ARMENIAN NUTMEG CAKE

I’m going out on a limb here and suggest Armenian Nutmeg Cake hails from Armenia. I just can’t find any relevant information to substantiate this claim. As I’ve called it this my whole life, I’m running with it – Armenian Nutmeg Cake it is. This is a simple cake to make, made even easier if you use a food processor. The cake has a brown sugar shortbread-like base with a soft and crumbly cake topping.

Don’t be tempted to reduce the amount of nutmeg in the recipe or, god forbid, use a different spice. While Armenian Nutmeg Cake may not be much to look at, it’s divine to eat and has been a favorite of mine since I was a little girl. Just a word about flours before I sign off, when I made this in Australia, I used less butter, I found the flours in North America require more fat. It could be the time of year too. Make it how the recipe stipulates first, remembering it’s necessary to have the butter very soft – not melted, and to press the base down firmly into the pan. I hope you love this cake as much as I do. Love, Lovoni xo

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ARMENIAN NUTMEG CAKE

This aromatic tea cake is separated into two layers: a dense, brown sugar shortbread-like base with a light, walnut cake layer. It’s one of my favorite cakes that really needs no adornments so feel free to skip the dusting of sugar on top, it was purely for looks.

Prep Time15 mins

Cook Time45 mins

Total Time1 hr

Course: Baking

Servings: 16

Calories: 284kcal

Author: Lovoni

Equipment

• 9 x 9 inch baking pan

Ingredients

US Customary – Metric

• 1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
• 1 cup self-rising flour
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 cup very soft butter
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 cup whole fat milk
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 3/4 cup toasted walnut halves
• Confectioner’s sugar for dusting, optional

Instructions

• Grease a 9-inch square baking pan and line base and sides with parchment paper. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
• Put sugar, both flours, nutmeg and butter in a food processor. Blitz until the mixture starts to come together and looks and feels like wet sand. Press a generous 1 1/2 cups of the mixture into the pan to cover the whole base – a flat-bottomed glass works well for this.
• Add baking soda, milk, egg and nuts to the remaining mixture and pulse until well combined. Pour the mixture over the base. Bake for 45 minutes or until cooked and a wooden pick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Let stand for 20 minutes before Turning out onto a wire rack or cutting board. Cut into 16 pieces to serve. Best cut and served cool. Wrap any leftovers in plastic wrap to freeze.

Nutrition

Calories: 284kcal | Carbohydrates: 33g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 11mg | Sodium: 217mg | Potassium: 92mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 21g | Vitamin A: 540IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 43mg | Iron: 1mg