Armenian Nutmeg Cake

A piece of nutmeg cake with icing sugar on top.

This fragrant nutmeg cake is a simple and traditional Armenian dessert cake, perfect for all occasions. Aromatic and not overly sweet, the nutmeg gives a warm and spiced flavour and the texture is unique in its own way.

5 from 9 votes

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Course: Cakes

Cuisine: armenian, Middle Eastern

Prep Time: 15

Cook Time: 50

Total Time: 1 5

Servings: serves

Calories: 336kcal

Author: Lucy - Bake Play Smile

Cost: $5

Equipment

Mixing Bowl or Thermomix
Oven
20cm round springform tin

Ingredients

150 g (1 cup) self raising flour
75 g (½ cup) plain flour
275 g (1 ¼ cups) brown sugar
60 g (½ cup) almond meal
125 g butter cold, chopped
80 g (¾ cup) walnuts chopped roughly
2 ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg or freshly grated nutmeg
125 g (½ cup) milk
125 g (½ cup) sour cream or plain yoghurt
1 egg
1 teaspoon bi-carbonate of soda
icing sugar to dust (optional)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 160 degrees celsius (fan forced).
Grease and line the base and sides of a 20cm round springform pan with baking paper.
Place the self raising flour, plain flour, brown sugar and almond meal into a large bowl. Add the chopped butter and use you fingers to rub the butter through the mixture until breadcrumbs form.
If using a Thermomix: Place the self raising flour, plain flour, brown sugar, almond meal and chopped butter into the Thermomix bowl. Mix for 10 seconds, Speed 8, or until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
Place one-third of the mixture into the base of the prepared tin. Use the back of a spoon to firmly press the mixture down.
Add the chopped walnuts, nutmeg, milk, sour cream, egg and bicarbonate soda to the mixture and mix well to combine.
If using a Thermomix: Add the chopped walnuts, nutmeg, milk, sour cream, egg and bicarbonate soda and mix for 10 seconds, Reverse, Speed 3. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and repeat until combined.
Pour the mixture over the base in the tin.
Bake for 50 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the middles comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs on it.
Allow the cake to cool in the pan before removing.
Dust with icing sugar before serving (optional).

Notes

RECIPE NOTES & TIPS

If you don't have a springform pan, you can use a regular cake tin. Grease and line the base and sides with baking paper.
Use cold butter - this helps to form a better crust on the base of this nutmeg cake.
Use your fingertips to lightly rub the flour and butter together until it resembles fine breadcrumbs.
Use other ingredients at room temperature (milk, sour cream and egg) for best results as cold ingredients delay the baking process.
Substitutes - the recipe states half a cup of milk and half a cup of sour cream. However you can use more or less of each, as long as the total quantity is one cup. You can also substitute some of the sour cream or milk with natural or greek yoghurt.
If your cake is over-browning, add a sheet of foil loosely over the top and continue cooking.
Allow cake to cool for 10 minutes before removing from the tin.
Storing and freezing - Armenian nutmeg cake stores well and remains moist in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. You can also wrap and freeze in an airtight container, either as a whole or wrapped in individual slices for up to 3 months.

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