Scottish Black Bun: Hogmanay New Year’s Cake Wrapped in Pastry

The Scottish Hogmanay Black Bun is a satiating sweet treat of dried fruit mixed with an abundance of spices, a bit of flour, and sweetened with brown sugar and molasses. It’s enveloped in a lightly sweetened buttery, flaky pastry resembling a present. It truly is an edible gift of joy and hope. The traditional Scottish Black Bun fruitcake encapsulates the season representing the end of a bountiful harvest, affection for others, and optimism for a prosperous New Year.

A Little Black Bun History

Vikings and Celtic pagans dating back to at least the 8^th century celebrated the winter solstice and the end of the harvest season with the enormous Hogmanay festival. To this day, the Scottish bring in the New Year Hogmanay style! Celebrated starting on New Year’s Eve, this festival includes lights (formerly large bonfires to symbolize shining light on the unknown year to come), fireworks (like most of us), and gifts of the black bun fruitcake wrapped in pastry. It is hoped the recipient of this hearty edible present would experience a fruitful year without hunger.

“Auld Lang Syne”… Scots Language, Did You Know?

In addition to creating a cake baked in pie dough, the Scottish are responsible for THE New Year’s song many of us sing (or try to sing) today. That’s right! The song Auld Lang Syne means Old Long Since referring to remembering the good ol’ days and friendships. The title is written in Scots Language (one of three dialects spoken in Scotland; the others are English and Scottish Gaelic). The song title was an expression coined in the later 17th century (1660s); however, Scottish poet Robert Burns wrote a poem with the same name in 1788 making it popular. Over the centuries, the poem became a song and thanks to early 20th century mass media, the song was played by the band, Royal Canadians, annually on New Year’s Eve on the radio and later on television. Today, it is the one and near only song English speakers associate with New Year’s Day.

My Scottish Black Bun Inspiration

The Influence of Historical Fiction

The Scottish Black Bun was not a fruitcake with which I was familiar. In fact, it was the ancient Hogmanay festival that I have been reading about for years that first grabbed my attention (thanks to my interest in historical fiction). The time travel book series, Outlander by Diana Gabaldon, became a well-watched TV series about 8 years ago and put her books back on the map along with a slew of writers focusing on this type of genre. I could be wrong, but it seems to me that her Scottish-based series boosted the craving for the whole Scottish regency, fantasy, time travel, and period storytelling genres that you can find everywhere now.

A Cake in a Pastry? Cool Idea!

My sister and I have read a variety of different Scottish period novels where the Hogmanay festival is highlighted and described somewhere within their respective pages. So, a while back she and I were looking for cool, traditional international bakes we wanted to try. We both like fruitcake and she mentioned the black bun having read about it in a book. Of course, I jumped on it. It wasn’t the fruitcake that intrigued me as much as the pastry baked around it. I knew I had to create a recipe and share it! For all of you Scottish historical fiction readers out there and/or those who just love Scottish culture or fruitcake, this recipe is for you. 😊

My Version of the Scottish Black Bun

The Pastry is the Key to Success

Let’s start with the pastry. I opted for a lightly sweetened pastry dough since the fruitcake itself isn’t too sweet. I used powdered sugar in the dough because it contains a thickener like cornstarch which softens and tenderizes the dough. Since the dough must be manipulated so much to fit and stay in loaf pans, this ingredient allows for that flexibility and doesn’t stick or tear.

So Many Spices but Oh So Good!

I keep a pantry full of spices and herbs so whenever I can use them, I do! Fruitcake is generally full of spices, so I wanted one that screamed winter warmth making it perfect for the holidays. Thus, I added quite the variety, but you can modify the spices to fit your needs based on the stock in your cabinet. You might be puzzled to find black pepper and coriander in this recipe, but they are commonly used with sweet spices. Black pepper enhances the warmth of sweet spices (like cinnamon, allspice, cloves, ginger, etc.) which naturally have a low heat level; pepper brings out that little heat potential. Coriander is a warm, nutty, citrus-y spice that adds a hint of freshness to the others. All together the spices add their own special nuances that sing in harmony.

