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Home Ā» Food Ā» By Course Ā» Dessert Ā» Authentic Scottish Dundee Cake

Authentic Scottish Dundee Cake

November 25, 2019 by Kimberly Killebrew Ā· 85 Comments

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A thoroughly authentic Scottish Dundee Cake recipe!Ā  Immediately recognizable by its trademark design of concentrically positioned almonds, this famous orange, raisin and almond cake is one of Scotland’s culinary treasures.Ā  Wonderfully flavorful and aromatic, it’s said to be Queen Elizabeth’s favorite cake for tea-time!

dundee cake recipe traditional authentic Scottish orange almonds raisins

Will the REAL Scottish Dundee Cake Stand Up?Ā 

Everyone with glacĆ© cherries sit down.Ā  Everyone with mixed spice or gingerbread spices have a seat as well.Ā  Anyone with whisky, brandy or rum sit down also…

There are endless varieties of Dundee Cake out there and the vast majority are imposters.Ā  But that holds true for many old, traditional dishes that someone somewhere decided to alter and over time the original ingredients became mingled with others until the version that became the most common no longer resembled the original version.

Is that always a bad thing?Ā  No.Ā  Variations on traditional recipes taste perfectly good.Ā  They’re just not…traditional.Ā  They’re not the real deal.

In the case of Scottish Dundee Cake the vast majority of the recipes out there are really just an English fruit cake with the almonds across the top to make it “look” like a Dundee cake.Ā  But the traditional version of Scotland’s prized Dundee cake is something quite different.

What is “Authentic” Scottish Dundee Cake?Ā Ā 

Besides the flour, butter, sugar, eggs, baking powder and touch of salt, the only other ingredients in an authentic Dundee cake are raisins and/or sultanas, orange zest, almonds, and Seville marmalade.

That means no other dried fruits or nuts, not glacƩ cherries, no gingerbread or other spices, and no whiskey, brandy or rum.

What sets Dundee Cake apart from any others is its featured flavor:Ā  Orange.Ā  And not just any orange, specifically the sweet-bitter Seville orange with its own unique and characteristic flavor.Ā  All of the other ingredients serve to supportĀ that flavor and not take away from or dilute it.

What we have in a true Dundee cake is a much lighter and delicately flavored cake that showcases that Seville orange flavor along with the added sweetness of raisins and sultanas, and the additional flavor and delightful crunch of almonds.Ā  A true Scottish Dundee Cake hasn’t been altered to taste like the mainstream fruit cakes we all know, instead it has a very unique flavor all to its own.

dundee cake recipe traditional authentic Scottish

The History of Dundee Cake

There are some varying accounts but food historians believe that the Dundee cake dates back to the 1600’s and is attributed to Mary Queen of Scots (who incidentally is my great+ grandmother on my father’s side.Ā  I used to think all of my royal connections made me special until I found out that virtually everybody with European ancestry has royal lines once you get back to a certain point.Ā  So depending on how you choose to look at it, that means we’re either all special together or that nobody is special since we’re all…uh…special).Ā  Ā In any case, Mary apparently hated glacĆ© cherries (something I inherited from her) and wasn’t fond of the traditional fruit cakes either (same here, unless I’m using homemade candied citrus peel).

So her royal cook made her a cake that simply had raisins/sultanas and almonds in it but also featured a very unique ingredient that would forever set the Dundee cake apart from any other.Ā  It featured the subtle but striking flavor of Seville oranges that were being imported into the Scottish port town of Dundee via Spanish merchants sailing up from Spain.Ā  The original cake also used Spanish sultanas and almonds.Ā  Evidently she liked it because the cook lived to make many more and the cake soon made history.

old scottish print

Fast forward to the 18th century:Ā  The Keiller Marmalade Factory in Scotland started making Seville orange marmalade and marketed it in conjunction with the Dundee cake.Ā  Ever since then, instead of using Seville orange peel the Dundee cake has been made with Seville orange marmalade.Ā  This not only makes Seville oranges more accessible during off season and in other parts of the world, it also contributes the extra sweetness to the otherwise bitter oranges.

Some historians have wondered if it was in fact the Keiller Marmalade Factory who created the first Dundee cake instead of Mary Queen of Scots’ cook.Ā  But what we do know for certain is that the credit of using of the Seville orange marmalade goes to Keiller and it may also be that Keiller created the striking and instantly recognizable design of the concentric rings of whole blanched almonds on top of the cake which also add an positively delightful “crunch”.

By the 19th century the Dundee cake became popular throughout the tea rooms of Great Britain and was the dessert of choice for tea-time for both Winston Churchill and Queen Elizabeth II.

dundee cake recipe traditional authentic Scottish orange almond

Authentic Dundee Cake Recipe

Let’s get started!

