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{{short description|Cake made with candied or dried fruit, nuts, and spices}}
{{Other uses|Fruitcake (disambiguation)}} {{Other uses|Fruitcake (disambiguation)}}
{{refimprove|date=September 2011}} {{more citations needed|date=August 2021}}
{{Infobox prepared food {{Infobox food
| name = Fruitcake | name = Fruitcake
| image = Worlds Best Fruitcake Katya Creates photo D Ramey Logan.jpg | image = Bara Brith (3320696816).jpg
| caption = A traditional American fruitcake | caption = A traditional fruitcake loaf
| alternate_name = | alternate_name =
| country = Global | country = Europe
| region = Various | region = Various
| creator = Originally from Roman times | creator = Originally from Roman times
Line 13: Line 14:
| served = | served =
| main_ingredient = ] and/or dried ], ], ]s, sugars, flour | main_ingredient = ] and/or dried ], ], ]s, sugars, flour
| variations = Quickbread or yeasted. Can optionally be soaked in liquor. Many varied combinations of dried fruits and nuts possible. Sometimes topped with icing.
| variations = Iced fruitcake, diabetic fruitcake, gluten-free fruitcake, lactose-free fruitcake
| calories = | calories =
| other = | other =
}} }}


'''Fruitcake''' (or '''fruit cake''' or '''fruit bread''') is a ] made with ] or dried ], ], and ]s, and optionally soaked in ]. In the ], certain rich versions may be iced and ]. '''Fruitcake''' or '''fruit cake''' is a ] made with ] or dried ], ], and ]s, and optionally soaked in ]. In the ], certain rich versions may be iced and ].


Fruitcakes are typically served in celebration of ]s and ]. Given their rich nature, fruitcakes are most often consumed on their own, as opposed to with condiments (such as butter or cream).<ref>Rowan, Terry. . Retrieved June 12, 2015.</ref> Fruitcakes are usually served in celebration of ]s and ]. Given their rich nature, fruitcakes are most often consumed on their own, as opposed to with condiments (such as butter or cream).<ref>Rowan, Terry. . Retrieved June 12, 2015.</ref> Fruit cake is different to ], but may share similar toppings and mixtures.


== History == ==History==
]]] ]]]


The earliest recipe from ] lists ] seeds, ]s, and ] that were mixed into ] mash. In the ], ], ], and ] ]s were added.{{Citation needed|date=November 2016}} The earliest recipe from ] lists ] seeds, ]s, and ] that were mixed into ] mash.{{sfnp|Vehling|1977}} In the ], ], ], and ] ]s were added.


Fruitcakes soon proliferated all over Europe. Recipes varied greatly in different countries throughout the ages, depending on the available ingredients as well as (in some instances) church regulations forbidding the use of butter, regarding the observance of ]. ] (1432–1492) finally granted the use of butter, in a written permission known as the ‘Butter Letter' or ''Butterbrief'' in 1490, giving permission to ] to use milk and butter in the '']'' fruitcakes.<ref></ref> Fruitcakes soon proliferated all over Europe. Recipes varied greatly in different countries throughout the ages, depending on the available ingredients as well as (in some instances) church regulations forbidding the use of butter, regarding the observance of ]. ] (1432–1492) finally granted the use of butter, in a written permission known as the ‘Butter Letter' or ''Butterbrief'' in 1490, giving permission to ] to use milk and butter in the '']'' fruitcakes.<ref></ref>


Starting in the 16th century, sugar from the ] (and the discovery that high concentrations of sugar could preserve fruits) created an excess of candied fruit, thus making fruitcakes more affordable and popular.<ref name=sietsema>Robert Sietsema. , '']'', November 20–26, 2002.</ref> Starting in the 16th century, sugar from the ] (and the discovery that high concentrations of sugar could preserve fruits) created an excess of candied fruit, thus making fruitcakes more affordable and popular.<ref name=sietsema>Robert Sietsema. {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080618100023/http://www.villagevoice.com/nyclife/0247,sietsema,40011,15.html |date=2008-06-18 }}, '']'', November 20–26, 2002.</ref> The 17th-century English fruitcake was originally yeast-leavened, and the rum and dried fruit helped extend the shelf life of the cake.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Goldstein|first=Darra|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jbi6BwAAQBAJ|title=The Oxford Companion to Sugar and Sweets|date=2015|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=978-0-19-931339-6|pages=171|language=en}}</ref>


== In various countries == ==In various countries==
{{more citations needed section|date=December 2022}}


=== Australia === === Australia ===
In Australia, fruitcake is consumed throughout the year, and is available at most major retail outlets. The cake is rarely eaten with icing or condiments. In Australia, fruitcake is consumed throughout the year, but most commonly at Christmas, and is available at most major retail outlets. The cake is rarely given icing; often it is consumed with butter or margarine, or custard.