The Dried Fruit & Sweeteners

The dried fruit traditional to this recipe consists of raisins and currants. While raisins are easier to come by, I included those but went for my favorite jumbo crimson variety with the traditional black. With a lack of currants within my grasp, I opted for dried cranberries and dried blueberries (which I personally prefer). The mixed fruit peel is traditional and can be difficult to find; making your own is really very easy, clean, and fresh (I used my recipe linked but only added orange and lemon peel)! I chose a combination of brown sugar, which is traditional, and a sticky sweetener like molasses. If you live outside of the United States and can easily access it, you could use black treacle for the sticky sweetener.

Scottish Black Bun Ingredients

I’m very excited to share this wonderful tasting, lucky sweet treat recipe. In fact, this recipe makes 2 black bun loaves. The ingredients are many due to the spices. Most of the spices can be found in a holiday baking pantry or eliminated or subbed to fit your needs. The pie crust pastry ingredients include all-purpose flour, powdered sugar, salt, shortening, butter, water, and an egg. The black bun filling includes all-purpose flour, baking soda, cinnamon, allspice, ginger, mace, nutmeg, black pepper, cloves, coriander, brown sugar, molasses, egg, a little Scottish liquor, fruit juice, or water, a little milk, mixed fruit peel, raisins, and currants (or other dried fruit like cranberries or blueberries which are not traditional but very tasty and festive).

Make the Double Crust Pie Dough

Key to Flaky Pastry is Cold Ingredients!

The flaky pastry (or what I call the gift wrap) that surrounds the black bun cake has both a bottom and top layer. To make the dough for 2 fruitcake loaves, start with cold ingredients to ensure flakiness. Dice 64 g (⅓ cup) of shortening and 75 g (⅓ cup) of cold butter and place in a bowl. Put them in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to get really cold before cutting them into the flour. Add ice and 1 cup of water to a measuring glass and place it in the refrigerator.

TIP: You can dice the shortening and butter and place them in the fridge days ahead of time. Really cold fat stays solidified longer during the baking process. Thus, as it slowly melts, it creates pockets or layers within the dough making it flaky.

Mix the Pastry’s Dry Ingredients

In a large bowl, add 300 grams (2½ cups) of all-purpose flour, 30 grams (¼ cup) of powdered sugar, and 3 grams (½ teaspoon) of salt (if using unsalted butter). Give it a quick stir to combine.

TIP: For desserts with pie crust, I prefer to add a little sweetener to my pie dough. Powdered sugar keeps the crust tender and makes it easy to manipulate in the small loaf pans. My mom uses powdered sugar in some of her sweet pie dough, so I took that note from her. Thanks mom! 😊

Cut in Cold Ingredients

Cut in the Fat

To the dry ingredients, add the cold shortening and cold butter. Use a pastry cutter (or food processor) to cut in the butter and shortening until the mixture resembles small peas.

TIP: Sometimes I make pie crust with shortening only and other times I mix both shortening and butter. For this recipe, I chose the mix because shortening tenderizes the dough, aids in manipulation, and makes it flaky. Butter also aids in flakiness while enhancing caramelization during baking.

Slowly Add Water

From the cold ice water, add 1 tbsp of water at a time. You’ll add between 8 and 10 tablespoons depending on your environment (humidity). Use a fork to toss the dry and wet ingredients together. Push the mixture against the side of the bowl to ensure the water moistens the ingredients. Continue adding water until all the flour is just moistened.

TIP: If using a food processor, add just enough water until the dough comes together in a cohesive mound.

Divide & Refrigerate

Divide the dough in half, each half for each loaf pan. Wrap each half loosely in plastic wrap. Form the dough halves into disks and place them in the fridge for at least 20 minutes to relax the gluten and firm up the butter and shortening.

TIP: You can make the dough up to 3 days in advance and store in the fridge until ready to use.

