Ingredients
100 g (¾ cup) chestnut flour
50 g (¼ cup) gluten free plain flour
½ tsp gluten free baking powder
½ tsp bicarb soda
½ tsp salt
3 large eggs (~190g total)
120g melted butter (½ cup)
½ cup of mild honey
¼ cup sugar
3 tbsp pine nuts
Fresh rosemary leaves
Method
Preheat over to 1700C. Grease a 22 cm spring-form tin with butter and dust with chestnut flour. Cut a circle of baking paper to line the base of the tin and place on top of the greased and floured surface.
Sift together the chestnut flour, plain flour, baking powder, soda and salt.
In another bowl, beat together the egg yolks, oil, honey and 2 tbsp of the sugar until thick and pale (about 5 minutes).
Add the dry ingredients to the egg mixture and gently fold in until well incorporated.
Beat the egg whites on high speed with a pinch of salt. When the whites have double in volume, gradually add the remaining sugar one teaspoon at a time. Continue beating until all the sugar has been added and firm peaks form.
Fold the stiff egg whites into the mix, a third at a time, until all the whites have been added. Pour the mix into the cake tin. Sprinkle generously with pine nuts and rosemary.
Place the cake in the centre of the oven and bake for 40-45 minutes. Check after 30 minutes to see if it is getting too brown and if so cover loosely with foil for the remaining time.
Remove from the oven and rest for 10 minutes before removing from the tin and placing on a rack to cool.
The cake can be served cold but is really delicious served warm. Simply cover with foil and pop back into the over for 10 minutes.
Note: the gluten free plain flour can be substituted with normal wheat based plain flour, if you’re not worried about being gluten free. Butter can also be substituted with olive oil if preferred.