I’ve been making this for about 40 years now, mailing it out, and calling it my “yearly lump”.  I started adding cherries a few decades ago… no complaints.

It is the only “fruit cake” that I really like, living half way between fruit cake and Stollen – the heavy bread we would slather with butter Christmas morning for breakfast.

Print Recipe

Dundee Cake

Made in a bundt pan, then cut it into quarters.

Course

Dessert

Cuisine

Baking

Keyword

baking, dessert

Prep Time

30 minutes

Cook Time

1 hour

Passive Time

20 minutes

Servings

portions

Ingredients

Dry Side

• 2 1/2 cups regular flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt

Wet Side

• 1/2 lb unsalted butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 5 eggs room temperature
• 1/2 cup ground almonds
• 1 orange rind use a grater
• 2 tbsp orange juice freshly squeezed
• 1 cup golden raisins rinsed of sugar
• 1/2 cup currants rinsed of sugar
• 1 pound mixed fruit coloured if you can find it
• 1/2 of 450g container of whole cherries in syrup

Course Dessert Cuisine Baking Keyword baking, dessert Prep Time 30 minutes Cook Time 1 hour Passive Time 20 minutes Servings portions Ingredients Dry Side 2 1/2 cups regular flour 1 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp salt Wet Side 1/2 lb unsalted butter 1 cup sugar 5 eggs room temperature 1/2 cup ground almonds 1 orange rind use a grater 2 tbsp orange juice freshly squeezed 1 cup golden raisins rinsed of sugar 1/2 cup currants rinsed of sugar 1 pound mixed fruit coloured if you can find it 1/2 of 450g container of whole cherries in syrup

Instructions

Wet Side

1. Gather all your ingredients, and take the eggs and butter out of the fridge to warm up.

   
2. Place your butter in a large bowl, cut into peices, and cream with beaters. Work it until it softens somewhat, add the sugar, and cream together until smooth.

   
3. Beat in eggs one at a time. Not two... patience here.

   
4. Grate your orange, and squeeze it.

   
5. Add the ground almond, orange rind, and orange juice. Beat until smooth, and set aside.

   

Dry Side

1. Reserve 1 cup of the flour into a very large bowl. Into this place the mixed peel and cherries, and mix to coat.

   
2. Place the raisins and currants into a sifter, and rinse under hot water to get rid to the sugar. Dry on a towel, pressing the water out, then add to the bowl and mix again to coat.

   
3. Add the remaining flour to the mix, and toss thoroughly.

Combine

1. Now, take your wet ingredients and add it to the larger bow. Here, a wooden spoon can sometimes be best. This is a thick, sticky dough.

   
2. Coat the ENTIRE surface of the bunt pan with butter.

   
3. Place the dough into the base of the pan, being sure it is evenly placed. Pound the pan onto the counter several times to "seat" it into the form.

   
4. Level it out, and place it in the middle of the oven at 300 degrees for 1 1/4 hours.

   
5. Remove from the oven when a tooth pick comes out clean. Invert and remove from pan to cool, covered with a towel.

   

Recipe Notes

Wrapped in plastic, then in tin foil, this will freeze and keep for years... but rarely makes it past January for us.