Traditional Scottish Dundee Cake Recipe| Dundee Cake (2024)

By Debjani Chatterjee Alam 1 Comment

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Whenever I think about Dundee cake it reminds me of the Christmas offering by Flury's a cult eatery in Kolkata. In my Central Kolkata residence, Baba used to bring it along with the rich fruit cakes from Nahaums. Not that, I was aware of the difference between a traditional Dundee cake and Fruit Cake then but I used to like the Dundee cake for the simple decoration with blanched almonds always over a typicalfruitcake. Yes, it was solely for decoration; a light fruit cake with flower decorations with almonds over the top!

Traditional Scottish Dundee Cake Recipe| Dundee Cake (1)
Jump to:
  • Difference between Dundee Cake and Fruit Cake
  • Traditional Scottish Dundee Cake - History
  • What makes it special?
  • Recipe Tips
  • Christmas Recipes
  • Let's connect!
  • A Dundee Cake Pin for your Pinterest board?

Difference between Dundee Cake and Fruit Cake

I came to know about the difference after many years when I started baking. In fact, when I was in Gurgaon a friend requested me to bake her an authentic Dundee cake. Since then I bake it every year. I have tried several recipes and obviously searched a bit for the famous Dundee cake and yes some interesting history exists!

Traditional Scottish Dundee Cake - History

As the story goes, this particular variety is invented by Scottish bakers and probably prepared first keeping in mind the preferences ofMary, Queen of Scots who reigned in Scotland back in the 16th Century. It is said that she didn't like Glazed Cherries and hence a light fruitcake was prepared for her devoid of cherries and specifically with blanched Almonds and named Dundee Cake. This cake, however, was named after the Keilers of Dundee when it was made commercially first in the 19th century. At this time, however, they started incorporating Glazed Cherries while baking the cake.

What makes it special?

Traditional Dundee Cake is actually a form of light fruit cake, decorated with Blanched Almonds on the top and is a very good alternative totypical rich fruit cake. Another important thing about the recipe is there is no need to soak dry fruits in alcohol to make this version of fruitcake. This means this is actually a type of last-minute Christmas cake!

Recipe Tips

Finally coming to the traditional Dundee Cake recipe, calls for Almonds, Sultana, and a few dry fruits. I, however, followed a recipe from The Evening Independent (1936) and it came out amazing! They took the recipe from the Boston School Cook Book. Now with little alteration, I follow that recipe to make my Cake.

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Traditional Scottish Dundee Cake! Recipe and beyond!

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  • Author: Debjani Chatterjee Alam
  • Total Time: 2 hours 5 mins
  • Yield: 20 Servings 1x
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Description

Traditional Scottish Dundee Cake is a light Fruit cake variety that does not require soaking the dry fruits in alcohol for months and is ideal for last-minute Christmas Baking

Ingredients

UnitsScale

To make the Cake:

  • 225g All-Purpose Flour (1 and a half Cup)
  • 1 Tsp. Baking Powder
  • 4 Egg
  • 175g White Butter
  • 150g Brown Sugar
  • 50g Candied Peel (Orange and Lemon)
  • 100g Raisin
  • 100g Currents
  • 100g Sultana
  • 50g Glazed Cherries
  • 4 Tbsp. Whiskey
  • 4 Tbsp. Orange Juice

For the Glaze:

  • 100g Almond
  • ½ cup Milk
  • 1 Tbsp. Castor Sugar

Instructions

Traditional Scottish Dundee Cake Recipe| Dundee Cake (6)

