Dundee Cake is a famous traditional Scottish fruit cake which is intensely flavorful and though popular throughout the year as a tea cake is especially popular come Christmas time.
Ever since I began reading the English writer, Hazel Holt in her novels featuring Mrs. Mallory in which she'd always find time to bake Dundee cakes in the middle of solving village crimes, I've been baking Dundee cakes and loving them ever since.
The cake is often made with a variety of dried fruits such as currants, golden raisins and almonds as well as candied fruit peels.
The cake originated in 19th century Scotland and was mass produced by the marmalade company, Keiller's and they have since claimed to be the originators of the term "Dundee Cake".
The top of the cake is typically decorated with concentric circles of blanched almonds.
Like all fruit cakes, it is important to bake the cake at a low temperature, no higher than 325 degrees and preferably much lower - I prefer a slow bake at about 300 deg F.
It is so very important to line the pans with parchment paper to prevent the cakes from burning during the long baking time which usually ranges for 2 to 2-1/2 hours.
Unlike regular cakes, simply baking for an hour or so as soon as a skewer comes out clean will not do. The cake needs to be rid of excess moisture in a slow long bake since these cakes are meant to keep over long periods of time in a process called ripening.
In fact, fruitcakes taste better with age!
So never serve the cake straight our of the oven. Keep for a few days so they taste their best which in itself takes all the stress out of it!
Please note that all quantities are by weight. Use a kitchen weighing scale.
6 oz (1-1/2 stick) unsalted butter, softened, 6 oz confectioners (powdered) sugar, 3 tbs orange marmalade, 3 large eggs, 10 oz all purpose flour, 2 oz whole almonds, 1-1/2 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp salt, 6 oz golden raisins, 6 oz currants, 3 oz glazed cherries, halved, 3 oz citron, store-bought - diced, 1 lemon, zest only & 2 tbs orange juice or milk - only if needed to thin batter
Topping - 24 whole almonds, soaked overnight & peeled
Also required is a 8" spring foam pan, non-stick baking spray and parchment paper.
Preheat the oven to 300 deg F
Spray an 8" spring foam pan with non-stick baking spray and double line with parchment paper. Do not omit this step even if your pan is non-stick.
Eggs: Crack in a bowl, discard shells and beat with a fork. Set aside.
Flour mixture: In a bowl sift together all-purpose flour, salt and baking powder.
Dried fruit mixture: Halve the cherries and place in mixing bowl. Add the golden raisins, currants & citron. Stir to combine
Lemon zest : Using a zester (I love my Microplane) for this, add the zest of 1 lemon directly into the dried fruit mixture.
Almonds: In a food processor capable of grinding the nuts fine, grind the almonds as fine as possible and add to the fruit mixture.
Put the softened butter and sugar in a mixing bowl or the bowl of an electric mixer and beat till creamy.
Add the eggs a little at a time & beat them into the creamed butter and sugar. Add the orange marmalade and combine.
Next, in 2-3 batches, carefully add the flour mixture.
Good to know: The batter must be a creamy and a good, soft, dropping consistency so, if it seems too dry, add 1-2 tbs of orange juice.
Now fold in all the dried fruit mixture.
Spoon the mixture into the prepared spring foam pan and with a spatula, smooth it out evenly.
Next arrange the whole almonds in circles on top of the mixture, but do this carefully and lightly; if they are pressed in they will sink during the baking.
Place the cake in the center of the oven and bake for 2-2½ hours or until the center is firm and springy to the touch but also a dark golden brown.
Let it cool
before taking it out of the pan.
To serve: This cake keeps very well in an airtight container. It also need to be kept for a few days before cutting and serving.
Recipe for
Traditional Scottish Dundee Cake
Slightly adapted from Delia Smith's Book of Cakes
Preparation time - 25 minutes
Additional overnight soaking for whole almonds
1 qty 8" cake
Shopping list
Please note that all quantities are by weight. Use a kitchen weighing scale.
6 oz (1-1/2 stick) unsalted butter, softened
6 oz confectioners (powdered) sugar
3 tbs orange marmalade
3 large eggs
10 oz all purpose flour
2 oz whole almonds
1-1/2 tsp baking powder1/2 tsp salt
6 oz golden raisins
6 oz currants
3 oz glazed cherries, halved
3 oz citron, store-bought, diced
1 lemon, zest only2 tbs orange juice or milk - only if needed to thin batter
Topping - 24 whole almonds, soaked overnight & peeled
Also required is a 8" spring foam pan, non-stick baking spray and parchment paper.
Preparation
Preheat the oven to 300 deg F
Spray an 8" spring foam pan with non-stick baking spray and double line with parchment paper. Do not omit this step even if your pan is non-stick.
Eggs: Crack in a bowl, discard shells and beat with a fork. Set aside.
Flour mixture: In a bowl sift together all-purpose flour, salt and baking powder.
Dried fruit mixture: Halve the cherries and place in mixing bowl. Add the golden raisins, currants & citron. Stir to combine
Lemon zest : Using a zester (I love my Microplane) for this, add the zest of 1 lemon directly into the dried fruit mixture.
Almonds: In a food processor capable of grinding the nuts fine, grind the almonds as fine as possible and add to the fruit mixture.
Method:
Put the softened butter and sugar in a mixing bowl or the bowl of an electric mixer and beat till creamy.
Add the eggs a little at a time & beat them into the creamed butter and sugar. Add the orange marmalade and combine.
Next, in 2-3 batches, carefully add the flour mixture.
Good to know: The batter must be a creamy and a good, soft, dropping consistency so, if it seems too dry, add 1-2 tbs of orange juice.
Now fold
in all the dried fruit mixture.
Spoon the mixture into the prepared spring foam pan and with a spatula, smooth it out evenly.
Next arrange the whole almonds in circles on top of the mixture, but do this carefully and lightly; if they are pressed in they will sink during the baking.
Place the cake in the center of the oven and bake for 2-2½ hours or until the center is firm and springy to the touch but also a dark golden brown.
Let it cool
before taking it out of the pan.
To serve: This cake keeps very well in an airtight container. It also need to be kept for a few days before cutting and serving.
