Dundee cake is a famous traditional Scottish fruit cake with a rich royal flavour. The cake is often made with currants, sultanas, almonds and fruit peel while the top of the cake is typically decorated with a crown of golden almonds.
The cake has royal Scottish roots as apparently Mary Queen of Scots disliked glacé cherries in her cakes, so this style of cake was made using blanched almonds instead of cherries.
In fact, the current queen of Scots, Queen Elizabeth II, is said to also like a slice of Dundee cake at tea-time. Ths delicious cake keeps very well in an airtight tin and is the perfect thing to keep you going on a chilly autumn day.
Recipe
Ingredients
8oz / 225g flour
6oz / 170g butter
5oz / 140g sugar (granulated or caster)
4 eggs
1oz / 28g blanched almonds
1½oz / 45g mixed peel
6oz / 170g currants
6oz / 170g raisins
6oz / 170g sultanas
Grated rind and juice of 1 lemon
1 level tsp baking powder
1 tbsp sugar in 2 tbsp boiled milk
Splash of whisky (1-2 tbsp)
Preheat the oven to: 325° F / 170° C / gas mark 3
Method:
Cream the butter and sugar in a bowl.
When it is white and creamy, slowly and individually add the four eggs, plus a spoonful of flour with each, beating well at all times.
Stir in the nuts and fruits. Add the rest of the flour (already sifted with the baking powder) and add the whisky. Stir the mixture well. Add a little milk to loosen if it’s too stiff.
Place mixture in a greased and lined 8 inch cake tin. Flatten the top with slightly wet hands. Cover with foil or greaseproof paper and bake for two hours.
Halfway through, take off the foil and arrange the split almonds in concentric circles on the top.
Towards the end of cooking check the cake by inserting a knife into the middle – if it is still wet, put it back for a little longer.
5-10 minutes before baking is finished, brush the top with the sweetened milk to create a dry glaze.Keep in the tin for 15 minutes before turning out on a wire rack. Now prepare a pot of your favourite tea, dig out your finest teacups, cut a slice of warm Dundee cake and taste the history!