  1. Take Almonds in a bowl and pour boiling water over the almonds and cover the bowl for 5 minutes.
  2. After 5 minutes take the almonds out and rub them using your hands to peel the skin.
  3. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C for 10 minutes.
  4. Line a Round cake tin with Parchment paper.
  5. Sift Baking Powder and Flour together twice.
  6. Take Butter at room temperature in a bowl and start beating it to cream.
  7. Add Brown Sugar and beat till the sugar dissolves completely.
  8. Now add Eggs one by one and mix using the beater.
  9. Start incorporating the Flour into three batches and mix lightly following the cut and fold method.
  10. Now add Candid Peel (Orange and Lemon), Raisin, Currents, Sultana, Glazed Cherries, Whiskey, and Orange Juice, and mix.
  11. The mixture should be of pouring consistency.*
  12. Pour the mixture into the prepared cake tin.
  13. Bake the Cake for 45 minutes at 150 decree C and take it out of the oven.
  14. Decorate the top of the cake with Blanched Almonds in a way to create a floral design.
  15. Again bake the cake at 150 degrees C or at the lowest temperature of your oven for 1 hour or till the cake is browned from the top and cooked from inside.
  16. Take the cake out of the oven.
  17. Boil the Milk along with the Castor Sugar and brush the cake with the mixture.
  18. Bake the cake again for 2-3 minutes at 180 Degrees C and take it out of the oven.
  19. Cool the Dundee cake on the wire rack and cover it with Parchment paper and wait for 2-3 days before serving it.

Notes

  • If you want to make Alcohol free version of the Dundee cake, just replace Whiskey with an equal amount of Orange Juice.
  • If not available replace Sultana with an equal quantity of Current.
  • Baking time varies from Oven to Oven, keep that in consideration while baking the cake.
  • This cake requires slow baking.
  • Prep Time: 15 mins
  • Cook Time: 1 hour 50 mins
  • Category: Cake
  • Method: baking
  • Cuisine: Scottish

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 100g
  • Calories: 217
  • Sugar: 14g
  • Sodium: 24mg
  • Fat: 10.5g
  • Saturated Fat: 4.9g
  • Carbohydrates: 26.6g
  • Fiber: 1.3g
  • Protein: 3.9g
  • Cholesterol: 51mg

Recipe Card powered byTraditional Scottish Dundee Cake Recipe| Dundee Cake (7)

Christmas Recipes

  • Eggnog (also known as Christmas special Egg Punch)
  • Indian Christmas Cake (also known as Rich Fruit Cake | Indian Fruitcake Recipe)
  • How to make Rum soaked Dry Fruits for Christmas cake!
  • Anglo-Indian Bread and Butter Pudding
  • Orange and Herb Roasted Chicken and Vegetables (also known as chicken roast aka Roast Chicken)
  • Mulled Wine!
  • Bengali Basanti Pulao (also known as Bengali Holud Pulao Recipe | Bhoger Misti Pulao)
  • Kolkata Mutton Biryani (also known as Calcutta Biryani)
  • Kosha Mangsho (also known as Bengali Mutton Kasha)
  • Pork Tenderloin with Creamy Mushroom Sauce
  • Anglo-Indian Pork Meatball Curry
  • Pandi Curry (also known as Coorgi Pork a.k.a. Kodava style pork)
  • Kerala style Pomfret Fry (also known as Kerala Fish Fry)
  • Dhakai Morog Pulao (also known as Sahi Morog Pulao)

By the way, I hope the question I asked, whether Dundee Cake is a substitute for the Rich Fruit Cake is answered!

Merry Christmas Friends!

Let's connect!

I would love to see a picture if you are making the prawns following my recipe. You can share here at dolonchttrj@gmail.com. You can use my hashtag #debjanirrannaghar and share it through Instagram as well. and in addition, you can tag me at@foodofdebjani.

A Dundee Cake Pin for your Pinterest board?

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About Debjani Chatterjee Alam

I am Debjani Chatterjee Alam. A CSR specialist by profession and a food writer, food blogger, and food photographer as well. I live in Kolkata along with my Husband Mehebub who is an architect by profession, my daughter Pasta, and also my dog daughters Coffee and Luchi.

Learn more about me →

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Comments

  1. anindya sundar basu says

    Wow this looks so wonderful. When am I getting some ? Great work

    Reply

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Traditional Scottish Dundee Cake Recipe| Dundee Cake (2024)

FAQs

What is special about Dundee cake? ›

Dundee Cake had strong association to the geographical area through the marmalade makers Keillers of Dundee. Keillers used their surplus orange peel from their marmalade production to create the Dundee Cake. The cake was made as a rich buttery sultana cake flavoured with orange peel and almonds.

