Traditional Dundee Cake Recipe - Scottish Scran (2024)

We think that nearly everyone has seen a picture of a Dundee cake, even if they’ve never looked at a Dundee Cake recipe before.

They may not have realised what they were looking at, but we think they have definitely seen an image of this iconic cake!

The reason for our certainty? The simple almond.

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Every Dundee cake is topped with a stunningly simple circular pattern of almonds that make it stand out in any crowd of cakes!

Okay, so we might be exaggerating slightly, but it is quite hard to miss the timeless nutty design.

What can be overlooked though is quite how tasty this amazing cake is, who apparently had the cake put together in the first place and how simple it is to make for yourself.

Pin for later!

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The History of the Dundee Cake Recipe

The story of the Dundee Cake and the recipes nutty decoration is said to be buried deep in Scottish folklore. Legend says Mary, Queen of Scots herself asked for the recipe to be created. Why? Well, she did not care for glacé cherries so an alternative was requested, and you didn’t say no to a Queen!

The blanched almonds that form circles on the top of every Dundee cake, well that can be said to form a crown, one fitting a queen perhaps?

Like all folklore, the origins of the Dundee Cake recipe should be taken with a pinch of salt (not literally). Rich fruitcakes were popular across Scotland so there is no proof that Mary demanded the creation of this recipe.

A more likely story is that the Dundee Cake recipe was created by Janet Keiller in the 1700s, later to be mass-produced by the marmalade company Keiller’s Marmalade.

Marmalade is a key ingredient in several Scottish recipes that we’ve found, one of our favourites being Caledonian cream – delicious!

Like Cranachan, Caledonian Cream contains whipped cream and whisky, but there the similarities end. The other main ingredients in Caledonian Cream are marmalade, and then the juice of a lemon or an orange, plus a little sugar for sweetness.

Despite it not being likely that Mary ordered the creation of the Dundee Cake recipe, it is said that our current Queen, Queen Elizabeth is partial to a slice or two, so it’s a cake with royal heritage one way or another!

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What is a Dundee Cake

Dundee Cake is a rich Scottish fruitcake made with currants,sultanas/raisinsandalmonds; many recipes will also include marmalade and fruit peel. Like many Scottish recipes, it’s been known to have a dash of whisky as well. Yum!

The cake is beautifully moist with a rich zesty flavour backed up by a sweet Dundee marmalade. The almonds are more than a design feature, they also provide a crunch and roasted flavour.

What is the difference between a Dundee Cake and a Christmas Cake?

Many people dust off their trusted Dundee Cake recipe at Christmas time but technically it’s not a Christmas cake. The differences are slight but do make the difference.

The Dundee Cake has no alcohol traditionally and, of course, has a topping of blanched almonds.

Traditional Christmas cake has a richer flavour and uses different fruits to a Dundee Cake including glacé cherries. Sometimes a Christmas cake can have a similar almond decoration but more modern recipes call for the cake to be iced.

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Things you’ll need

Ingredients

  • 180g Unsalted Butter ( 3/4 cup and 1 tbsp)
  • 180g Brown Sugar ( 3/4 cup and 1 tbsp)
  • 3 Large Eggs
  • Zest of 1 Orange
  • 5 Tbsp Dundee Marmalade with Peel
  • Blanched Almonds
  • 225g Plain Flour ( 1 cups + ¼ cup + 2 tbsp)
  • 1 tsp Baking Powder
  • 175g Sultanas or Raisins (1 cups + 3 tbsp)
  • 175g Currants (1 cups + 3 tbsp)
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How to make a Dundee Cake – Step by Step Guide

Pre-heat the oven to 150C / 300F. The cake needs to cook at a low temperature so it doesn’t brown too quickly or crack.

Cream the butter and sugar together in a large bowl.

In another bowl, crack the 3 large eggs and whisk them together. Measure out the flour that you’ll need to use and then add a tablespoon or two along with the eggs to the creamed butter and sugar. This helps the eggs to not curdle when you mix it together.

Slowly fold in the remaining flour and the baking powder.

Once your mix has begun to come together add the currants and sultanas as well as the marmalade. At the same time grate your orange adding the zest to the rest of the ingredients and fold it all into the mixture. Don’t mix it too much!

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Grease or line your cake tin, we greased the sides and cut parchment paper for the base, this seemed to work well.

Pour your mix into your cake tin and smooth the top with the back of a spoon.

Decorate with blanched almonds, usually in circles. Lightly lay the almonds on the batter rather than pushing them into the mix, the cake will expand around them as it cooks.

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Put in the centre of the preheated oven for 1.5-2 hours. If it starts to brown too quickly you can put some tinfoil over the top of the cake tin. Do keep an eye on it as it will darken very quickly once done.

Remove and allow to cool in the cake tin for around 10 minutes before removing and placing on a rack to cool further.

Some people suggest placing your cooled cake in an airtight tin for 2 days before cutting as it will taste better. We do not have the willpower to wait that long and be able to try this, do let us know if it works!

We suggest eating whenever you choose, with a good book and a cup of tea.

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How long does a Dundee Cake last?

In our house not very long at all but, in an airtight cake tin, your cake should last a week or so. Once cut if you want the cake to last a little longer wrap it in tin foil before placing it in your tin.

Variations

Newer versions of the Traditional Dundee Cake Recipe have seen the addition of glacé cherries, a sweet glaze brushed over the top of the cake and some have even whisky added. None of these sound like bad options to us but we do like trying to stick to the traditional!

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Enjoy,

Phil & Sonja

Yield: 1 Cake

Dundee Cake Recipe

Traditional Dundee Cake Recipe - Scottish Scran (14)

A Dundee cake is a rich fruitcake made with currants,sultanas,andalmonds; sometimes it will also include marmalade and fruit peel. Like many Scottish recipes, it has also been known to have a dash of whisky as well. Yum!