Be sure to use Seville orange marmalade for an authentic-tasting Dundee cake.Ā  I brought a few jars back with me from our trip to Scotland last year.Ā  I’ve seen Mackay’s Dundee Orange Marmalade at World Market, in some large grocery chain stores (e.g., Albertson’s), speciality stores, and you can find Mackay’s Dundee Orange Marmalade on Amazon.Ā  Ā You can also find the original Keiller Orange Marmalade on Amazon.Ā  Note, there are other brands of Seville orange marmalade, just pick a good one because they are not all of equal quality.

dundee seville orange marmalade

Cream the sugar and butter until pale and fluffy.

creaming butter and sugar

Add the eggs, one at a time, along with a teaspoon or so of the flour to prevent curdling.

Add the orange zest and marmalade and beat until combined.

adding eggs orange zest and marmalade

Stir together the flour, baking powder, and salt and almond flour. Add this mixture to the wet mixture and stir gently to combine, being careful not to over-stir.

Add the sultanas and raisins and stir to combine.

adding flour and raisins

Grease and line an 8×3 inch round cake pan (alternatively a 9 inch round cake pan).

Spoon the batter into the prepared cake pan.

spooning mixture into prepared pan

Smooth the top of it using wetted fingertips or the back of a wet spoon.

You’ll need roughly 20 whole blanched almonds for the top.Ā  See the “note” in the recipe box for directions on how to blanch the almonds (ie, remove the peels).

blanched almonds

Preheat the oven to 300 F.

Arrange the almonds on top of the cake in concentric circles.Ā  Position the cake on the middle rack of the oven and bake for 100-120 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. If the cake browns too quickly cover it with aluminum foil.

Let the cake cool in the pan for about 10 minutes before transferring it to a wire rack to cool completely.

how to make dundee cake

Enjoy!

dundee cake recipe traditional authentic Scottish orange almond

dundee cake recipe traditional authentic Scottish

For more traditional Scottish recipes be sure to try our:

  • Scottish Shortbread
  • Millionaire’s Shortbread
  • Scotch Broth
  • Scottish Barley Pudding
dundee cake recipe traditional authentic Scottish

Authentic Scottish Dundee Cake

Kimberly Killebrew
A thoroughly authentic Scottish Dundee Cake recipe!Ā  Immediately recognizable by its trademark design of concentrically positioned almonds, this famous orange, raisin and almond cake is one of Scotland's culinary treasures.Ā  Wonderfully flavorful and aromatic, it's said to be Queen Elizabeth's favorite cake for tea-time!Ā Ā 
Print Recipe
4.94 from 33 votes
Prep Time 15 mins
Cook Time 1 hr 40 mins
Total Time 1 hr 55 mins
Course Dessert, Tea
Cuisine Scottish
Servings 10 servings
Calories 422 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 3/4 cup (175 g) unsalted butter , softened at room temperature
  • 1 cup (175 g) firmly packed light brown sugar
  • 3 large eggs
  • zest of one orange (Seville if you have it)
  • 5 tablespoons Seville orange marmalade
  • 1 1/2 cups (225 g) all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/3 cup (40 g) almond flour
  • 1 1/4 cups (200 g) golden raisins/sultanas (dried white grapes)
  • 1 1/4 cups (200 g) raisins
  • 20-25 whole blanched almonds (See Note about blanching almonds yourself)

Instructions
 

  • Grease and line a 8x3 inch round cake pan (alternatively a 9 inch round cake pan). Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F (275 F if using convection).
  • Cream the sugar and butter until pale and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, along with a teaspoon or so of the flour to prevent curdling. Add the orange zest and marmalade and beat until combined. Stir together the flour, baking powder, and salt and almond flour. Add this mixture to the wet mixture and stir gently to combine, being careful not to over-stir. Add the sultanas and raisins and stir to combine.
  • Spoon the batter into the prepared cake pan and smooth the top of it using wetted fingertips or the back of a wet spoon. Arrange the almonds on top of the cake in concentric circles.
    Position the cake on the middle rack of the oven and bake for 100-120 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. If the cake browns too quickly cover it with aluminum foil. Let the cake cool in the pan for about 10 minutes before transferring it to a wire rack to cool completely.

Notes

*To blanch whole almonds yourself (ie, to remove the skins), put the almonds in boiling hot water and let them soak for one minute.Ā  Drain the almonds and the skins should slip off easily.Ā  Discard the skins.

