Cake Tins

This cake makes an excellent Christmas cake for those who prefer their fruit cake to be a lighter, less rich and more crumbly affair. This cake is beautifully flavoured and has the added benefit that there’s no need to ice it like a traditional Christmas cake.

This recipe uses an 8 inch round cake tin (20cm) which needs to be greased well and lined with greaseproof paper.

Preheat the Oven temperature to Gas Mark 3, 170oC (325oF)

For this Dundee cake you will need:

• 5oz (150g) of room temperature Butter
• 5oz (150g) of Golden Caster Sugar
• 3 large Organic or Free Range Eggs (whisked)
• 8oz (225g) of Plain flour (keep back 1 tablespoon of flour to coat your fruit)
• A teaspoon of Baking Powder
• 2 tablespoons of Ground Almonds
• 2oz (50g) of Glace Cherries that have been washed, dried & halved
• 6oz (175g) of Sultanas
• 6oz (175g) of Currants
• 2oz (50g) of chopped mixed candied peel
• Zest of an Orange
• Zest of a Lemon
• Whole blanched almonds to cover the top of your cake, approximately 2 to 3oz (50 to75g)
• You may need a little milk to loosen the cake mix if too dry

Method

• Make double sure your oven is preheated to the temperature stated above.
• In your mixer cream together the room temperature butter and sugar until it is creamy, light and paler in colour (you can also do this using an electric mixer or just a bowl and wooden spoon)
• Slowly add at little at a time the eggs, beating well into the creamed sugar and butter mix before adding the next amount of egg
• In a separate bowl sift the flour and baking powder, then sift that into your creamed egg mixture also adding the ground almond
• Using a metal spoon fold this mix together carefully, if the mixture is looking a little stiff add a tablespoon of milk or so as the mix need to be a soft dropping consistency
• Put all your cherries, dried fruit and candied peel into the separate bowl you first sifted your flour into and coat with the reserved tablespoon of flour, this helps to stop your fruit from sinking to the bottom of your cake
• Add all the flour coated fruit and zest of orange and lemon to your cake mix and gently mix together.
• Spoon the mixture into your prepared cake tin and smooth out the top with the back of a tablespoon
• Place gently on top in circles your blanched whole almonds, do not press them down into the cake or they will sink into the mixture during baking and the almond decoration topping is what should be showing after your cake is baked
• Place the cake in the centre of your oven and bake for 2 to 2 1/2 hours; it should be firm and springy to the touch. Another way you can check the cake is cooked by skewering it with a cocktail stick or similar, it should come out clean with no raw mix stuck to it
• Leave to cool in the cake tin before taking out
• This cake keeps well in an airtight tin and is better eaten a few days after it’s baked, although it’s never really managed that in my house and it’s still lovely

Enjoy!