These Dundee cupcakes are deliciously tangy and sweet with a crisp topping. The light texture is less moist and dense compared with ordinary fruitcakes, and is more similar to a light Madeira cake or a pound cake.Dundee cake has long been a favourite bake for celebrations such as Christmas, Birthdays, Robert Burns Supper, Mothering Sunday [Mothers Day], and Easter. But really these cupcakes are ideal for any day especially with a nice cup of tea or coffee.
electric hand whisk optional, as can just mix by hand with a mixing spoon
Ingredients
cakes:
175gramsplain flour[or all-purpose flour]
1 ½teaspoonsbaking powder
1pinch of salt
100gramsvegan margarine[use one that's fine for baking such as Stork]
100gramsgranulated sugar[or caster sugar]
100gramsmixed dried fruit[usually comes as a mix of sultanas, raisins, currants and fruit peel the one intended for fruit cakes, puddings etc] [or just use one fruit such as sultanas]
Scoop in the marmalade and pour in the orange juice.
70 grams orange marmalade, 5 tablespoons orange juice
Sift in the flour and baking powder, and then add the salt along with the mixed dried fruit, ground almonds, and orange zest.
175 grams plain flour, 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder, 1 pinch of salt, 100 grams mixed dried fruit, 1 medium orange, 25 grams ground almonds
Give it all a good mix until its just combined.
Divide the cake batter between the 12 cupcake cases.
Level the cakes out a little and gently press the flaked almonds over the surface.
20 grams flaked almonds
Bake on the middle shelf for 20-25 minutes until they are risen [but do note that the tops will not be peaked rather the surface will be flatter than a cupcake and more like a fruit cake in appearance]. The cupcakes will also be firm to the touch and a skewer popped in the middle will be clean.
[I used an electric oven and my cakes were baked after 23 minutes at 180C]Fan ovens tend to bake faster so check your cakes at the 20 minute mark just to see how they are doing.
After a few minutes in the baking tin, remove the cakes and place on a wire rack to cool completely.
Optional glaze: [prepare once the cakes have been removed from the oven]
Add the marmalade and orange juice to a small saucepan, and use a cutlery [tableware] fork to mix the marmalade into the juice.Bring to a gentle simmer or boil, and cook for 2 minutes giving it several stirs with the fork.Remove from the heat and leave to cool for a minute before brushing the glaze over each cupcake. The cupcakes can be glazed while still warm.
2 tablespoon marmalade, 1 tablespoon fresh orange juice
Notes
Nutritional data is provided for guidance only and is not an exact calculation as ingredients vary.
Nutritional information includes the topping and optional but highly recommended glaze.
Store cupcakes in an airtight container for up to 5 days, perhaps a day or two longer.
Wrap the cakes in a layer of parchment paper/baking paper and a second layer of kitchen foil/aluminium foil to keep fresher for longer. Add a layer of baking paper between each layer of cakes as this will prevent the glaze sticking to the bottom of the cupcakes on top.
Unfrosted cupcakes can be frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature before adding the glaze.
If the orange glaze sits in the pan for too long it may become too thick to brush over the cupcakes. Simply warm the glaze over a low heat and it will become looser.
Stork margarine was used for this recipe.
Duerrs marmalade was used for this recipe but any type of orange marmalade is fine including supermarket value brands.
If packets of mixed dried fruit are unavailable then use a mixture of currants, sultanas, raisins and candied peel, or simply use one dried fruit such as all raisins [see the recipe notes above this recipe for more information]
Dundee cupcakes are great for those who enjoy fruit cakes but do not wish to bake an entire cake. Baking cupcakes instead can save cooking fuel as they are quicker to bake, use less ingredients so they are more budget-friendly, and are easy to pack for lunchboxes, picnics, potlucks, etc.
If you're in the US or are more familiar with using cup measurements, I highly recommend investing in an inexpensive digital kitchen scale, especially for recipes that use grams or ounces. Accurate measurements ensure greater success when baking. That way you won't have to miss out on these tasty traditional recipes :)