Have you ever heard about Sapa Chestnut Cake? Originating from Sapa, a small town located in northern Vietnam, Sapa Chestnut Cake is one of its specialties which uses a native ingredient here: Chestnut. This cake contributes to my collection of chestnut recipes, together with Korean Chestnut Cookies or Japanese Chestnut Rice.
Nestled in the Hoang Lien Son Mountain range, the picturesque Sapa town is known for its stunning landscapes, lush, terraced rice fields, and vibrant ethnic minority cultures. It is one of the most popular travel destinations in Vietnam. When I was a college student in 2012, I visited Sapa and fell in love with the foods here, from stick rice in bamboo (cơm lam), smoked buffalo meat (trâu gác bếp), roasted chestnut and Sapa Chestnut Cake. The puff pastry wraps a natural sweet and nutty chestnut paste filling, which makes you satisfied with every bites. So, after more than 10 years, I tried making it again and luckily, I got that special taste again in my kitchen. Let’s make it!
What is Sapa Chestnut Cake Made From?
Let’s dive into the ingredients which form the cake first. The wrapper is puff-pastry including all-purpose flour, butter, egg, and coconut oil or other vegetable oil. The filling is made from Chestnut. Sapa is one of a few regions in the North of Vietnam in which chestnut tree is a native plant. It’s because Sapa is 1500 meters above the sea, so it’s cool all year round and chestnut trees can grow naturally. To make Chestnut Paste Filling, you’ll need chestnut, honey, oil and milk.
Basic ingredients, aren’t they? Below is the exact amount of ingredients for 8 cakes:
Oil Dough:
- 150g all-purpose flour
- 60g coconut oil
- 40g butter
Water Dough:
- 260g all-purpose flour
- 100g butter
- 50g sugar
- A pinch of salt
- 2 eggs
Chestnut Paste:
- 300g chestnut powder (from around 500g (17.6 oz) unpeeled ones)
- 70g (3 1/3 tbsp) honey
- 20g (1 1/2 tbsp) oil
- 90ml (6 tbsp) milk
Instructions:
Preparing the Oil Dough:
In a mixing bowl, combine 75g of all-purpose flour, 30g of coconut oil, and 20g of butter. Mix the ingredients until they come together to form a dough.
Shape the oil dough into a square or rectangle, wrap it in plastic wrap, and refrigerate it for at least 30 minutes to firm up. You must do this step, or else it’s very difficult folding with water dough in order to make puff pastry.
Preparing the Water Dough:
In a separate mixing bowl, combine 130g of all-purpose flour, 50g of butter, 25g of sugar, 0.5g of salt, and 25g of egg. Mix the ingredients until they form a crumbly mixture.
Gradually add 30g of cold water to the mixture, a little at a time, and continue mixing until a smooth and slightly sticky dough forms. You may not need to use all the cold water, so add it gradually to prevent from adding excessive liquid.
Making Chestnut Paste Filling:
To make Chestnut Paste Filling, mix 300g chestnut powder, 70g honey, 20g oil and 90ml milk together on a pan. Stir the mixture on low heat until it forms a unique paste.
Then, divide it into 8 portions and roll into balls.
Beside using Chestnut Powder, you can make the paste from whole peeled chestnut, milk and sugar. Please refer to the post “Chestnut Paste Recipes” to check another recipe for Chestnut Paste and opt for the one with the most convenience for you.
Lamination Process:
In this process, you’ll combine oil dough and water dough into puff pastry.
Rolling Out the Water Dough: Begin by rolling out the water dough into two large, thin rectangles, each the same size as the flattened oil dough, on a lightly floured surface.
Encasing the Oil Dough: Place the oil dough between the two flattened water dough rectangles.
First Fold (Letter Fold): Roll out this combined dough into a long, narrow rectangle. Perform a letter fold by folding the bottom third of the dough up towards the center, then fold the top third down over it, like folding a letter. This creates three layers of dough. Cover and let the dough rest for 10 minutes in the fridge.
Second Fold (Book Fold): Roll out the dough similarly to the previous step (along the long edge). Fold the shorter side of the rectangular dough towards its center, ensuring that the edges align perfectly. Gently press down to secure the dough in place. Next, repeat this folding process with the opposite side, leaving a small gap in the middle. Now, fold the entire sheet of dough in half along the central gap.
Third Fold (Book Fold): Repeat the process of the second fold.
Chilling the Dough and divide into portions: After third fold, roll the dough out thinly and then roll it up like a log. Cover the dough and let it chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Cut the dough into small and equal portions. Then, roll the dough thinly to make the wrapper from puff pastry.
Wrapping the Chestnut Paste Filling
Forming Sapa Chestnut cake: Place a Chestnut Paste Filling Ball in the center of a wrapper. Place the prepared filling in the center and wrap it up. Lay the cake on baking tray with the smooth surface up. Repeat until you finish all the dough and filling.
Baking Sapa Chestnut Cake:
The method I bake Chestnut Cake is similar to Mooncakes but in a shorter time with 2 baking rounds:
First baking: Bake for 10 minutes. While the first round is baking, prepare the egg wash by mixing 1 egg yolk with a teaspoon of water.
Second baking: After the first 10 minutes, take the cakes out of the oven and brush a thin layer of egg wash. It’s optional to sprinkle a pinch of black sesame on top of the cakes. Then, spray the cake with water and put it in the oven a second time at 200°C (400°F) for 15 minutes. Pay attention and turn off when the cake reaches the desired golden-brown color.
