A Christmas Classic: Traditional Scottish Dundee Cake Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Is Dundee cake the same as Christmas cake? ›

A Dundee cake makes a lighter take on the traditional Christmas cake. It's a less rich, crumblier alternative to the hefty traditional Christmas cake.

A Scottish speciality is the traditional Christmas cake, the "Whisky Dundee". As the name implies, the cake originated in Dundee, and is made with Scotch whisky. It is a light and crumbly cake, and light on fruit and candied peel; only currants, raisins, sultanas and cherries.

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...

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.

That honor goes to a 4,176-year-old cake that was found in an Egyptian tomb, according to the Guinness organization. It is on display in a food museum in Switzerland.

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.

Prior to the Reformation of 1560, Christmas in Scotland, then called "Yule" (alternative spellings include Yhoill, Yuil, Ȝule and Ȝoull; see Yogh) or in Gaelic-speaking areas "Nollaig", was celebrated in a similar fashion to the rest of Catholic Europe.

Check after 1 hour and, if the surface is getting too brown, lay a piece of foil over the top. Leave to cool in the tin before removing. Wrap in greaseproof paper and store in an airtight tin. It will keep for 6 weeks.

Cutter & Squidge's research found that Scotland's favourite cake is chocolate cake. The study found that Scottish people had the sweetest tooth and enjoyed indulging in chocolate cake. They are also big fans of cherry-flavoured treats.

The ratio of wet to dry ingredients determines a cake's moisture level. If there's simply too much flour and not enough butter, a cake will taste dry. On the other hand, if there's too much milk and not enough flour, a cake will taste too wet. Finding the right balance between wet and dry ingredients is key.

What is the Scottish word for cake? ›

ScotParl. 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.

Crannachan: Raspberry pieces and toasted outs in a creamy vanilla mousse. Edinburgh Fog: A rich white centre with crushed amaretto biscuits. Athole Brose: White chocolate blended with Scotch Malt Whisky, heather honey and toasted oats.

Fruitcake. It is not only served at Christmastime, but it is also traditionally used for a Scottish wedding cake covered in a thick layer of icing. A Traditional Scottish Fruit Cake is heavily spiced and made with currants, sultanas, raisins, and cherries.

Before it's served, you'll add a layer of cream cheese frosting and sprinkle candied pecans on top for some crunch. Internet lore would have you believe this pineapple-topped concoction was Elvis Presley's favorite cake, that he even asked his grandmother to make it for him as a kid.

The original marmalade, first created in Dundee in 1797, and still made using copper pans today.

Other cakes usually associated with Christmas are fruitcakes, made with candied fruit chunks. A Christmas cake is a heavy cake containing much driedfruit and usually having a covering of icing. It is made to be eaten at Christmas. It can also be called a fruitcake.

Christmas cakes are made many different ways, but generally they are variations on classic fruitcake. They can be light, dark, moist, dry, heavy, spongy, leavened, unleavened, etc. They are made in many different shapes, with frosting, glazing, a dusting of confectioner's sugar or plain.

1. Panettone, Italy. Originating from Milan, Italy, this cake has become one of the most popular Christmas cakes around Europe and in many parts of the world. The panettone is a dome-shaped spongecake with a sweet, yeasty taste.

You're forgiven if you think Christmas Pudding is the round English version of an American fruitcake. While it has similarities, they are altogether different. Both improve with age and include dried fruits, chopped nuts, hearty spices, and steep in a cold dark spot for weeks, but that is where the similarities end.