Cake!

[Smithy]

Thought it might be fun to make a dedicated thread for that wonderful partner to a cup of tea or coffee, a good old slice of cake.

Now I'm not the biggest of bakers (my wife is damn good at that) but today I had a crack at making one of my most favourite cakes and one which is full of nostalgia for me, Dundee Cake. This was often baked in my family and I'd been missing it dearly. I'm very happy with how it turned out but the only problem is you have to leave it to mature for a couple of weeks, so I've got a fortnight before I can tuck into this.

There's going to be a big pot of Assam and sitting in my favourite chair come 14 odd days time!

 

[HoosierDaddy]

What are the ingredients..recipe..?? Are those nuts on top? I imagine many of us in other locations have no idea. Also is Assam a tea?
HD

 

[Tomasso]

Looks like you did a good job there, Smithy! I love me some Dundee cake.

 

[HoosierDaddy]

Just checked. It seems to be a type of fruit cake with almonds. Black or dark India tea.

 

[Smithy]

Hi HD and Tomasso,

Dundee Cake is a traditional British fruitcake and not as dark as a traditional Christmas Cake.

It contains currants, sultanas, almonds (there are also whole ones one top which you can see in the pic), mixed peel, orange zest and glacé cherries.

And yup, Assam is a black tea from Assam in India, a pretty strong malty tea which is one of the usual components in English Breakfast teas.

This cake was a staple in my family growing up for afternoon tea. Haven't tried it yet as it needs to "mature" for a week or two but it looks like it should.

Cheers!

Tim

 

[HoosierDaddy]

I'm not much of a fan of most traditional Christmas fruit cakes like made here in the USA...but the Dundee looks good..!!
HD

 

[Stanley Doble]

2 or 3 years ago I took a notion to make a pineapple upside down cake. When I mentioned it to friends, the older ones said " I haven't had pineapple upside down cake in years." The young ones said "what's a pineapple upside down cake?".

This surprised me as I always thought of it as a standard type of cake seen in every home.

 

[Smithy]

Nothing wrong with an upside down cake. I've got a soft spot for Tarte Tatin.

Good stuff!

 

[Michaelshane]

Mississippi mud cake
I make it with,chocolate,coffee,and bourbon.

 

[Tomasso]

That's different from the versions I've had. Though, come to think of it, they may have been Mississippi mud pies.

 

[Smithy]

Mississippi mud cake
I make it with,chocolate,coffee,and bourbon.

Now that's a good looking cake. And chocolate, coffee and booze - really can't go wrong with that combination

 

[HudsonHawk]

Now that's a good looking cake. And chocolate, coffee and booze - really can't go wrong with that combination

Chocolate, caffeine and alcohol...that's three of the four food groups right there.

 

[CaramelSmoothie]

I've been thinking about cake these last couple of days, lol. I either want to make a lemon rum pound cake or coconut cake. If I do decide to bake one I will surely post a pic!

 

[GHT]

Cake is for others, although that Dundee cake could twist my arm. But, if you ever find yourself on British shores, then you must go along to a shop in Brighton called: Choccywoccydoodah! Enough said.

 

[jamespowers]

Hi HD and Tomasso,

Dundee Cake is a traditional British fruitcake and not as dark as a traditional Christmas Cake.

It contains currants, sultanas, almonds (there are also whole ones one top which you can see in the pic), mixed peel, orange zest and glacé cherries.

And yup, Assam is a black tea from Assam in India, a pretty strong malty tea which is one of the usual components in English Breakfast teas.

This cake was a staple in my family growing up for afternoon tea. Haven't tried it yet as it needs to "mature" for a week or two but it looks like it should.

Cheers!

Tim

Interesting that you have to let it age. I have my grandmother's fruitcake from her wedding---in 1916. I think it might just be aged enough.

It got an honorable mention in Ripley's.

 

[Smithy]

Interesting that you have to let it age. I have my grandmother's fruitcake from her wedding---in 1916. I think it might just be aged enough.

It got an honorable mention in Ripley's.

James, at 98 years I think that cake has been well and truly aged quite long enough!

My dear, old gran used to make the Christmas cake several months before the big day and used to "feed" it brandy every week - which involved dousing it in the stuff every week so the cake would soak it up. By the time Christmas arrived it was a pretty boozy affair. Mind you, the old dear's brandy butter for the Christmas pudding was a dangerous mix as well. No one should have really driven after granny's Christmas dinner finale!

 

[jamespowers]

James, at 98 years I think that cake has been well and truly aged quite long enough!

My dear, old gran used to make the Christmas cake several months before the big day and used to "feed" it brandy every week - which involved dousing it in the stuff every week so the cake would soak it up. By the time Christmas arrived it was a pretty boozy affair. Mind you, the old dear's brandy butter for the Christmas pudding was a dangerous mix as well. No one should have really driven after granny's Christmas dinner finale!

Now THAT would be a Christmas cake.

 

[Smithy]

Now THAT would be a Christmas cake.

James, it was ambrosia. Gran's Chrissie cake was the best fruitcake you could ever taste. You just had to make sure you had enough in your wallet to get a cab home after a slice

 

[jamespowers]

James, it was ambrosia. Gran's Chrissie cake was the best fruitcake you could ever taste. You just had to make sure you had enough in your wallet to get a cab home after a slice

It sounds like it was very good. Over here, fruitcake is so dang hard and dense we use them as doorstops.