Caribbean Dundee Cake (with Rum!)

Dundee cake is a classic Scottish fruit cake topped with almonds and filled with raisins, currants, and candied peel. In the Caribbean, we gave it our own spin, adding rum and sometimes even tropical fruits for a festive touch. This much lighter alternative to black cake is perfect for Christmas or teatime when you still want fruit cake without going full boozy.

When it comes to Christmas cakes in Trinidad and Tobago, we usually lean on the heavy side. This would be black cake soaked in rum, or a lighter fruit cake for those who don’t want the full boozy experience. But tucked into our holiday tables is another treat we inherited from our British colonial days: the Dundee cake.

This Scottish cousin of black cake skips the long rum soak but still brings that festive fruit-and-nut vibe. Of course, in true Caribbean style, mine still gets a splash (okay, more than a splash) of rum.

What is Dundee Cake?

Dundee cake is a traditional fruit cake that hails from Scotland. It’s usually packed with raisins, currants, sultanas, and candied peel, then decorated with neat rings of almonds on top. Unlike black cake, it’s lighter in color and flavor—no molasses, no long soak, and usually very little alcohol (if any at all).

So why is it on our tables in the Caribbean? Simple: history. Trinidad and Tobago were once under British rule, and with that came plenty of British dishes that we made our own. Dundee cake stuck around, especially as a holiday alternative for people who want fruit cake without the “heavier” notes of our black cake.

Caribbean Twist

Traditional Dundee cake skips the big alcohol moment—it’s usually just fruit, nuts, and a neat almond topping. But in the Caribbean, we don’t leave our cakes completely dry. A little splash of rum (or whisky) goes into the batter, giving it that warm flavor we love.

Some families also add tropical dried fruits (like pineapple or papaya) along with the raisins, currants, and cherries. And for an extra Trini stamp, a drop of Angostura bitters or mixed essence works beautifully.

The result? A Dundee cake that feels lighter than black cake but still carries that unmistakable Caribbean touch.

How to make Dundee Cake with a Caribbean twist

Ingredients

When you line up the ingredients, you’ll notice it looks a lot like our fruit cakes, just less intense. Here’s what you’ll need:

The batter:

• Butter & sugar – creamed together for that soft, tender crumb.
• Eggs – to bind everything and add richness.
• Flour, baking powder & salt – the base that holds the cake up.
• Vanilla & a splash of rum – the little flavor extras that turn this from plain fruit cake into a Caribbean one.

The fruits & nuts:

• Raisins, sultanas, currants – your dried fruit trio.
• Cherries & mixed peel – add sweetness and those pops of color you always see in holiday cakes.
• Chopped walnuts – folded into the batter for crunch.

The topping:

• Whole walnuts or blanched almonds – the classic Dundee finish, lined up neatly (kinda) on top before baking.

Instructions

1. Prep the pan. Grease and line a 9-inch round (I used a springform pan) or tube pan with parchment paper. Preheat your oven to 325°F.
2. Cream the butter and sugar. Beat them together until light and fluffy. This step gives the cake its soft texture. Cream for about 5 minutes on medium speed until you get that nice dingy yellow color and the mixture is light and fluffy.

3. Add the eggs. Crack one egg at a time, beating well after each addition. Don’t rush it; this helps the batter stay smooth.
4. Mix the dry ingredients. Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt.

5. Coat the fruits and nuts. In a separate bowl, toss all the dried fruits and chopped walnuts with about ¾ cup of the flour mixture. This keeps them from sinking straight to the bottom of your cake.

6. Bring it together. Fold the remaining flour into the butter mixture along with the vanilla and rum (or milk).
7. Add the fruits. Gently fold in the floured fruits and nuts until everything is well distributed.
8. Fill and decorate. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Smooth the top, then arrange the walnuts or almonds neatly in circles on top—classic Dundee style.

9. Bake it low and slow. Bake for 1 to 1½ hours, checking after 30 minutes. If the top is browning too quickly, lower the oven to 275°F–300°F.
10. Cool and finish. Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then invert onto a rack to cool completely.