What is the difference between a fruitcake and a Dundee cake? ›

A classic Dundee cake is a round fruitcake. I prefer it to its distant American cousin, the Christmas fruitcake, in part because it's lighter and butterier. It's typically made with moist raisins and orange peel and topped by pretty concentric circles of whole blanched almonds.

Why is my Dundee cake dry? ›

A dry cake is usually the result of one of the following pitfalls: using the wrong ingredients, making mistakes while measuring or mixing the batter, or baking the cake too long or at too high a temperature. Once you understand which common cake-baking blunders to avoid, you'll know how to bake a moist cake every time.

What is Scotland's national cake? ›

Dundee Cake is one of the most famous and widespread traditional Scottish cakes. Usually, it is being made using almonds, currants, sultanas and sometimes cherries, alongside a wide range of...

What is the most popular cake in Scotland? ›

Today, Dundee cake remains one of the most popular Scottish food and drink specialties – alongside shortbread, whisky and black pudding. It is said that the cake was originally made for Mary Queen of Scots in the 16th century.

What is the most loved cake in the world? ›

Chocolate Cake

You've guessed it right! Chocoholics' favorite dense and moist chocolate cake ranks top of the list. Glazing the cake with a thick chocolate ganache is one of the most popular ways to enjoy this dessert!

Why was fruitcake outlawed? ›

Fruitcakes were so rich, they were considered sinful and were outlawed in Europe in the early 18th century. Restrictions eased later in the century.

How long does Dundee cake keep? ›

Dundee cake does not keep like a rich fruitcake. It will keep for a week or so wrapped and stored in an airtight tin, but if you want to keep it longer, I would freeze it, preferably on the day that it's baked.

What is the oldest fruitcake ever found? ›

Even older is the fruitcake left behind in Antarctica by the explorer Robert Falcon Scott in 1910. But the honor for the oldest known existing fruitcake goes to one that was baked in 1878 when Rutherford B. Hayes was president of the United States.

Why did my Dundee cake sink in the middle? ›

Cakes sink in the middle due to several reasons. One reason is that the cake batter might be too moist, causing it to collapse during baking. Another reason could be that the oven temperature is too low, leading to uneven baking. Opening the oven door too frequently while baking can also cause cakes to sink.

What is the traditional Scottish wedding cake? ›

A rich fruit cake, encased in marzipan and royal icing, is a classic choice for a Scottish wedding. This hearty cake, often made months in advance, is a testament to the lasting nature of the couple's commitment.

Is Dundee cake the same as Christmas cake? ›

A Dundee cake makes a lighter take on the traditional Christmas cake. It's a less rich, crumblier alternative to the hefty traditional Christmas cake.

What is the most famous sweet from Scotland? ›

Shortbread - A Biscuit for All Occasions

Of all the Scottish sweets, shortbread has perhaps the broadest appeal. Its humble ingredients belie its rich taste and historical significance.

What is the most popular sweet in Scotland? ›

Shortbread, the quintessential Scottish sweet treat, is an expertly crafted biscuit comprised of copious amounts of butter. Nothing tops that feeling when a good piece of it crumbles and melts in your mouth. Whether homemade or from a tin, just a sparkle of sugar on top makes this delight go down even better.

What is the famous drink in Scotland? ›

WHAT IS SCOTLAND'S NATIONAL DRINK? Whisky! (Although IRN BRU likes to think of itself as Scotland's 'other national drink' too).

What is the rarest cake in the world? ›

The "Diamond Cake" by Debbie Wingham - Price: $75 million

An amalgamation of luxury and confectionary art, it's embedded with more than 4000 diamonds, including pink, yellow, and white ones, making it not just a cake but a jewelled masterpiece. It's no wonder it holds the crown for the most expensive cake in the world!

What is Dundee famous for? ›

Dundee's nickname is the 'City of Discovery', owing to its previous industrial business, it was known as the 'City of Jute, Jam and Journalism'. In 2014, Dundee was recognised by the United Nations as the UK's first-ever UNESCO City of Design. The city has a population of around 150,000 people.

What is the meaning of Dundee cake? ›

/dʌnˈdiː ˌkeɪk/ a cake containing dried fruit, usually with almonds (= a type of nut) on the top of it.

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