Make the Black Bun Filling

Sift Dry Ingredients

In a large bowl, sift all 10 of the dry ingredients. Start with 200 grams (1¾ cups) of all-purpose flour. To that, add 2 grams (½ teaspoon) of baking soda, 2 grams (¾ teaspoon) of ground cinnamon, 1 gram (½ teaspoon) of ground allspice, 1 gram (½ teaspoon) of ground ginger, 1 gram (½ teaspoon) of mace (optional), 1 gram (½ teaspoon) of ground nutmeg, 1 gram (½ teaspoon) of ground black pepper, ½ gram (¼ teaspoon) of ground cloves, and ½ gram (¼ teaspoon) of coriander. Whew! Sift it all together and give it all a whisk to combine. I like to use a glass bowl so I can lift it up and see through it to ensure the mixture is mixed at the bottom.

TIP: Mace is a spice that can be difficult to find and can be expensive, so you can just omit it. There’s no need to substitute in this recipe since mace’s common substitutions are already included.

What is Mace? How is it Different from Nutmeg?

Both nutmeg and mace come from the same tree grown in Indonesia. Nutmeg is the dark brown seed that is ground down into a powder and used in recipes. Mace is the red flower-like covering that surrounds the nutmeg seed like a web. Mace is dried and then sold as strands (blades) or ground into powder. Both have a similar flavor. Mace is stronger and more potent than nutmeg; its flavor is a cross between black pepper and cinnamon. Since the nutmeg seed produces more spice than the mace covering, nutmeg is more common and less expensive. If you can’t find mace, you can sub with most any warm spice like nutmeg, cinnamon, pumpkin or apple pie spice. However, in this recipe, it’s easier to eliminate it since all the other spices are already included.

Add the Sweeteners

Add 166 g (¾ cup packed) brown sugar. Whisk or use a fork to mix it well with the flour. Make a well in the center and pour in 60 ml (¼ cup) molasses.

TIP: Use cooking spray or oil to grease measuring cups or utensils before touching or spooning in a sticky substance like molasses or honey. The grease will cause the ingredient to slide right off the utensil or out of the cup.

Add the Wet Ingredients

Crack, beat, and pour in 1 large egg. For this next ingredient, you have options. The Scottish love their whisky and brandy and either is traditional in this recipe. However, since there are only 2 tablespoons, you can substitute with fruit juice like orange, or water, or even milk. For this post, I added 2 tablespoons of rum because that’s what I had in my pantry from other holiday bakes. But I have made this recipe using milk in place of the rum. Regardless of the liquid you choose to add, you’ll also need 2 tablespoons of milk. Use a spoon or fork and stir well. The batter will be thick, dense, and sticky. If the batter is dry and bits of flour remain, add another 1-2 tablespoons of milk until the ingredients are just moistened.

TIP: Orange juice would be a good whisky or brandy substitute as it would highlight and enhance the citrus mixed peel flavors.

Add Dried Fruit & Mixed Fruit Peel

Finally, add 300 grams (2 cups) of raisins; you can use black or a mix of black and crimson or golden. Traditionally, currants are added but they are more difficult to find in the United States and maybe other countries. So, if you can’t find them, you can substitute with another dried fruit that resembles them like dried cranberries and dried blueberries. My grocery store was out of currants, so I added 300 grams (2 cups) of a mix of dried cranberries and blueberries. While cranberries and blueberries aren’t traditional, they are very festive and tasty. Then, add 80 grams (½ cup) of mixed fruit peel (either store-bought or homemade). Fold in all ingredients just until all are incorporated. Set the filling aside. The mixture will be dense, thick, and sticky.

TIP: I use homemade orange and lemon peel in this recipe. They are easy to “make” and often much easier to do yourself than trying to find and hunt them down in a store or online. If making your own, eliminate the extra sugar coating once removing the peels from the sugar water.

Assembly Time!

