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What is Fruitcake?
Fruitcake, the pariah of the dessert world, is a cake popular for weddings, Christmas and other wintertime holidays. It is a spiced cake made with candied or dried fruit and nuts, and can sometimes be soaked in liquor such as rum or brandy. Fruitcake is easy to store, freeze and transport, which makes it a common hostess gift for holiday celebrations.
The fruits found in fruitcake usually include cherries, pineapple, raisins, and apricots, though other fruits may be found in the cake depending on the bakery. Pistachios, pecans, and walnuts are popular nuts found in the cake. Combining these ingredients in different ways can make a darker or lighter cake. Darker cakes, made with cherries, raisins, and prunes, are much richer than lighter cakes, often made with pineapples and apricots.
The first fruitcake recipe was found in ancient Rome, and listed pomegranate seeds, raisins, pine nuts and barley mash as the ingredients. Dried fruits, honey and spices were then added in the Middle Ages. In the 16th century in England, families realized that the high concentration of sugar in the cakes would preserve the dried and candied fruit, so they would save the cake to enjoy over the winter months when fruit was sparse. The fruitcake eventually became a popular holiday treat.
Today, fruitcakes can easily be found in most grocery and large discount stores around the holiday season. It may be a better idea, however, to get a fruitcake from a bakery, as it may be fresher with less sugar. Fruitcakes can also be ordered online and shipped right to your home or given as a gift. Prices vary depending on shipping costs and the quality of ingredients.
Mail-order fruitcakes are gaining in popularity, as they can often be shipped internationally. Many are baked by monks at monasteries -- two popular ones include Assumption Abbey and Gethsemani Farms, though there are other options available. They are reasonably priced and can make quick and easy holiday gifts.
There are also a number of fruitcake recipes available online should you want to do the holiday baking yourself, but here are a few general tips to help your fruitcakes turn out great. First, take your time and soak the fruit in the liquor overnight, draining any excess fluid the next day. Always use fresh fruits and spices for the best taste.
When baking the fruitcake, place the pan in a shallow tray of water and cook on low heat to prevent over-browning, and let the cake cool completely in the pan before removing it. To store a fruitcake, wrap the cake in liquor-soaked towels and then cover it with plastic wrap -- it can be stored for several weeks this way before freezing. Some feel that fruitcake even improves with age. Finally, you can frost the fruitcake or dust it with powdered sugar for a more finished look.
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AS FEATURED ON:
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![Pomegranate was included in ancient fruitcake recipes.]()
Pomegranate was included in ancient fruitcake recipes. -
![Dried fruit, one of the main ingredients in fruitcake.]()
Dried fruit, one of the main ingredients in fruitcake. -
![Walnuts are a common addition to fruitcake.]()
By: dinostockWalnuts are a common addition to fruitcake. -
![Fruitcakes often contain apricots.]()
By: Malyshchyts ViktarFruitcakes often contain apricots. -
![Fruitcake often contains pecans.]()
By: VirynjaFruitcake often contains pecans. -
![Fruitcakes may contain pineapple.]()
By: OkeaFruitcakes may contain pineapple. -
![A beautifully wrapped fruitcake is a good hostess gift at the holidays.]()
By: Hadi Yuswanto DjunaeA beautifully wrapped fruitcake is a good hostess gift at the holidays. -
![Fruitcake is sometimes soaked in brandy.]()
By: GreseiFruitcake is sometimes soaked in brandy. -
![Fruitcake is easy to store and transport.]()
By: taiftinFruitcake is easy to store and transport. -
![Cherries are often used in fruit cakes.]()
By: JeppestownCherries are often used in fruit cakes. -
![To preserve a fruit cake, wrap it in liquor-soaked towels and then plastic wrap.]()
By: CopridTo preserve a fruit cake, wrap it in liquor-soaked towels and then plastic wrap.
Discussion Comments
Anyone ever had fruitcake cookies? All the things you actually like about fruitcake, but without the brick like tendencies.
A confession: I actually *like* the stuff. Weird, I know, but I do. Now, I prefer one that's mostly nuts and fruit held together with a little batter, but I confess to liking the Claxton's bricks sold in the grocery stores, too. Oh, the shame of it.
My mother used to make a no-bake refrigerator fruitcake that uses marshmallows.
And even for people like me, who are mostly teetotalers, the best fruitcakes have to have some booze in them. I'd recommend a good bourbon, like Wild Turkey, a Tennessee whiskey, like Jack Daniels, or a good brandy, maybe apricot. Don't use the cheap stuff.
@chrisinbama- Not many people just go out and buy fruitcake. I think that the reason that it is not served in restaurants is that it is so expensive and time-consuming to make. It would have to be ordered regularly for it to be profitable for the restaurant. In England, however, they consume fruitcake a lot more than we do. They often serve it at teatime in homes and in restaurants.
You are right, though. Fruitcakes are often looked at as a gag gift that you pass on to relatives or friends as a joke. I watched the Oprah Winfrey show one time and the guest said that their particular fruitcake had been re-gifted 17 times over a 3-year period as a joke. Wow!
@chrisinbama- I think that fruitcake has always gotten a bad rep. The fact that we started referring to silly people or weird people as “fruitcakes” didn’t help much. Many people don’t like fruitcake because of its consistency and sweetness. I know that the texture, with all of the fruits and nuts, is not desirable to some people.
I love fruitcake. I didn’t used to like it, though. Then, I tried my grandmother’s fruitcake and it wasn’t as heavy and sweet. It was also a lot lighter and it just tasted better. As silly as it sounds, you have to find the fruitcake that is right for you.
I personally have never been a fruitcake fan. I have often wondered why fruitcakes are sometimes considered gag gifts at Christmastime and they are often re-gifted. Also, I wonder why fruitcakes aren’t on menus at restaurants, even during the holidays?
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