Dundee Cake

Ingredients

• 3 1/2 ozalmonds, whole; blanched in boiling water 5 minutes, drained; arranged on top of cake
• 0.8 cupbutter, softened
• 7/8 cupdark brown sugar
• 1orange, zest only
• 3 tbspapricot jam, stirred into creamed butter
• 1.8 cupsall-purpose flour
• 1 tspbaking powder
• 3eggs, large
• 1 cupground almonds, folded into batter
• 2 tbspmilk, for batter
• 3 1/3 cupsdried fruit, mixed dried fruit such as golden raisins, raisins and currants
• 1/2 cupglacé cherry, halved
• 1 tbspmilk, for sugar glaze applied just before the final 2–3 minutes in the oven
• 2 tspsuperfine sugar, dissolved in milk for glaze

Method

1. 1

   Place the whole almonds in a bowl, pour over enough boiling water to cover and leave for 5 minutes. Drain and leave to dry.

2. 2

   Preheat oven to 350°F / 325°F fan / Gas 4. Line a deep loose-based 20cm cake pan with parchment paper.

3. 3

   Beat the butter until soft, then add the dark brown sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Stir in the orange zest and apricot jam.

4. 4

   Sift the flour and baking powder together. Add the eggs to the creamed mixture a little at a time, beating well between each addition. Add a little flour if the mixture starts to curdle.

5. 5

   Fold in the remaining flour and ground almonds. Stir in the 2 tbsp milk, then the dried fruit and glacé cherries.

6. 6

   Spoon into the pan, smooth level and arrange the blanched whole almonds in neat concentric circles on top. Bake for 45 minutes at 350°F.

7. 7

   Reduce the oven to 325°F / 275°F fan / Gas 3 and bake for a further 60–80 minutes. Check from 50 minutes — a skewer should come out with just a few crumbs.

8. 8

   When done, briefly remove from the oven. Heat the 1 tbsp milk and 2 tsp sugar until dissolved, brush over the top and return the cake to the oven for 2–3 minutes. Cool in the pan.