Dundee Cake
Dundee Cake
Dundee Cake: Below is a traditional recipe for Dundee Cake, followed by a few variations. Dundee cake is a rich, fruity cake topped with almonds.
Dundee cake is often served at christamas and is often refered to a "Scottish Christmas Cake". It became extremely popular at the end of the 19th century when Christmas became the festival we know today! What makes Dundee cake unique is the use of whisky but you may use another spirit if you prefer.
Obviously the recipe originates in Dundee, Scotland. It is a light fruit cake and crumbles easily. Tthe traditional recipe (below) contains candied peel, sultanas, currants, cherries and almonds whereas more modern recipes for Dundee Cake include raisins and additional flavorings such as cinnamon and mixed spice. If you have an intolerance to nuts these may be excluded but I feel that by doing this the resulting cake would not be a Dundee Cake.
The picture to the right shows a cake as it should appear just after removal from the oven. The image is from Delia Smiths excellent Dundee Cake Recipe which can be viewed online by visiting: http://www.deliaonline.com/recipes/traditional-dundee-cake,1218,RC.html This recipe follows the traditional rather closely and excludes the spices of modern recipes.
Most modern recipes use other spirits such as rum and brandy or even sherry. While this can result in excellent results you must really use a good quality Scottish whisky to experience the true traditional flavor of the Dundee Cake. Personally I like the flavor of whisky, it always reminds me of Christmas. This may be due to my early life and others may find that the spirit that most reminds them of Christmas is brandy but believe me a Dundee Cake taste far better using WHISKY !!!
Below is a traditional recipe followed by two modern recipes:
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Dundee Cake Recipe 1
Dundee Cake Ingredients
| Imperial | Metric | American | |
| Sultanas | 8 oz | 225 g | 2 cups |
| Currants | 8 oz | 225 g | 2 cups |
| Mixed peel | 3 oz | 75 g | ½ cup |
| Butter | 6 oz | 150 g | ¾ cup |
| Sugar | 6 oz | 150 g | ¾ cup |
| Small eggs | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| Ground almonds | 1 tbsp | 1 tbsp | 1 tbsp |
| Glace cherries | 3 oz | 75 g | ½ cup |
| Lemon | ½ | ½ | ½ |
| Plain Flour | 8 oz | 225 g | 2 cups |
| Baking powder | 1 tbsp | 1 tbsp | 1 tbsp |
| Brandy | 1 tbsp | 1 tbsp | 1 tbsp |
| Blanched split almonds | 1 oz | 25 g | 2 tbsp |
| Milk or whisky (or mix) | 2 tbsp | 2 tbsp | 2 tbsp |
Method:
Several hours before making the cake, put the dried fruit and peel into a casserole dish. Cover and heat through in a slow oven for about 20 minutes. Stir occasionally until completely cold before using. Cream the butter well with the sugar. Add the eggs one at a time, alternating with a good sprinkle of flour and beating continuously. Stir in the ground almonds, and add the dried fruits, peel, cherries and lemon rind and juice along with a pinch of salt. Mix the remaining flour with the baking powder, blend into the mixture and finally stir in the brandy.
Turn into an 8 in/20 cm cake tin that has been greased and lined with non-stick baking parchment. Cover with foil and bake at 300 °F/150 °C/Gas Mark 2 for about 21/2 hours. Half way through cooking time, remove the foil on top and scatter over the split almonds. Test with a skewer before removing from the oven and, five minutes before it is ready, brush the top with milk, boiled with one tablespoon sugar, then return to the oven to finish cooking.
Do not remove from the tin until cold.