Tips & Variations for a Dundee cake

• Don’t skip the nut topping. The ring of almonds or walnuts is what makes a Dundee cake recognizable. It’s not just decoration. It gives a nice crunch against the soft crumb.
• Separate the fruits. Make sure the fruits aren’t sticking together and clumped. Break all those up before flouring.
• Flour the fruits. DO NOT SKIP. You don’t want the fruits to sink. Make sure to give them a good coating of flour and not in clumps either.
• Keep the batter light. This isn’t black cake, so no molasses or browning here. Stick to the butter–sugar base to keep it soft and golden.
• Rum or no rum. Traditionally, Dundee cake doesn’t use alcohol, but in the Caribbean, rum is never far from a cake. A tablespoon adds flavor, but you can swap it for milk if you prefer.
• Switch up the fruits. Classic versions use raisins, currants, and peel. I sometimes sneak in dried pineapple or papaya for a more tropical twist.
• Storage. Wrap the cooled cake in plastic wrap or foil and store in an airtight container. It lasts for a week at room temperature, or freeze it for up to 3 months. The flavors actually deepen after a couple of days, so it’s a great make-ahead cake.

Serving & Pairing

Dundee cake is the easy-going cousin at the Christmas table. It’s lighter than black cake (and yes, even lighter than our “light fruit cake”), which makes it perfect when you still want a slice of fruit cake but don’t want to commit to the full rum-soaked experience.

It pairs beautifully with a cup of tea or coffee for an afternoon treat. Around the holidays, I love serving it alongside a glass of sorrel, ponche de crème, or even a slice of coconut sweet bread for a proper spread.

Because it’s not overly heavy, it also works well as a daytime cake. Bring it out for a Christmas morning breakfast or cut thin slices to serve with wine during a lime.

FAQs

More Holiday recipes to try

If you’re building out your Christmas table, don’t stop at just Dundee cake. Here are a few more holiday favorites you can add to the spread:

• Christmas Rice – a festive rice dish full of flavor, perfect as a side for any holiday meal.
• Sorrel Cake – all the flavor of sorrel drink baked into a moist, spiced cake.
• Coconut Cake – light, fluffy, and filled with that signature coconut flavor.
• Chicken Ham (coming soon!) – a fun twist on the holiday ham, perfect for smaller gatherings.

Recipe

Dundee Cake (Caribbean Style)

5 from 1 vote

A lighter fruit cake with Scottish roots, given a Caribbean flair with rum and tropical fruits. Perfect for Christmas or anytime you want fruit cake without going full black cake.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr 15 minutes mins

Resting time 2 hours hrs 20 minutes mins

Total Time 3 hours hrs 55 minutes mins

Servings: 12

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Caribbean

Calories: 672

Ingredients Equipment Method Nutrition Notes

Ingredients

  

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For the batter:

• 1 cup Butter unsalted, room temp (8 oz.)
• 1 cup Granulated sugar 8 oz.
• 4 Large eggs
• 2 ½ cups All-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons Baking powder
• ½ teaspoons Salt
• 1 teaspoons Vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons Dark rum/whiskey or milk if preferred

For the fruits and nuts:

• 3/4 – 1 cup Seedless raisins
• 3/4 – 1 cup Sultanas
• 3/4 – 1 cup Currants
• 1/3 cup Chopped cherries red + green
• 1/3 cup Mixed peel
• 1/3 cup Chopped walnuts

For topping:

• 1/2 cup Blanched split almonds for decoration

Equipment

• 1 springform pan 9' inches

Method

 

1. Preheat oven to 325°F. Grease and line a 9-inch round pan with parchment paper.
2. Cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. For about 5 minutes.
3. Beat in eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
4. Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt.
5. In a separate bowl, combine all the fruits and chopped walnuts. Coat them thoroughly with about ¾ cup of the flour mixture.
6. Fold the remaining flour into the creamed butter mixture along with the vanilla and rum (or milk).
7. Gently fold in the floured fruits and nuts until evenly combined.
8. Pour batter into prepared pan. Smooth the top and decorate with walnuts. I just scattered all over the top.
9. Bake for 50 mins to 1 hour. Start checking at 45 minutes. If the cake browns too quickly, lower the oven temperature to 275°F–300°F after the first 20 minutes.
10. Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then remove spring from around pan andd leave to cool completely.
11. Once cooled, wrap in foil and let sit for 2 days if possible.

Nutrition

Calories: 672kcal

Notes

I used the full cup of each fruit. If you want fewer fruits, use 3/4 cup of each.

Storage: Wrap well and store in an airtight container. This cake freezes beautifully, and the flavor deepens as it sits.

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