Armenian Nutmeg Cake

Armenian cuisine is as ancient as the history of Armenia, a combination of different tastes and aromas. The food often has quite a distinct aroma. Closely related to eastern and Mediterranean cuisine, various spices, vegetables, fish, and fruits combine to present unique dishes. The main characteristics of Armenian cuisine are a reliance on the quality of the ingredients rather than heavily spicing food, the use of herbs, the use of wheat in a variety of forms, of legumes, nuts, and fruit (as a main ingredient as well as to sour food), and the stuffing of a wide variety of leaves. Keeping in mind that Armenian cuisine had distinct aroma I have used nutmeg in my cake. Recipe for Armenian nutmeg cake is here as follows:

Preparation Time: 15minutes
Cooking Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 55 minutes to 1 hour

Ingredients:
1 cup (240 ml) milk
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups (280 gm) all-purpose (plain) flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 cups (400 gm) brown sugar, firmly packed
3/4 cup (170 gm) butter, preferably unsalted, cubed
1/2 cup (55 gm) walnut pieces, may need a little more 
1 to 1-1/2 teaspoons ground nutmeg (try to grate it fresh yourself; the aroma is enchanting)
1 egg

Method:
1. Preheat your oven to moderate 175°C.
2. Mix the baking soda (not baking powder; that's for the next step) into the milk. Set it aside. 
3. Sift together the flour and the baking powder into a large bowl. One sift is fine.
4. Add the brown sugar. Go ahead and mix the flour and brown sugar together.
5. Toss  in the cubed butter. Mash the butter with a fork into the dry  ingredients (you can also use your fingers if you want). You'll want to  achieve a more-or-less uniform, tan-colored crumbly mixture. Take HALF  of this resulting crumbly mixture into your springform (9”/23cm) pan.  Press a crust out of it using your fingers and knuckles. It will be  easy.
6. Crack an egg into a mixer or  bowl. Toss the nutmeg in with the egg. Start mixing slowly with a whisk  attachment and then increase to medium speed, or mix with a hand whisk  if you're doing it manually. Once it's mixed well and frothy (about 1  minute using a standing mixer, or about 2-3 minutes of vigorous beating  with a whisk), pour in the milk and baking soda mixture. Continue to mix  until uniform.
7. Pour in the rest of  the crumbly mixture. Mix that well, with either a paddle attachment or a  spatula. Or continue to use the whisk; it won't make much of a  difference since the resulting batter is very runny.
8. Pour the batter over the base in the springform pan. Gently sprinkle the walnut pieces over the batter.
9. Bake  in a preheated moderate oven for about 30-40 minutes. You'll know it's  done when the top is a golden brown, and an inserted toothpick comes out  clean.
10. Allow to cool in the pan, and then release. Enjoy!

Zebra Sponge Cake

One of the simplest, tastiest and family favourite cake of all times, Sponge Cake. A very sturdy butter cake to use under fondant, or you can serve the cake "as is" at tea time. I have added a twist to my cake by making it zebra cake by adding 2 different colors. This made my cake colorful and kids love it too!

Ingredients: 175 grams butter, room temperature 2cups caster sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla essence 3 eggs, room temperature 3cups all purpose flour 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon baking soda 30 ml milk, room temperature 1 teaspoon red food color 1 teaspoon yellow food color 3/4th cup heavy cream Method: 1.Heat oven to 190 degree Celsius. Grease and flour one 8 inch round cake tin. 2.Place the butter, sugar, heavy cream and vanilla essence into a bowl and beat well to a creamy consistency (about 5 minutes). 3.Slowly beat in the eggs, one by one, then fold in the flour and baking powder,baking soda and mix well. Add the milk give it a nice stir. 4.Now divide the batter into 2 equal portions. In one portion add red color and in other portion add yellow color. 5.Now in greased tin first add 1tablespoon of red color batter and let it settle for 30seconds then 1 tablespoon of yellow color batter and again wait for 30seconds till it spreads evenly. In same way pour the entire batter putting alternatively both the batters till they get over. 6.Slowly place the cake tin into the oven and bake for about 20 mins until risen and golden brown. 7.The cakes should spring back when gently pushed in the middle. When ready, remove from the oven and allow to cool for 5 mins in the tin, before turning out onto a wire rack and cooling completely. For eggless version, Try using 1/2 cup curd (instead of eggs), add 1 teaspoon soda, increase milk to 50 ml (its 30 ml in the recipe) rest all remains same.