Armenian Nutmeg or Sweetheart Cake

This cake is very versatile, and was one that my mum used as her standby for most occasions. t's not chocolate (perfect for those who aren't into chocolate), it looks like it should be healthy because its a light brown colour, it's freezable if wrapped in foil, and it's really easy.

I think it was originally a Women's Weekly recipe, but it has been made in our house by rote for so long that its real origins are lost in the mists of time. I did see a very similar recipe (with cinnamon instead of nutmeg) appear in a magazine when Princess Mary of Denmark was married as "Sweetheart Cake" - which was apparently their wedding cake, as it was her favourite at a cafe in Tasmania...? Some tantalizing references, but no recipe can be found here. So I guess you could also bake it in a love-heart cake tin, though I haven't actually tried this.

Equipment:

• Large bowl
• Small bowl
• 8' square cake tin (24cm)
• 1 Cup measure
• 1 Tsp measure
• Knife
• Chopping board
• Cup
• Fork
• Wooden spoon
• Plate
• Cooling rack
• Food processor - optional
• Some greaseproof paper or kitchen towel for preparing your cake tin

Ingredients:

• 2 cups brown sugar
• 2 cups self-raising flour
• 125g butter (1/2 a packet/block)
• 1 tsp bicarb soda - this is the only thing that needs careful measurement, so make sure you scrape it level across the top of your teaspoon measure.
• 1 cup milk
• 1 tsp nutmeg (or cinnamon for 'sweetheart cake' or mixed spice for a more dutch flavour)
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup walnuts
• Some margarine & extra flour to prepare your cake tin

Method:

• Turn your oven on to a moderate temperature - 180 celsius or 350 fahrenheit.
• Combine sugar & flour in the large bowl.
• Cut up the butter into cubes (roughly 1cm each-ish).
• Rub the butter and flour-sugar mix through your fingers, until it resembles breadcrumbs. You are basically squishing the butter with the flour-sugar mix between the pads of your thumbs and fingertips. Or you can do this in the food processor if you like.
• At this point you'll need to grease and flour your cake tin. Basically, grab some margarine with some greaseproof paper. Then rub the margarine onto the inside surface of the tin - the inside base and the sides - making sure you get into the corners. It shouldn't be very thick, just like a smear on all the inside surfaces. Then put some flour into the bottom of the pan and shake it around until you have flour over all the inside surfaces of the tin. Do this over the sink, so as not to get flour everywhere. Turn it upside down and give it a sharp smack on the outside to make sure you don't have too much flour in there. The inside should now be line with a thin coating of flour, which will make the cake easier to get out.
• Place roughly half the mixture in the bottom of the cake tin, and smooth it out relatively evenly with the fork, but don't press it down. This makes a nice sugary crunchy layer on the bottom.
• In the small bowl dissolve the bicarb soda in the milk. 
• In the cup beat the egg with the fork, and add it, along with the nutmeg, to the milk mixture.
• Combine the milk mixture in the small bowl with the other half of the butter-flour-sugar mixture, and stir well with the wooden spoon.
• Chop up the walnuts into small pieces about 3-4mm each.
• Pour the wet mixture into the cake tin, then sprinkle with the chopped walnuts.
• Put into the oven and set your alarm for 1 hour.
• Take the cake out of the oven, but leave it in the tin for 15 minutes.
• Run a knife around the edge of the cake. Place the plate on top of the cake tin, and turn the cake upside down. It should come out easily as you greased and floured the tin. Now place the cooling rack on the base of the cake - it is upside down at this point - and flip the cake again. Leave it to cool completely (though it is yummy warm too).