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Dundee Cake Recipe 2 (Modern)
Dundee Cake Ingredients
| Imperial | Metric | American | |||
| Sultanas | 6 oz | 150 g | ¾ cup | ||
| Currants | 6 oz | 150 g | ¾ cup | ||
| Raisins | 6 oz | 150 g | ¾ cup | ||
| Mixed peel (candied) | 4 oz | 100 g | ½ cup | ||
| Butter | 8 oz | 200 g | 2 Sticks | ||
| Sugar | 9 oz | 225 g | 1 cup + 1 tbsp |
||
| Eggs | 4 | 4 | 4 | ||
| Ground almonds | 2 oz | 50 g | 2 tbsps | ||
| Self Raising Flour | 12 oz | 300 g | 2 cups | ||
| Lemon (grated rind of) | 1 | 1 | 1 | ||
| Orange (grated rind of) | 1 | 1 | 1 | ||
| Almonds, blanched & halved | 2 oz | 50 g | ¼ cup | ||
| Brandy or Rum | 2 tbsps | 2 tbsps | 2 tbsps | ||
| Milk | 2 tbsp | 2 tbsp | 2 tbsp | ||
| Pinch of salt |
Method:
I don't know what happened to the cherries in this recipe? However it makes an excellent cake, especially for christmas or another special occasion.
Cream together the butter and sugar adding in the rind of the orange and lemon. The resulting mixture should be light and fluffy. Gently add the ground almonds.
To ensure fluffiness sift the flour and salt twice. Put all of the dried fruit and peel into a bowl and dust with 50 grams of the flour mix ensuring an even covering.
Start to add the eggs to the butter mix beating the mix while adding. Add the eggs slowly ensuring that they are completely mixed in before adding some more. Gently fold in about half of the remaining flour then slowly fold in the fruit followed by the last of the flour. Finally you can add the chosen spirit.
Prepare a 20cm (8inch) round cake tin by greasing it and lining it. Spoon in the mixture and smooth the surface. Onto the surface place the blanched almonds (after dipping them into the milk) arranging them in circles as shown in the picture at the top of the page.
Bake the cake on the centre shelf of a preheated 325° F (170 C°/Gas mark 3), for two to two and a half hours. The cake is cooked when a small skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
Cool in the tin for 10 minutes then turn out on to a wire rack and leave until cold.
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Dundee Cake Recipe 3 (Modern)
Dundee Cake Ingredients
| Metric | |
| Sultanas | 200 g |
| Currants | 480 g |
| Raisins | 200 g |
| Cherries | 100 g |
| Mixed peel (candied) | 100 g |
| Butter or Margarine | 200 g |
| Demerara sugar | 200 g |
| Black Treacle | 1 tbsp |
| Eggs | 4 |
| Plain Flour | 300 g |
| Lemon (grated rind of) | 1 |
| Almonds, blanched & halved | 100 g |
| Brandy, Sherry or milk | 4 tbsps |
| Salt | ½ teaspoon |
| Cinnamon | 1 teaspoon |
| Mixed Spice | 1 teaspoon |
Method:
This recipe varies greatly from the traditional and I think you will find that the resulting cake is both darker, heavier and more fruity than your traditional Dundee Cake..
You should micx together the spices, flour and salt and sieve twice. Separately you should mix together the fruit, cherries, rind and peel and half of the almonds (chopped finely). In a separate container mix or whisk together the eggs with your chosen liquid (brandy, sherry or milk).
Place the butter/margarine into a large bowl cream and mix in the sugar and treacle until soft and smooth. Then blend in a little of the flour mix followed by a little of the egg mix and continue alternately until all are mixed together. Finally fold in the fruit.
As in the above recipe prepare a 20cm (8inch) round cake tin by greasing it and lining it. Spoon in the mixture and smooth the surface. Onto the surface place the blanched almonds (after dipping them into the milk) arranging them in circles as shown in the picture at the top of the page.
Bake for 3.5 hours at 300-350f 170c for first 1.5 hours, then reduce to 275-300f 150c for the remainder of the time.
The cake is cooked when a small skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
Cool in the tin for 10 minutes then turn out on to a wire rack and leave until cold.
If I find any further Dundee Cake recipes of note I will add them here. You should try all of them and make your decisions as to which is your prefered recipe.
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