that no added sweetener is necessary. Use less flour for a moist, dense cake or more for a slightly drier, more traditional cake-like texture.

Chestnut flour has a naturally sweet, earthy flavor that pairs beautifully with carrots, parsnip, apple, and hazelnuts. This simple gluten-free chestnut flour cake is moist and gently sweet without any added sugar or sweetener.

I first made this recipe during an extended trip through Europe, after enjoying freshly boiled chestnuts in Romania and then discovering chestnut flour in Denmark. Chestnuts are a familiar seasonal treat in many parts of Europe, but baking with chestnut flour opened up an entirely new way of using their distinctive flavor.

A naturally sweet cake without added sugar

One of my favorite things about this cake is that it doesn’t need any added sweetener. Carrots, parsnip, and apple provide natural sweetness, while both chestnut and tigernut flour have subtly sweet flavors of their own.

This is not an intensely sweet dessert. It is a rustic, gently sweet cake that works well for breakfast, as an afternoon snack, or as a simple dessert with warm berries.

The optional cinnamon complements the chestnut and root vegetables, but you can leave it out or use another warming spice blend you enjoy.

Adjusting the texture

The total amount of flour can range from 250 to 350 grams, using equal quantities of chestnut and tigernut flour.

With 250 grams of flour, the cake will be moist, dense, and somewhat custardy (more like a crustless pie). As you increase the flour toward 350 grams, it will become drier and more traditionally cake-like. Even with the larger amount, the batter will remain relatively loose.

If you are making the recipe for the first time, I would choose the texture that appeals to you most rather than expecting the flour quantity to be exact. The moisture in the carrots, parsnip, apple, and coconut milk can also affect the final consistency.

Choosing and substituting the ingredients

Chestnut flour is becoming easier to find in well-stocked supermarkets, specialty stores, and online. Tigernut flour is widely available online and in many health-food stores.

Hazelnut butter reinforces the warm, nutty flavor of the chestnut flour. If you don’t have it, you can use another nut butter. For a version without hazelnut butter, replace it with olive oil, avocado oil, softened coconut oil, or softened butter.

Baking the cake

Grease the baking dish very well because this moist cake can stick to the bottom. You can also line the bottom with parchment paper to make it easier to release.

I use a 9-inch (23-centimeter) ceramic pie dish, but another similarly sized baking dish will work. The exact baking time will vary depending on the dish, your oven, and how much flour you use, so begin checking the cake after 30 minutes.

It is ready when the top is golden brown, the center looks set, and the surface feels firm rather than soft when gently pressed.

How to serve it

I especially enjoy this chestnut flour cake with warm wild blueberries. I use frozen wild blueberries and gently warm them before serving.

For additional sweetness, drizzle the cake with a little honey or yacon syrup, or sweeten the berries before serving. A spoonful of hazelnut or almond butter also makes a lovely accompaniment.

If you love chestnut flour, try my gluten-free crepes with chestnut flour.

Enjoy!

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