The cake is beautifully moist with a rich zesty flavour backed up by a sweetly tart Dundee marmalade. The almonds are not just a design feature but provide a crunch and roasted flavour to an otherwise simple fruitcake.

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 2 hours

Total Time 2 hours 30 minutes

Ingredients

  • 180g Unsalted Butter
  • 180g Brown Sugar
  • 3 Large Eggs
  • Zest of 1 Orange
  • 5 Tbsp Dundee Marmalade with Peel
  • 225g Plain Flour
  • 1 tsp Baking Powder
  • 175g Raisins or Sultanas
  • 175g Currants

Instructions

How to make a Dundee Cake – Step by Step Guide

  1. Pre-heat the oven to 150C / 300F.
  2. Cream the butter and sugar together in a large bowl.
  3. In another bowl, crack the 3 large eggs and whisk together.
  4. Measure out the flour that you’ll need to use and then add a tablespoon or two along with the eggs to the creamed butter and sugar. This helps the eggs to not curdle when you mix it together.
  5. Slowly fold in the remaining flour and the baking powder.
  6. Once your mix has begun to come together add the currants and sultanas as well as the marmalade. Then, grate your orange adding the zest to the rest of the ingredients and fold it all into the mixture.
  7. Grease or line your cake tin, we greased the sides with butter and cut parchment paper for the base, this worked well.
  8. Pour your mix into your cake tin and smooth the top with the back of a spoon.
  9. Decorate with blanched almonds, usually in circles starting from the outside and working into one solo nut. Take care to lightly lay the almonds on the batter rather than pushing them into the mix.
  10. Put in the centre of the preheated oven for 1.5 - 2 hours. If it starts to brown too quickly you can put some tinfoil over the top of the cake tin.
  11. Remove and allow to cool in the cake tin for around 10 minutes before removing and placing on a rack to cool further.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

16

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 271Total Fat: 10gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 59mgSodium: 54mgCarbohydrates: 44gFiber: 2gSugar: 29gProtein: 4g

The nutritional data in this recipe is provided by a third party and these values are automatically calculated and offered for guidance only. Their accuracy is not guaranteed.

Traditional Dundee Cake Recipe - Scottish Scran (2024)

FAQs

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

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 Dundee cake made of? ›

Dundee cake often incorporates ingredients like butter, sugar, lemon zest, orange zest, marmalade, flour, baking powder, eggs, milk, dried fruit, glacé cherries, candied citrus peel, currants, sultanas, ground almonds, and finally blanched almonds as a decorative finish.

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 do British call fruitcakes? ›

Did you know that the of eating fruitcake around the holidays stemmed from Great Britain? The traditional Christmas dessert isn't at all similar to the candied peel and citron cakes you might think of when “fruitcake” is mentioned. Called Christmas cake or plum cake in Great Britain, the dessert dates to Roman times!

Why did my Dundee cake sink in the middle? ›

My cake has sunk in the middle.

There are three main reasons for this: a/ the oven door has been opened before the cake has set, b/ the cake didn't go in the oven as soon as the mixture was ready or c/ there's too much raising agent.

How do I make my cake more moist? ›

Try switching out any water in your recipe for full-fat milk or buttermilk for a moist, decadent texture. Another ingredient that can enhance the moisture of your cake is mayonnaise. Adding a dollop of mayonnaise to your batter can help make your freshly baked cake softer with an added boost of moisture.

Why is my fruitcake crumbly but moist? ›

This can happen for a variety of reasons ranging from type of flour, not enough eggs/wrong size eggs, not enough liquid or fats and even storage. 'Causes of crumbly fruit cake'.

What is the witches cake? ›

A bizarre form of counter-magic, the witch cake was a supernatural dessert used to identify suspected evildoers. In cases of mysterious illness or possession, witch-hunters would take a sample of the victim's urine, mix it with rye meal and ashes and bake it into a cake.

What's in a Robert Redford cake? ›

Whatever you want to call it, this cake involves chocolate and all kinds of other sweet indulgences that may help explain its name (with apologies, perhaps, to the actor Robert Redford). This is a popular, irresistible chocolate cake dessert with loads of chocolate, caramel topping, candy bars, and whipped topping.

What is a Jake cake? ›

A favorite from many years ago, named after Amy's son Jake. It's a pillowy, heavenly angel food cake made with fresh egg whites, cane sugar, a little flour, and lots of vanilla extract and beans.

What is the most traditional food in Scotland? ›

Scotland's iconic national dish known as haggis consists of sausage meat made from the innards of the sheep mixed with onions, oatmeal, suet, stock, dried herbs and other seasonings.

What is the Scottish word for cake? ›

This week, Gaelic word of the week will be celebrating national chocolate cake day. The Gaelic for cake is cèic and the Gaelic for chocolate is teoclaid.

What did the Scottish eat in 1000 years ago? ›

Porridge, stews, broths and soups were the staple diet of ordinary people for centuries – cheap dishes that could be cooked on an open fire, and that would keep Scots warm and their stomachs full throughout the day.

Why was fruitcake outlawed? ›

At first, the cakes were mainly filled with nuts. When sugar became more widely available, candied preserved fruits were added. The addition of sugar made the dessert so “sinfully rich” that the church briefly banned fruitcake in the 1700s.

Why is it called a 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 another name for a fruitcake cake? ›

Fruitcake was historically referred to as plum cake in England from around 1700.

Is Christmas cake and fruitcake the same thing? ›

Christmas cake and fruitcake often refer to the same thing: a cake with lots of candied dried fruits in them, a spicy-sweet flavor profile, and the presence of an alcohol such as rum.

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