Dundee Cake

If you’re on the fence about fruitcake, this may be the dessert that gives you a different perspective. Instead of candied fruits, Dundee cake is made with freshly grated orange zest and orange marmalade. And there’s more batter than fruit, so it’s much less dense. The cake is cooked over a long period of time and has a fine, delicate crumb.

Because it’s not too sweet, a Dundee cake recipe is excellent at breakfast or served as a recipe for afternoon tea, especially alongside a robust cup of coffee or English breakfast tea. It also makes a nice snack. Or, serve Dundee cake at Christmas in place of (or alongside) a more traditional fruitcake.

What is Dundee cake?

Legend has it that the Dundee cake was invented in the 16th century for Mary, Queen of Scots, but nobody knows that for sure. Fruitcake recipes were popular in Scotland during that time, and it’s said that the classic almond decoration atop the Dundee cake was chosen because the queen disliked the traditional topping of candied cherries.

What is known is that James and Janet Keiller of Dundee, Scotland, were among the first to commercially produce marmalade in the late 1700s, and they also sold the Dundee cake in Scotland. Whether or not the particular long-ago queen enjoyed it is unknown, but it’s said that both Queen Elizabeth II and Winston Churchill were fans.

Although bakers from Dundee applied to have the cake’s name “protected,” as certain products are in the EU, the application was rejected.

Dundee Cake Ingredients

• Pantry staples: You’ll use the usual cupboard ingredients, including all-purpose flour, baking powder and salt, to make this from-scratch cake recipe.
• Almonds and almond flour: Some store-bought or homemade almond flour makes up a portion of the batter in a Dundee cake recipe. The cake is traditionally topped with whole blanched almonds, but for extra elegance, you could use Spanish Marcona almonds.
• Butter: Unsalted butter is the go-to for many baking recipes, including this one. Make sure the butter is nice and soft—at room temperature or slightly above—before beginning to make the batter.
• Brown sugar: Depending on your preferences, you can use either light or dark brown sugar for this recipe. Darker sugar will add a stronger hint of molasses.
• Eggs: It’s great to let eggs warm up to room temperature before mixing them into a batter. Cold eggs can cause the softened butter to clump up a bit, which makes the batter look curdled. However, this is usually no big deal and the batter will generally smooth out once the dry ingredients are mixed in.
• Orange zest: If you can find fragrant Seville oranges, use them, but if not, a navel orange or Cara Cara orange will do just fine.
• Orange marmalade: Homemade orange marmalade or a store-bought version is great for this Dundee cake recipe. If you want to change things up, Meyer lemon marmalade or grapefruit marmalade would also make a pleasing cake.
• Golden raisins: Look for fruit labeled sultanas or golden raisins at the store. If you can’t find the golden variety, regular raisins work too.

Directions

Step 1: Prepare your baking pan and the raisins

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Place the raisins in a small bowl and cover them with cold water. Let them sit for 10 minutes. Drain and discard the water, then set the raisins aside.

Preheat the oven to 275°F. Grease a 9-inch round cake pan with high sides, such as a springform pan, and place a round of parchment in the bottom. Grease the top of the parchment.

Step 2: Mix the dry ingredients

In a small bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, almond flour, baking powder and salt.

Step 3: Beat the wet ingredients

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In a large bowl, cream the butter and the brown sugar until light and fluffy, two to three minutes.

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Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat until combined and uniform. Mix in the orange zest, marmalade and golden raisins until evenly distributed.

Editor’s Tip: If the eggs are a little cold, the mixture may look curdled, but that’s not a problem.

Step 4: Finish the batter

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Gently stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until combined. Transfer to the prepared pan in an even layer.

Step 5: Bake the cake

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Bake the cake for an hour. Then, remove it from the oven and place as many of the blanched almonds as you’d like in a decorative pattern on the top. Return the cake to the oven and bake for another 45 to 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Editor’s Tip: Using a toothpick to test a cake’s doneness is one of our favorite ways to know when to pull a baked good out of the oven. For this recipe, if the toothpick doesn’t come out clean, put the Dundee cake back in the oven for 15 minutes and check it again. Keep doing so until the cake passes the doneness test.

Step 6: Cool and serve

When the toothpick comes out clean, remove the cake from the oven and let cool for 15 minutes. Then, turn it out of the pan and let it finish cooling on a wire rack. Serve the cake almond-side up.

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Dundee Cake Variations

• Use a different preserve or jam: Instead of marmalade, make this cake with another favorite jam or preserve. Apricot amaretto jam or plum orange jam would be particularly nice, but any you have on hand will work.
• Add frosting or icing: An Italian meringue buttercream would be a gorgeous addition to this cake, but a light citrusy icing would also be wonderful. Try a drizzle of lemon glaze, or modify a classic glaze recipe by using orange or lime juice instead of lemon juice.
• Make it boozy: While the cake is still warm, brush it with a simple syrup flavored with your favorite liquor. Rum, brandy, bourbon, Scotch or whiskey would all work well. You could also soak the raisins in liquor instead of water and lengthen the soaking time; then mix that liquid into a simple syrup.

How to Store Dundee Cake

Dundee cake can be kept on the counter when well-wrapped. I store mine in a tea towel. When popped into a well-sealed cake tin, it will last even longer. It’s less common, but you can also keep Dundee cake in the fridge.

How long does Dundee cake last?

Wrapped and left out on the counter, the cake will be good for at least four days, but it will eventually begin to dry out. It will keep for up to a week in a sealed container.

Can you make Dundee cake ahead of time?

Yes! This cake lasts very nicely, so it’s fine to make it a day or two before you’ll need it.

Dundee Cake Tips

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Can I make this cake without Seville oranges or Seville orange marmalade?

It’s traditional to make this cake with Seville orange marmalade, which features a variety of orange that is extra sour, but any orange marmalade and orange zest will make an excellent cake. If using regular oranges, you could add a splash of lemon juice to the batter for an extra hint of acidity.

How should you serve Dundee cake?

Because the cake is dense, a small piece will usually suffice. A cup of coffee or tea or a bit of excellent Scotch is great on the side. A dollop of whipped cream or vanilla ice cream is never a bad idea.