Nutrition

Calories: 422kcal | Carbohydrates: 68g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 86mg | Sodium: 157mg | Potassium: 400mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 35g | Vitamin A: 503IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 76mg | Iron: 2mg
Keyword Dundee Cake
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85 Comments →

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85 Responses

  1. Natalya says

    December 30, 2022 at 2:44 pm

    I am about to bake this divine cake for the 4th time. My husband’s birthday is coming up tomorrow and he ordered this cake, yet again. He is Scottish, so he really appreciated when I made this cake the first time. Thank you so much for your hard work, Kimberly! I cooked and baked quite a few things from this site and they are amazing every time. Happy New Year!!!!

    Reply
    • Kimberly Killebrew says

      December 30, 2022 at 7:31 pm

      You’ve made my day, Natalya! Thank you so much for your kinds <3 Happy New Year to your and your family!

      Reply
  2. Caroline says

    November 23, 2022 at 11:37 am

    Excellent recipe . Tastes and smells divine

    Reply
    • Kimberly Killebrew says

      November 26, 2022 at 5:10 am

      Thanks so much, Caroline!

      Reply
  3. Dianne says

    November 17, 2022 at 8:53 am

    Please don’t add alcohol , it is no longer a Dundee cake if you do ,lol
    If you wrap it in plastic wrap it keeps fine for days , we eat ours as an afternoon tea cake and my husband has his with butter which is traditional in Scotland .
    Make these ahead let cool completely and double wrap and can be kept in the freezer for quite a while.
    In Canada as I know it almond meal , almond flour and ground almonds are all the same , looks like sand .

    Reply
  4. PMack says

    October 30, 2022 at 12:18 pm

    This is the fourth or fifth time I made this cake. A success each time. Today I substituted 100 grams of your home made candied citrus peel for 100 grams of the raisins. Another success. My wife says it is a 100% improvement in taste! I will continue to use your citrus peel every time I make this Dundee cake. Thank you for the recipe.

    Reply
    • Kimberly Killebrew says

      October 30, 2022 at 5:10 pm

      Wonderful! Thank you so much, PMack, I’m so thrilled this has become a regular!

      Reply
  5. Carole Robinson says

    September 5, 2022 at 1:00 am

    Brilliant Dundee cake recipe. Always made it before with a mixture of dried fruit but this is much better. Pared back like this the orange flavour really sings. Thank you

    Reply
    • Kimberly Killebrew says

      September 9, 2022 at 7:52 pm

      Thank you so much, Carole! :)

      Reply
  6. Jessica L. Jacksn says

    August 27, 2022 at 12:40 pm

    Sweeter than I expected. Lovely orange taste. My almonds drifted away during baking so I think my mixture must have been a little more viscous than it should have been. Didn’t have almond flour, had ground almonds. Used that. Baking in Canada so I bought the marmelade brand available at our Walmart. Next time I make it, I’m going to be more careful with my measuring and see if it is just as sweet and if the almonds will stay put.

    Reply
    • Kimberly Killebrew says

      August 29, 2022 at 12:30 pm

      Thanks so much for the feedback, Jessica, I’m happy you enjoyed it!

      Reply
  7. Old Verger says

    August 19, 2022 at 10:32 am

    My second one is in the oven. I takes me about an hour to prep the ingredients and mix the cake. But, I grind almonds very fine for the almond flour, and blanch the ones for the top. I can my own marmalade using prepared MaMade Seville oranges, so I use that. It’s a lovely cake and very much worth the extra prep steps.

    Reply
    • Kimberly Killebrew says

      August 20, 2022 at 6:28 pm

      I’m so happy to hear that, thank you very much for the feedback!

      Reply
  8. Karen Lauterwasser says

    April 4, 2022 at 5:27 pm

    Hi! Just diving into the recipe. Two issues: 1 cup of firmly packed brown sugar weighs a lot more than 175g. I’ve compared to some other recipes, and I think the 175g is correct. I’m always happier working with weights when I bake, so I’m ignoring the volume measure in any case.

    Second, I think it will take quite a few more than 20 almonds to decorate the top of the cake, if the photographs are anything to go by. Not a big deal, just a little confusing.

    Reply
    • Cyd larkin says

      April 4, 2022 at 11:56 pm

      Hello karen,

      At first I thought you were just being know-it-all, but then I read your entire response, and you are absolutely correct. It was also very kindly written. Well done. Looks like a nice recipes except. For the $12-$14 dollars for the marmalade.

      Reply
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kimberly killebrew the daring gourmet

Welcome!Ā  I’m Kimberly and I share delicious originals, revitalized classics and authentic dishes from around the world.Ā  Come travel the world through your taste buds!

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