Preheat Oven & Prepare Pans

Preheat the oven 350˚F (177˚C). Line two 1.5-quart loaf pans with overhanging parchment paper. Use a pair of scissors to cut each corner of the paper down to where the paper meets the pan bottom. Allow the end flaps to sit inside the edge flaps. The paper should sit flush with the pan. Then, trim the inside flapping corners that are floppy and leave the remainder paper to sit flat.

TIP: Taking the time to cut the paper to fit the pan will produce a smooth, baked pastry edge. If not, the pastry will be lumpy and likely have paper stuck within the folds.

Divide Dough & Roll into a Rectangle

Remove one dough half from the fridge, unwrap it, and place it on a lightly floured work surface. Remove a third (~92 grams from 277 grams total) of the dough and place it in the fridge. Roll the other ⅔ dough into a rectangle (11×13 inches) large enough to fit in and up the sides of the loaf pan.

TIP: Keep a well-floured work surface so the pastry will lift easily when transferring it to the loaf pan.

Transfer Dough to Pans

Gently fold the dough in half. Pick it up carefully and unfold it in the loaf pan to ensure it fits. Gently press the dough along the bottom and edges to fit flush. The dough will likely not stay; it will fall in on itself, but don’t worry as it will hold its shape once the filling is added. Place the pan with the floppy dough in the fridge to keep the dough cold. Cold dough with firm butter and shortening chunks = flaky pastry. Repeat with the other dough disk and loaf pan.

Fill Dough-Lined Pans with Black Bun Filling

Fill both loaf pans “equally” with the black bun filling (just eyeball it). The cake will rise, so the mixture will only fill about halfway up in the pans. Trim the dough edges down to where it sits only about a ½ inch above the filling and reserve the dough pieces for the top. With a small bowl of water nearby, dip your fingers in to moisten them and gently press the filling down to flatten out the top.

TIP: Since the filling is thick and sticky, just use a combination of a spoon and your hands to transfer the filling from the bowl to the loaf pans patting it down lightly in each loaf pan.

Roll Dough Tops into Rectangles

Take the two remaining dough pieces (the third set aside from each dough disk). Roll each out into a rectangle about a quarter-inch larger than the size of the loaf pan. Place each dough top on the filling of each loaf pan as the top crust. The top should sit just inside of the top edge of the bottom dough.

TIP: Trim off any excess dough, any dough more than a ¼ -inch or so just above the filling to prevent any bulky baked pastry edges. Save the dough to reroll and use to cut out decorative designs for the top.

Add Holes & Decorate Tops

Use a knife to poke small holes in a few different places in the top dough to allow steam to escape during baking.

Decoration Options:

1. Use fork tines to crimp the dough edges all around the pan to seal the filling within the top and bottom crusts.
2. After sealing the edges, use any dough scraps to decorate the top. Just roll out the dough to desired thickness and freehand or use a stencil to cut dough into a bow like a present (since the rectangle shape of the loaf looks like a gift). You can also cut out strips of dough and place strips on each loaf to resemble the ribbon around a present.

Add Egg Wash

Beat an egg and brush it over any visible crust in both pans including the decorations. If your decorations covered up the vent holes, go back and add new ones.

TIP: An egg wash darkens the crust and gives it a shine. It also helps to keep the decorations in place.

Ready to Bake

Bake both loaves for 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes. Place a sheet of foil over the tops during the last 30 minutes of baking if the crust is browning too quickly. The loaves are done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Baked Hot Out of the Oven

Loaves are baked. What a nice edible gift already wrapped! Talk about convenience! Allow the loaves to cool completely in their pans before removing them. When removing them, lift the loaves out of the pan using the overhanging parchment paper edges and place them on desired cutting board or serving platter.

