Recipe for Armenian Nutmeg Cake-Daring Bakers

Oh boy.  This is an Armenian version of a coffee cake, but not quite as sweet.  It is however, wonderfully delicious!  The original recipe called for nutmeg, which I used, but I also added some cardamom which just gave it the most amazing flavor.  

The Daring Bakers’ April 2012 challenge, hosted by Jason at Daily Candor, were two Armenian standards: nazook and nutmeg cake. Nazook is a layered yeasted dough pastry with a sweet filling, and nutmeg cake is a fragrant, nutty coffee-style cake.  I chose to make the nutmeg cake for this month's challenge, but have the nazook recipe tucked away for later.

Yield: 16 servings

Time: 50 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 cup 2% milk
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 2 cups cake flour (280 grams)
• 2 tsp single acting baking powder (aluminum free)
• 1 ½ cups light brown sugar (350 grams)
• 1 ¼ sticks unsalted butter(150 grams)
• ½ cup finely chopped walnuts
• 1 tsp freshly ground nutmeg
• 1 tsp ground cardamom
• 1 egg white

 Method:

• Preheat oven to 350. 
• Mix baking soda in to the milk and set aside.
• Put flour, baking powder, brown sugar in food processor and pulse until mixed.
• Add in the butter and pulse until a tan crumb forms.
• Pour half the crumb into a spring form pan (Mine was 10 inches, 9 inches would make a thicker cake but all I have is 10”).  Press to form a crust on the bottom of the pan.
• Add the egg white, milk and baking soda mixture, and spices to food processor, and mix until a thin, slightly lumpy batter is formed.
• Pour batter over crust and gently sprinkle with walnuts.
• Bake for 30-40 minutes.
• Cool in pan, then remove and serve.

Some of my fellow participants reported problems with the batter not firming up or with the nuts migrating down in to the cake.  I made sure to use finely chopped nuts and gently sprinkled them on the top.  Not sure if the fact that I used a larger spring form pan (10 inches versus the 9 inches called for) made a difference, but my cake was cooked in the allotted time.

This was super easy to make and we really enjoyed it both as a breakfast treat and as dessert (Mr. ELEB had it with whipped cream, of course!).

See cakes from other Daring Bakers here.

Printable recipe


Other Daring Baker's Challenges I've participated in:

• Dutch Crunch
• Oatmeal Raisin Whole Wheat Quick Bread
• Simple Biscuits
• Sans Rival Cake

Recipe for Sans Rival Cake - Daring Bakers

On Friday, I spoke of everything in moderation and trying to eat healthy most of the time.  Well, I'm sure you can appreciate that this lovely cake fits in the "occasional treat" category here at Eat Little, Eat Big.  Last month I joined an adventuresome group of bloggers who try monthly challenges to expand our culinary aperture and to get out of our comfort zone.  Catherine of Munchie Musings was our November Daring Bakers’ host and she challenged us to make a traditional Filipino dessert – the delicious Sans Rival cake!

This cake is based on what I perceive to be fairly traditional French pastry principles:  layers of dacquoise (nut meringues) held together with a decadent butter cream frosting.  Using a sharp serrated knife, I sliced the Sans Rival into very thin slices, getting about 24 slices from the cake.  I wrapped each in wax paper and then froze in a freezer bag.   We enjoyed a piece of cake when it was made and then another one later in the week.  I took some pieces to a dinner party where it was well received.   It freezes very well and I'm patting myself on the back here that we didn't eat it all over the course of a couple of days!

Two of the four dacquoise layers

Building the cake

Finished Sans Rival Cake

Catherine gave us options for the cake (adding in cocoa for a chocolate version) but I went with the traditional cashew dacquoise and vanilla flavored butter cream frosting.  I do think chocolate meringues with hazelnut or mocha flavored icing would be awesome.  At the dinner party, we were wondering if you could use Nutella!?

Yield: 12-24 slices (depending on how you slice it)

Time: About 2-3 hours (I used disposable 9" cake tins so I could cook all the layers at once)

Ingredients:

Dacquoise

• 10 large egg whites, room temp
• 1 cup white granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 2 cups chopped, toasted cashews (divided)
• Parchment paper, butter and flour for pan(s)

Butter cream frosting

• 5 large egg yolks, room temperature
• 1 cup white granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup water
• 1¼ cup (2½ sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1½ teaspoon vanilla extract (I would add another 1/2 tsp next time)
• Raspberries for decorating (optional)

Method:

Dacquoise

Note: You will need four layers which, depending on how many pans you have, you may have to bake in batches. Be sure to use fresh parchment paper and cooled pans for each batch or use disposable pans as I did (still with parchment paper and butter/flour).

• Preheat oven to 325°F.
• Line cake pan bottoms with parchment paper and butter and flour the sides really well.
• In a large clean, dry glass or metal mixing bowl, beat egg whites on medium until foamy (2 mins.). 
• Sprinkle with cream of tartar. Gradually add sugar, a couple of tablespoons at a time, continuing to beat now at high speed until stiff shiny peaks form.  (about 7-10 mins.)
• Fold in 1 1/2 cup of the nuts, reserving the remainder to use for decoration.
• Divide meringue into four equal parts. Spread in pans, evenly to edges. 
• Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove the meringue from the baking pans while still hot; allow to cool slightly. Peel off the parchment paper while it is still warm.
• When cool, trim edges so that all 4 meringue layers are uniformly shaped (serrated knife works best).

Butter cream frosting

• Beat egg yolks at high speed until the yolks have doubled in volume and are a lemon yellow.
• While yolks are beating, put the sugar and water in a heavy pan and cook over medium heat, stirring the sides down until all the sugar is dissolved and the syrup reaches 235°F on a candy thermometer (or thread stage).
• With the mixer on high, very slowly pour the syrup down the sides of the bowl into the egg yolks.  Continue beating on high until the mixture is ROOM TEMPERATURE (about 15 mins). 
• Still on high, beat in the soft, room temperature butter a tablespoon at a time. 
• Add flavoring after you beat in the butter.
• Refrigerate the buttercream for at least an hour, and whip it smooth just before you use it.

Assembly

• Set bottom meringue on serving plate with a dab of butter cream to hold it in place. 
• Spread a thin layer of butter cream and then place another meringue on top. Repeat with a thin layer of butter cream, meringue, thin layer of butter cream, meringue, and finally butter cream the top and sides. 
• Decorate with reserved nuts and raspberries (if using).
• Store in fridge.  
• To freeze, slice into thin pieces, wrap in wax paper and then place in freezer bag.  Stays fresh at least 2 weeks.  Remove from freezer to come to room temp prior to serving.

I really enjoyed this challenge.  If you are interested in more information about the Daring Kitchen challenges, here is the website.

Printable recipe