Dundee Cake

By: Chaitra

Created: 02/06/2025 03:12

Last modified: 07/26/2025 06:30

Dundee Cake is a traditional Scottish fruit cake known for its rich, buttery texture and classic flavor combination of raisins, currants, cherries, citrus zest, and almonds. Topped with a signature ring of blanched almonds, it’s a timeless cake perfect for tea or festive occasions.

Ingredients

225 g butter
225 g castor sugar
3 eggs
350 g plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
110 g raisins
110 g golden raisins
110 g currants
75 g chopped glacé cherries
50 g chopped mixed peel
50 g ground almonds
Grated rind of 1 lemon
1 tsp cherry essence (or almond essence)
3 tbsp blanched almonds (for topping)

Instructions

Prepare the cake tin: Grease and line an 18 cm round cake tin with parchment paper. Set aside.
Mix the dry fruits: In a large mixing bowl, combine raisins, golden raisins, currants, glacé cherries, mixed peel, and ground almonds. Toss gently to mix evenly.
Cream the butter and sugar: In another bowl, beat the butter until soft and creamy. Add the castor sugar and grated lemon rind, then continue beating until the mixture becomes light and fluffy.
Incorporate the eggs: In a separate bowl, lightly beat the eggs. Gradually add them to the creamed butter-sugar mixture, a little at a time, beating well after each addition to prevent curdling.
Add dry ingredients and flavoring: Sift together the plain flour and baking powder. Fold them gently into the creamed mixture using a spatula. Add the cherry essence (or almond essence) and the prepared dried fruit mixture. Mix until just combined — do not overmix.
Prepare for baking: Spoon the batter into the prepared cake tin, spreading it evenly. Make a slight hollow in the center to ensure even rising. Decorate the top with blanched almonds arranged in a circular pattern.
Bake the cake: Place the tin in a preheated oven at 325°F (160°C) and bake for 2½ to 3 hours, or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.
Cool the cake: Let the cake cool in the tin for about 15 minutes before gently turning it out onto a wire rack. Allow it to cool completely before slicing.