Serving & Storing Suggestions

Once cooled, slice and eat the cake or wrap the loaves in foil and leave them at room temperature for several weeks to ripen. This recipe is for fruitcake, so it’s worth making it ahead of time for ease but it’s not necessary. We can’t keep these loaves long enough in my house for that. 😉

Up Close & Personal with a Scottish Hogmanay Black Bun

The crust is solid and holds in the cake. While the cake rose during baking, both crusts remain intact. Notice the flaky pie crust due to the cold ingredients and chunky butter. What a color contrast between the dark cake and the light-colored pastry. It’s clear why this fruitcake is called “black bun”. The brown sugar, molasses, and spices contribute to the darkness. The fruit dotted throughout adds texture, color, and stability. You can spot the cranberries by their red coloring and seeds. Also visible are the crimson-colored raisins and specks of chopped candied orange and lemon peel. The cake is dense like what you would expect from a fruitcake.

Scottish Black Bun Final Thoughts

This is not just another fruitcake. What an idea to wrap a cake in pie crust! The idea reminds me of a brookie (a brownie and cookie baked as one). So clever! Ok, so yes, this is a fruitcake. Honestly, with it being so dense due to so much dried fruit, it makes a great granola bar substitute. Since there isn’t much fat (except for in the pie crust), it doesn’t leave you feeling sluggish. Scott and I like all kinds of fruitcake, so this version is quite pleasing and interesting to us. While currants are traditional, we really like the dried cranberries and blueberries for flavor variety adding a little tartness. This is not the easiest fruitcake to make because of the added step of preparing a pie crust; however, you get two for the price of one. Gift them both or gift one and eat one. 😉

Scottish Black Bun Baker’s Perspective

A fruitcake baked in a pie crust looks complicated but it’s not. If making pie crust is not your thing, you could just buy pre-made pie dough and that would eliminate a time-consuming step. However, pie dough can be made days in advanced for ease. There are lots of spices, but you could adjust them to fit your needs or preferences. Since most of the spices in this recipe are typical holiday spices, I’m sure you could sub with pumpkin or apple pie spice for some of them. Mixing the dried fruit into the sticky batter is a workout as the batter is really dense. The pie dough is forgiving and doesn’t tear or stick making it easy to manipulate in the pan. You can forgo the decorative top and just brush the dough with egg wash. Ultimately, the Scottish black bun takes time, but it is interesting and different from a traditional American fruitcake.

Scottish Black Bun Taster’s Perspective

The Scottish black bun is mostly fruit and spices without being overly sweet. The pie crust contributes to flavor and texture adding a rich flakiness to a spicy, chewy filling. The molasses and brown sugar add just the right amount of sweetness and depth. The mixed fruit peel is clearly present providing a bright freshness to offset the warm spices. Overall, it’s a fun and different take on other fruitcakes or fruit breads commonly eaten this time of year. We’ve enjoyed several Scottish black buns this season. If you’re looking for a sweet treat to bring in the New Year, consider the Scottish Hogmanay Black Bun. As the old Scottish song Auld Lang Syne suggests, reflect on the past while looking forward to new adventures. Wishing you and yours a happy, healthy, and prosperous new year.

Checkout my YouTube video on the ins and outs of making the Scottish Black Bun. “Scottish Hogmanay Black Bun (New Year’s Cake): Spices & Dried Fruit Wrapped in a Flaky Pie Crust”

Check out these other holiday recipes.

Czech Vánočka Christmas Bread

Finnish Pinwheel Cookies

Vegetarian Tamales: Vegan & Meat Friendly

Holiday Rolled Baklava: Pistachios, Pomegranates, & Orange

Holiday Squash & Cranberry Muffins

British Hot Cross Buns

Grandma’s Crispy Crust Moist Skillet Cornbread

Canadian Tourtière: Holiday Meat Pie

Austrian Apple Strudel

3 Simple & Flavorful Pie Crusts

Phyllo Dough

Sweet Potato Swirled Babka Bread

Cinnamon Rolls

Venezuelan Pan de Jamón (Ham Bread)

Grandma’s Yeast Rolls (The Berry Family Recipe)

French Pain d’Épices (Spice Bread)

Crispy Ginger Snap Cookies

Greek Vasilopita New Year’s Cake

Spanish King Cake (Rascón de Reyes Epiphany Bread)

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