Step 1 of 8
Dundee Cake
Place the whole almonds in a bowl, pour over enough boiling water to cover and leave for 5 minutes. Drain and leave to dry.
Step 2
Preheat oven to 180°C / 160°C fan / Gas 4. Line a deep loose-based 20cm cake tin with baking parchment.
Step 3
Reduce the oven to 160°C / 140°C 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.
Step 4
Beat the butter until soft, then add the muscovado sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Stir in the orange zest and apricot jam.
Step 5
Sieve 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.
Step 6
Fold in the remaining flour and ground almonds. Stir in the 2 tbsp milk, then the dried fruit and glacé cherries.
Step 7
Spoon into the tin, smooth level and arrange the blanched whole almonds in neat concentric circles on top. Bake for 45 minutes at 180°C.
Step 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 tin.
