nutmeg walnut cake
“An addictive, warm, spicy Armenian cake with pleasing overtones of nutmeg and walnut.” If Deeba’s description of this doesn’t make you want it, nothing will! Thanks to Deeba from passionateaboutbaking.com for this simple baking recipe.
Armenian Nutmeg Walnut Cake
Author: Deeba, passionateaboutbaking.com
Recipe type: Dessert
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 12-14
Ingredients
- 1 cup milk
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 7 oz. walnuts, divided
- 2 tsp. baking powder
- 1½ cup brown sugar
- ⅔ cup unsalted butter, chilled, cubed
- 1 egg (optional)
- 1½ tsp. grated nutmeg
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F. Lightly grease an 8″ springform tin (or line). She used a dessert ring and lined it with foil.
- Mix the baking soda into the milk and set it aside.
- Place the flour, half of the walnuts and baking powder in the bowl of your processor and pulse until the walnut is ground (4-5 times)
- Add the brown sugar and pulse a couple of times to mix.
- Now add the chilled butter and process until you get a breadcrumb like mix. (You can do this by hand too, but a processor is far quicker and easier)
- Divide this into half. Press half into an 8″ springform tin, pushing up some into the sides if you like. Else pat firmly to create a base.
- In the bowl of the processor, add the milk-baking soda mixture to the remaining biscuit mix with the egg and freshly grated nutmeg, and process for 2-3 minutes till you have a smooth batter.
- Pour this batter over the pressed crust, and sprinkle ¼ of your walnuts on top. They will sink into the rather ‘liquidy’ batter. Toss the remaining walnuts in a tsp of flour, and sprinkle on top gently.
- Bake the cake at 350F for about 35 to 45 minutes till the top is a golden brown or till a skewer pushed through the centre of the cake comes out clean. (Hers took about an hour)
- Cool the cake in the tin before demolding. It is best eaten while still warm, though it's enjoyed cold too.