If you’re a fan of nutmeg, you’ll adore this cake. To me, it tastes like Christmas. Warm nutmeg, nuts, and comfort in every bite. Similar to the comfort you get when eating zucchini bread (which almost always has nutmeg in it) or Fall favorites like Fresh Apple Cake and Maple Nutmeg Custard Tart.
As we’re approaching two months of sheltering in place given the spread of the corona virus, I can’t help but daydream about future travel. Until then though, I’m bringing my travel destinations to my kitchen. From Portuguese Orange Cake, Greek Pizza, Japanese Cheesecake, Indian Honey Cake and Mexican Brownies to French Walnut Cake, Norwegian Chocolate Chip Cookies, Swedish Almond Meringue Cake to today’s Armenian Nutmeg Cake.
Today’s recipe is very easy to bake, despite it’s two layers. The bottom layer is a thin crust made out of the cake’s batter, prior to the wet ingredients getting added. How clever is that?! I’d never seen that before and just loved the idea. After patting the crust into the baking pan, you add the wet ingredients to the remaining dry, and pour it over the crust. Then sprinkle on some nuts, bake around 30 minutes, and you have a perfect soft cake to drink with a cold glass of milk or a hot cup of coffee or tea. No electric mixer, no expensive plane ticket, and no jetlag. A little taste of Armenia from your kitchen, where ever that may be. 🙂 Enjoy!
Armenian Nutmeg Cake
- 1 cup flour
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/3 cup butter (cold & cut into small cubes)
- 3/4 cup milk (any kind)
- 1/2 tsp. baking soda
- 1 tsp. vinegar
- 1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
- 1/4 cup walnuts (roughly chopped)
Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Lightly grease a small cake pan or round 8-inch spring-form pan. Set pan on a rimmed baking sheet, just in case anything leaks; set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and brown sugar. Using your fingers, pinch the butter into the mixture until it resembles breadcrumbs. Divide the mix in half. Pat half of it evenly into the prepared pan to create a crust. Leave the remaining half in the mixing bowl.
In a measuring cup or small bowl, combine the milk and baking soda, whisking to combine. Stir in the vinegar and nutmeg. Gently pour the milk mixture into the remaining flour mixture to create a thin batter. Pour the batter over the pastry crust in the pan.
Sprinkle the walnuts on top. Bake for ~30 minutes, until the center of the cake is set and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack until ready to serve. Slice and serve with a glass of milk or a warm cup of coffee or tea.
Adapted from Gayathri’s Cook Spot blog.
A Bee Bakes 