Nutmeg Raisin Coffee Cake

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The flavor of fresh nutmeg permeates this easy coffee cake. The aroma and flavor of fresh-grated nutmeg is far superior to the pre-ground spice in the grocery store. I use a nutmeg grater, but a fine-gauge microplane will also work. Whole nutmegs are readily available in most large markets. The cake is quite tasty on its own. However, if you want to add more decadence, drizzle with a simple vanilla icing, as shown in the photo.

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Ingredients

  • OPTIONAL ICING:
  • 1 cup raisins
  • 2 cups light brown sugar
  • 2 cups flour
  • 1/2 cup (1 stick or 4 ounces) cold butter, cut into cubes
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 1 egg, lightly beaten
  • 1 teaspoon fresh-grated nutmeg
  • 1/4 cup fine-chopped pecans
  • .................................................
  • 1 cup confectioners' sugar (powdered sugar)
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1-2 Tablespoons (about) milk or cream

Preparation

Step 1

Cover raisins with hot water and soak for 15 minutes to plump them. Drain and pat dry on paper towels.

Preheat oven to 325 F. Line a 9 x 13-inch baking pan with nonstick foil.

Combine brown sugar, flour, butter, and salt in a food processor, pulsing only until crumbly. Do not over process. (Alternatively, you may use a pastry blender or your fingertips to mix.)

Place 2 cups of the flour mixture in the bottom of the prepared baking pan, setting aside the rest. Press down into an even layer with a spatula. Sprinkle with the raisins.

Whisk baking soda into the sour cream.

Combine remaining flour mixture with the sour cream, egg, and nutmeg. Drop by the tablespoon and spread evenly over the raisins. Sprinkle with chopped pecans.

Bake for 50 to 60 minutes. Cool nutmeg coffee cake before adding any icing or cutting to serve.

OPTIONAL ICING:

Whisk together confectioners' sugar, vanilla, and milk or cream to a thick, but drippable consistency. Scrape into a small zip-top bag, squeeze out the air, and seal. Snip a small corner from the bag. Drizzle icing in a zig-zag pattern across the top.

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REVIEWS:

An easy, flavorful cake. I must be a glutton for punishment. I read the prior review, but since I just bought a new nutmeg grater and whole nutmegs, I had to try this. Glad I did. The favor of fresh grated nutmeg is wonderful. Maybe the prior reviewer mis-measured or skipped the part about dividing the flour/butter/brown sugar mixture, because I had plenty of batter for the top. I did substitute the larger plump raisins for the traditional ones because I'm a raisin-lover. I skipped the icing and it was just fine, but I think I may try it next time. Thnx for a great recipe using my new nutmeg grater.

Decent, but needs modifications. If you follow the recipe exactly, you won't have enough dough for the second layer. In order to make this work, I had to quickly mix up a new batch of dough with c. 1 cup flour, 1/2 c sugar, 1/2 stick of butter, 1/2 c sour cream, 1 small egg, and a pinch of baking soda to cover the bare 1/3 of the cake! I also recommend mixing the nutmeg into the dry ingredients, so it will mix better throughout the cake, and adding a bit of cinnamon. Aside from these modifications, it was a decent recipe.













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