Chestnut bica

How to make a bica or sponge cake of chestnuts .

If there is a sweet recipe  with chestnuts that triumphs in most Galician celebrations, it is bica. If we talk about Autumn, the chestnut bica wins by a landslide.

La bica is one of the best known desserts in Galicia. We can find it in any corner of the community, and with the personal touch of each area.

In the province of Ourense, my land, there are well-known bicas, such as the white bica from Laza or the mantecada from Puebla de Trives or the bica from Castro Caldelas .

I can assure you that if there is a bica at home, breakfast and after-dinner are special. Accompanying a fluffy piece with a good coffee is one of the indelible moments that I have left after a trip to Ourense.

Taking advantage of the chestnut season, which is another of the star products of my land, I have decided to prepare a bica for this week’s breakfasts. We can also make it any day of the year, since we will use chestnut flour in its preparation.

At home we love the intense flavor of the chestnut, so characteristic of any dessert or dish.

On the blog you can find many recipes with chestnut, since we are very “larpeiros” and it is a perfect product for desserts.

Preparation of the dough for the chestnut bica

1. We separate the whites from the yolks.
2. We reserve the bowl with the whites in the fridge, so that we can mount them more easily later.
3. We sift the flours, with the help of a strainer, and mix them.
4. Now we mount the whites, with the help of some (easier) electric rods, leaving them at “snow point”.
5. We incorporate the sugar, little by little, during the process, like when we make meringue.
6. On the meringue, we gradually add the mixed flours, stirring well with a spatula.
7. With wraparound movements, so that the meringue does not come down and keep it spongy.
8. At this point, we preheat the oven to 180º C
9. We assemble the cream and add it to the rest of the cream. Also with smooth movements, so that it does not lower.
10. It will be a light brown cream, homogeneous and also fluffy.

Baking and final presentation of the chestnut bica

1. The metal mold, we cover it with baking paper. We pour the cream into it, which we distribute evenly.
2. With the help of a strainer, sprinkle sugar on the surface. This will make a crispy crust then baked, something characteristic of the Galician bicas.
3. We will bake for 30/35 min. at 180ºC. We place the tray in the bottom of the oven first, for 10 minutes. The rest of the time in the central part.
4. Each oven is a world, so after half an hour check with a skewer the point of the bica.
5. If it comes out dry, it is already done. Also watch the sugar coating, and if it toasts too much, you can cover it with aluminum foil.
6. When it is ready, remove it from the oven and keep it covered with a clean cloth.

A perfect autumn dessert to prepare a cold day where you want to turn on the oven and enjoy cooking.

If you do not want to miss the detail of this chestnut bica recipe,  follow this step by step, it will be perfect for you.

Tips for a bica of yummy chestnuts

• The yolks are not used in this recipe, but you can use them for another dessert, such as a pastry cream , soft custard , a traditional tocinillo de cielo , some yolks from Santa Teresa or a Pao de Ló .
• It needs to be tempered and nodded before consuming. Even if you are capable, do it the day before, although I know it is a complicated mission. Accompany it with a brown liquor and the table will be round.
• This recipe is similar to a sponge cake, but in your case no type of natural or chemical yeast is used.
• Therefore, it is a more compact sponge cake, but it maintains its intense flavor, thanks to the good raw materials used in its preparation: house eggs, flours, butter, etc.
• For this recipe I have used a small percentage of wheat flour, so that the end result is fluffier. If you prefer the “gluten-free” option, use the total amounts with chestnut flour. It will be more compact and with a more intense chestnut flavor.
• Chestnut flour is perhaps what it will cost a little more to get, and it is also more expensive than wheat flour. In any gourmet shop or large surface, it is possible to find it easily.