Dundee Cake

The Scottish Dundee cake is a traditional light fruit cake that’s perfect with a cup of tea!

what is dundee cake?

As the story goes, the Dundee cake was created in the late 1700s by the Dundee based company Keiller, as a sideline to their very successful marmalade making business. The original recipe contained only sultanas and naturally, lots of orange peel.

I’m not a big fan of peel but I love citrus, so my version of this timeless fruit cake has orange and lemon zest, plus a few spoonfuls of orange marmalade.

The original recipe didn’t include cherries – apparently Mary Queen of Scots wasn’t a fan!  I however love them in fruit cake so I include them. If you would rather stick to tradition, just omit them and add another 50g sultanas.

Dundee cake isn’t as rich as a Christmas fruit cake – think buttery, light sponge studded with juicy, whisky soaked dried fruits and topped with crunchy almonds. No wonder it’s still going strong – it’s a fabulous cake.

If you were planning a Scottish themed afternoon tea party, you couldn’t go far wrong with this fruit cake, a plate of empire biscuits and a batch of traditional Scottish tablet.

So what are you waiting for?  Get the kettle on and let’s enjoy a slice of this delicious Dundee cake!

More Classic Cake Recipes…

Victoria Sponge Cake

Lemon Drizzle Cake

Gingerbread Loaf Cake

Coconut and Raspberry Jam Loaf Cake

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Dundee Cake

This traditional Scottish fruit cake is packed with dried fruit and topped with blanched almonds. Delicious with a cup of tea!

Course Dessert

Keyword Dundee Cake

Prep Time 15 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes

Author Nickki Thompson

Ingredients

• Deep 20cm round cake tin buttered and the bottom and sides lined with baking paper
• For soaking the fruits: optional
• 75 ml whisky or orange juice
• 175 g sultanas
• 175 g raisins
• 50 g cherries rinsed and halved
• 150 g soft butter
• 150 g caster sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 250 g plain flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• Zest of one lemon
• Zest of one orange
• 3 tbsp orange marmalade
• 50 g ground almonds
• 50 g whole blanched almonds

Instructions

• Grease and line a deep 20cm round cake tin, making sure the baking paper comes above the top of the cake tin by about 4cm.  
• Preheat the oven to 180C/150C fan.
• In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.

  Slowly add the eggs, one at a time and beating well after each addition.

  Sift together the flour and baking powder and fold into the creamed mixture.

  Fold in the soaked dried fruits, lemon and orange zest, orange marmalade and ground almonds.

  Pour the mixture into your lined cake tin and decorate the top with the blanched almonds.
• Bake for 1 hour 30 minutes – 2 hours (start checking the cake after 1 hour 30 – mine was ready after 1 hour 40) or until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean.

  Leave to cool completely in the tin.