Laurie Colwin's Nutmeg Cake

Total Time: 1 hr 10 mins Preparation Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 50 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 10
• 1/2 cup cold butter
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cups firmly packed dark brown sugar
• 4 teaspoons freshly grated nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 egg
• 1 cup yogurt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Recipe

• 1 butter the sides only of a 10-inch springform pan.
• 2 preheat the oven to 350 degrees f.
• 3 in a large mixing bowl, combine the butter, cut into 6-8 pieces, with the flour and dark brown sugar. using a pastry blender, cut the butter into the flour and sugar until the mixture resembles fine meal.
• 4 measure out 2 1/2 cups of this mixture and spread it evenly in the bottom of the prepared pan. with your hand flat, firmly compress the mixture evenly into the bottom of the pan.
• 5 add the spices to the remaining dry ingredients.
• 6 mix well.
• 7 in a small bowl stir the egg and yogurt together to mix well.
• 8 with a wooden spoon, stir the wet mixture into the dry mixture.
• 9 sprinkle the baking soda over the surface of the batter and gently but thoroughly stir it inches.
• 10 spread this batter over the mixture that was pressed into the bottom of the pan.
• 11 with a rubber spatula smooth the top of the batter.
• 12 scatter the walnuts on top.
• 13 bake in a preheated 350 oven for 50-55 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean and the sides of the cake have shrunk slightly away from the pan.
• 14 cool in the pan, on a rack, for 5 minutes.
• 15 then slide a knife around the edge of the cake to be sure it's not stuck.
• 16 remove the sides of the pan and cool cake completely.