The Dundee cake is a traditional Scottish rich fruit cake, originating in the City of Dundee. It’s one of the properly traditional Christmas cakes and this is an authentic Victorian version. A Christmas cake from the time that the modern Christmas was born, if you will.
Prep time: 20 minutes/Cook time: 60 minutes/Serves: 10
Ingredients:
180g butter
180g caster sugar
4 small eggs
30g ground almonds
240g sultanas
240g currants
90g mixed peel, chopped<br/>
90g glacé cherries, halved<br/>
juice of 1/2 lemon
freshly-grated zest of 1/2 lemon
240g flour
1 tsp baking powder
20g split almonds
heavily-sweetened milk to glaze
Method:
Cream together the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy then add the eggs one at a time (along with 1/2 tsp flour), beating thoroughly after each addition. Next beat in the ground almonds, followed by the sultanas, currants, mixed peel, cherries, lemon zest and lemon juice.
Sift the remaining flour with the baking powder and stir into the batter. Turn the mixture into a greased and lined cake tin and transfer to an oven pre-heated to 180°C. Bake for about 50 minutes then remove from the oven and arrange the split almonds over the top in concentric circles. Return to the oven and bake for about a further 50 minutes. About 10 minutes before the cake is done remove from the oven and brush with the sweetened milk. Return to the oven and finish cooking.
Allow to cool on a wire rack, cover in greaseproof paper and foil then place in an air-tight tin. Set aside to mature for at least 1 weeks before decorating and serving.