Otherwise, you can bake it in just one time, this will be more similar to the original Sapa Chestnut Cake. Prepare the egg wash, brush one thin layer on the cakes and spinkle black sesame on while waiting for the oven to heat up to 200°C (400°F). Spay water on them and bake continuously in 20 minutes or until they achieve an even golden-brown look.
That’s it. You’ll get these beautiful chestnut cakes. Serve them hot, at room temperature or cool, all are delicious. Prepare a cup of herbal tea for the cold as well, it’s the perfect match!
Storing Sapa Chestnut Cake
Sapa Chestnut Cakes can last up to 3 days at room temperature, so you can just leave them outside the fridge and enjoy every time you want.
To preserve them longer, keep it in the fridge. Because they’re quite dry, you can enjoy them up to 5 days. However, don’t freeze them; the puff-pastry wrappers will be affected and will change the texture clearly.
Sapa Chestnut Cake
Originating from Sapa, a small town located in northern Vietnam, Sapa Chestnut Cake is one of its specialties, which is made from chestnut.
Ingredients
Oil Dough:
- 150g all-purpose flour
- 60g coconut oil/vegetable oil
- 40g butter
Water Dough:
- 260g all-purpose flour
- 100g butter
- 50g sugar
- A pinch of salt
- 2 eggs
Chestnut Paste:
- 300g chestnut powder (~500g (17.6 oz) unpeeled chestnuts)
- 70g (3 1/3 tbsp) honey
- 20g (1 1/2 tbsp) oil
- 90ml (6 tbsp) milk
Instructions
Preparing the Oil Dough:
- In a mixing bowl, combine 75g of all-purpose flour, 30g of coconut oil, and 20g of butter. Mix the ingredients until they come together to form a dough.
- Shape the oil dough into a square or rectangle, wrap it in plastic wrap, and refrigerate it for at least 30 minutes to firm up. You must do this step, or else it’s very difficult folding with water dough in order to make puff pastry.
Preparing the Water Dough:
- In a separate mixing bowl, combine 130g of all-purpose flour, 50g of butter, 25g of sugar, 0.5g of salt, and 25g of egg. Mix the ingredients until they form a crumbly mixture.
- Gradually add 30g of cold water to the mixture, a little at a time, and continue mixing until a smooth and slightly sticky dough forms. You may not need to use all the cold water, so add it gradually.
Making Chestnut Paste Filling:
- To make Chestnut Paste Filling, mix 300g chestnut powder, 70g honey, 20g oil and 90ml milk together on a pan.
- Stir the mixture on low heat until it forms a unique paste.
- Then, divide it into 8 portions and roll into balls.
Beside using Chestnut Powder, you can make the paste from whole peeled chestnut, milk and sugar. Please refer to the post “Chestnut Paste Recipes” to check another recipe for Chestnut Paste and opt for the one with the most convenience for you.
Lamination Process:
- Rolling Out the Water Dough: Begin by rolling out the water dough into two large, thin rectangles, each the same size as the flattened oil dough, on a lightly floured surface.
- Encasing the Oil Dough: Place the oil dough between the two flattened water dough rectangles.
- First Fold (Letter Fold): Roll out this combined dough into a long, narrow rectangle. Perform a letter fold by folding the bottom third of the dough up towards the center, then fold the top third down over it, like folding a letter. This creates three layers of dough. Cover and let the dough rest for 10 minutes in the fridge.
- Second Fold (Book Fold): Roll out the dough similarly to the previous step (along the long edge). Fold the shorter side of the rectangular dough towards its center, ensuring that the edges align perfectly. Gently press down to secure the dough in place. Next, repeat this folding process with the opposite side, leaving a small gap in the middle. Now, fold the entire sheet of dough in half along the central gap.
- Third Fold (Book Fold): Repeat the process of the second fold.
- Chilling the Dough: After third fold, roll the dough out thinly and then roll it up like a log. Cover the dough and let it chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
- Cutting into portions: Cut the dough into small and equal portions. Then, roll the dough thinly to make the wrapper from puff pastry.
Wrapping the Chestnut Paste Filling
- Forming Sapa Chestnut cake: Place a Chestnut Paste Filling Ball in the center of a wrapper. Place the prepared filling in the center and wrap it up. Lay the cake on baking tray with the smooth surface up.
- Repeat until you finish all the dough and filling.
Baking Sapa Chestnut Cake:
- First baking: Bake for 10 minutes. While the first round is baking, prepare the egg wash by mixing 1 egg yolk with a teaspoon of water.
- Second baking: After the first 10 minutes, take the cakes out of the oven and brush a thin layer of egg wash. It’s optional to sprinkle a pinch of black sesame on top of the cakes. Then, spray the cake with water and put it in the oven a second time at 200°C (400°F) for 15 minutes. Pay attention and turn off when the cake reaches the desired golden-brown color.
- Otherwise, you can bake it in just one time. Prepare the egg wash, brush one thin layer on the cakes and spinkle black sesame on while waiting for the oven to heat up to 200°C (400°F). Spay water on them and bake continuously in 20 minutes or until they achieve an even golden-brown look.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1 cakeAmount Per Serving: Calories: 536
Other Chestnut Recipes
Beside Sapa Chestnut Cake, you can also try: