Mary Berry Dundee Cake Recipe

This rich, fruity Mary Berry Dundee Cake is made with mixed dried fruits, ground almonds, and brown sugar, and ready in 2 hours and 50 minutes. Slicing through the dense crumb reveals the perfectly toasted almond topping. I always look forward to serving this traditional bake with a hot pot of tea.

Why This Classic Works

Traditional fruit cakes can often turn out dry or incredibly heavy. I used to struggle with the decorative almonds sinking into the batter during the long bake.

This recipe solves that by balancing the ratio of flour to dried fruit perfectly. Arranging the almonds carefully on top creates a beautiful finish that stays crisp and visually striking.

Mary Berry Dundee Cake Ingredients

• 150g softened butter
• 150g light muscovado sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 225g plain flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 350g mixed dried fruit (sultanas, currants, raisins)
• 50g glacé cherries, halved and washed
• 50g ground almonds
• 2 tbsp milk
• 50g whole blanched almonds (for decoration)

How To Make Mary Berry Dundee Cake

1. Prepare the tin: Preheat your oven to 150°C (130°C fan) and line a 20cm round deep cake tin with baking parchment.
2. Cream butter and sugar: Beat the softened butter and light muscovado sugar together in a large bowl until pale and fluffy.
3. Add eggs and dry ingredients: Gradually whisk in the eggs, then gently fold in the plain flour, baking powder, and ground almonds.
4. Incorporate the fruit: Stir the mixed dried fruit, prepared glacé cherries, and milk into the batter until evenly distributed.
5. Decorate and bake: Spoon the mixture into the tin, level the surface, and arrange the whole blanched almonds in neat circles on top.
6. Bake the cake: Bake for 2 hours to 2 hours 15 minutes until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.

Recipe Tips

• Wash the cherries: Rinsing the glacé cherries removes excess syrup and stops them from sinking to the bottom.
• Protect the top: If the cake browns too quickly in the oven, cover the top loosely with foil halfway through baking.
• Cool completely: Leave the cake in the tin to cool completely before turning it out to prevent crumbling.

What To Serve With Dundee Cake

This rich fruit cake pairs beautifully with a sharp crumbly cheddar cheese. You can also serve it simply with a strong cup of Earl Grey or English Breakfast tea.

How To Store

Wrap the completely cooled cake in a layer of baking parchment followed by a layer of foil. Store it in an airtight container in a cool, dark place for up to a month. You can also freeze the un-iced cake tightly wrapped for up to three months.

FAQs

Can I use self-raising flour?

It is best to stick to plain flour and measured baking powder. Self-raising flour might cause the cake to rise too fast and crack on top.

Do I need to soak the fruit?

This recipe does not require soaking the fruit beforehand. The high ratio of butter and eggs keeps the crumb incredibly moist during baking.

Why did my almonds sink?

The batter might have been too warm or mixed too thinly. Try dropping the almonds on lightly without pressing them firmly into the raw batter.

Nutrition

• Calories: 380 kcal
• Total Fat: 16g
• Saturated Fat: 8g
• Cholesterol: 65mg
• Sodium: 110mg
• Total Carbohydrate: 55g
• Protein: 6g

Try More Recipes:

• Mary Berry Easy Cheesecake Recipe
• Mary Berry Courgette Cake Recipe
• Mary Berry Currant Cake Recipe