GOLDEN WINTER DUNDEE CAKE.....

Finally, I can stand long enough to BAKE! Yay me. It's been almost five years since I've actually been able to do this. So exciting.  The hardware in my leg is daunting, but I can walk between counters, furniture, etc. doors, windows, with more independent walking, every day.  I can  last about 20 minutes. Yay! Four months ago, couldn't get anywhere. Wow, it's great to be standing up again.  I can reach the baking cupboard once more (Double yay).......so HERE is my own version of Golden Dundee Tea Cake.....

Prepare five small loaf pans: Greased and lined with greased parchment paper. Preheat oven to 350 F.

You can use a couple of medium sized loaf pans, or a round cake pan  if you wish instead.

                                          I like the small loaf pans, as they freeze well......

Combine 3 cups Golden Raisins in a saucepan, cover with water and boil about 5 mins . This will soften the raisins. 

Drain liquid from the raisins.

Add to the still warm raisins: 1 cup of margarine , cut up  into pieces,  beating well after each one. The warm raisins will melt the margarine.

Then to this mixture: add 3 eggs, one at a time, beating well after each one. 

Add : 1 1/4 cup white sugar and beat into the raisin/margarine/sugar mixture. Beat with a large spoon or large fork. 

Add a 1/2 teaspoon of lemon/or almond flavouring , if you wish. Sometimes, I add a couple of tbsps of marmalade, if you wish...just for something different. But I didn't this time.

In a separate bowl: 3 1/2 cups flour, 1 tsp baking powder, pinch salt.

COMBINE: Raisin mixture with the dry ingredients. Mix well.

Plop batter into the five loaf  pans , all ready and lined with parchment paper. 

Put loaf pans on a cookie sheet  and then into oven . I baked these for about 40 minutes. (I started at 30 minutes then added time, till a sharp knife inserted into centers came out clean.)

Take a piece of margarine and paint the warm cake tops with the margarine. It just gives a nice sheen. Freeze in the loaf pans. Slice and serve with a hot cup of tea and share with friends. WONDERFUL!

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"There is nothing better  than cake, but MORE cake..." - Harry S. Truman

Photographs 2025 
                                       

DUNDEE CAKE and more.....

 "CHRISTMAS! Tis the season for kindling the fire of hospitality, the genial flame of charity in the heart." -Washington Irving

 DUNDEE TEA CAKE

 (This is a nice tea cake, if you  run out of regular Christmas cake. It can be a tad dry,for some reason,so I always serve it toasted then buttered. Just  like raisin bread. Very, very nice that way. Add a slice of sharp cheddar.)

 I double this recipe, bake in small pans then freeze.

 1 cup raisins

1 cup dried cranberries

1/3 cup mixed peel

Grated lemon peel

1/3 cup candied or dried cherries ( or use the frozen ones. Really good)

½ cup booze of your choice: rum, brandy, wine, or orange juice ( but the orange juice isn't as flavourful)

 1 cup butter,1 cup sugar, 4 eggs,1  2/3 cups flour, 1 tsp baking powder.

 OPTIONAL for TOP: whole almonds and about ¼ cup corn syrup

 PREHEAT oven to 325 F.

 PUT FIRST six ingredients into bow. Stir  well . Let sit for a bit if you wish.Sucks up the booze like a straw. No sampling, by the way.

 CREAM butter and sugar till fluffy. Beat in eggs 1 at a time, till light.

 COMBINE flour, baking powder  .

 MIX wet ingredients with dry.

 ADD boozy fruit at the end.

 (In case you're wondering why there are pics of  a gingerbread house,it's because at the same time I was making this cake my daughters were putting together a gingerbread house. Just thought the two should go together. Baking multiple things at the same time, so to speak. Seems to be a Christmas tradition.) But I digress....back to the recipe.....

 SPREAD in 8 small loaf pans ( double recipe) that have been lined accordingly with greased parchment.

 BAKE about 45-50 minutes till done. Test centres . There should not be any wibble wobbles.Just a nice dry crumb. And should be aromatic  as well. That would be the booze.  But it will have baked thru. So you will still be able to drive after partaking, since all the alcohol will have  disappeared.

 TOPPING: place almonds in pattern on top of each cake ( I didn’t this time.Was too busy with gingerbread house) Heat up the corn syrup. You can use more if you with than the ¼ cup corn syrup. Brush the hot corn syrup over top . Let cool. Gives a nice glaze.   Cut and toast and butter then serve to good friends with tea. If you feel so inclined you can also  plop on a dollop of marmalade on each slice. Divine. Oh look...now we've baked cookies.......The oven is hopping.....wonder what we should do next....

 "It was the beginning of the greatest Christmas ever. Little food. No presents. But there was a snowman in their basement." -Markus Zusak  (1945-) ( from "The Book Thief")