=== Bahamas === === Bahamas ===
Line 40: Line 42:


=== Bulgaria === === Bulgaria ===
]
In Bulgaria, the common fruitcake is known as ''keks'' ({{lang-bg|кекс}}, {{IPA-bg|'keks}}), is home-made and is consumed throughout the year. Recipes for ''keks'' vary, but commonly it contains flour, butter and/or cooking oil, milk, yeast, yoghurt, eggs, cocoa, walnuts, and raisins. It is usually baked in ]-style pan. In Bulgaria, the common fruitcake is known as ''keks'' ({{langx|bg|кекс}} {{IPA|bg|kɛks|}}), is home-made and is consumed throughout the year. Recipes for ''keks'' vary, but commonly it contains flour, butter and/or cooking oil, milk, yeast, yoghurt, eggs, cocoa, walnuts, and raisins. It is usually baked in ]-style pans.


There is also another specific type of fruitcake prepared for ], which is known as ] ({{lang-bg|козунак}}, {{IPA-bg|kozuˈnak}}). There is also another specific type of fruitcake prepared for ], which is known as ] ({{langx|bg|козунак|links=no}} {{IPA|bg|kozuˈnak|}}).
⚫ ===Chile ===
This fruitcake is known as pan de pascua. To learn more, go to ]


=== Canada === === Canada ===
The fruitcake is commonly eaten during the ] season in ]. Rarely is it seen during other times of the year. The Canadian fruitcake is similar in style to the UK version, as it is in most ]. However, there is rarely icing on the cake and alcohol is not commonly put in Christmas cakes that are sold. The cakes also tend to be devoid of any decorations and are shaped like a small loaf of bread. The fruitcake is commonly eaten during the Christmas season in ]. Rarely is it seen during other times of the year. The Canadian fruitcake is similar in style to the UK version. However, there is rarely icing on the cake, and alcohol is not commonly put into Christmas cakes that are sold. The cakes are shaped like a small loaf of bread, and often covered in marzipan.


Dark, moist and rich Christmas fruitcakes are the most frequently consumed, with white Christmas fruitcake rarely seen. These cakes tend to be made in mid-November to early December when the weather starts to cool down. They are a staple during Christmas dinner and a gift generally exchanged between business associates and close friends/family. Dark, moist and rich Christmas fruitcakes are the most frequently consumed, with white Christmas fruitcake less common. These cakes tend to be made in mid-November to early December when the weather starts to cool down. They are a staple during Christmas dinner and also can be a gift generally exchanged between business associates and close friends/family.

It is called ''gâteau aux fruits'' in ] and ].

⚫ === Chile ===
] is a fruitcake traditionally eaten around Christmas and ].


=== France === === France ===
In France, as in some other non-English speaking countries, the ''gâteau aux fruits'' ("fruit-cake") is often simply called "Cake". In France, fruitcake is called ''cake aux fruits confits''.


=== Germany === === Germany ===
In Germany, baked goods that fit the description of fruitcake are not usually regarded as cake but rather as sweet breads. In Germany, baked goods which fit the description of fruitcake are not usually regarded as cake but rather as sweet breads.


]
'']'' is loaf-shaped and often powdered with icing sugar on the outside. It is usually made with yeast, butter, water, and flour, with the addition of citrus ], ], ]s, and ]s. '']'' is loaf-shaped and often powdered with icing sugar on the outside. It is usually made with yeast, butter, water, and flour, with the addition of citrus ], ], ]s, and ]s.


The most famous Stollen is the ''Dresdner Stollen'',<ref> {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091231030722/http://lexikon.meyers.de/meyers/Stollen |date=2009-12-31 }}: "Besonders bekannt ist der Dresdner Stollen" ("the ''Dresden Stollen'' is especially well-known")</ref> sold at the ] Christmas market, the ]. The most famous Stollen is the ''Dresdner Stollen'',<ref> {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091231030722/http://lexikon.meyers.de/meyers/Stollen |date=2009-12-31 }}: "Besonders bekannt ist der Dresdner Stollen" ("the ''Dresden Stollen'' is especially well-known")</ref> sold at the ] Christmas market, the ].
Official ''Dresden Stollen'', produced by only 150 bakers in Dresden and some adjacent settlements, bears a special seal depicting Elector ]. Typically, it is covered with a crust of compacted ] around 1 cm thick, but it is actually defined by its richness in butter and certain fruit and nuts: Per kilogram flour, ''Dresdner Stollen'' is mandated by law to contain at least 650 grams ], 500 grams of butter, 200 grams ], and 150 grams of almonds.<ref> mit genauer Produktspezifikation</ref> The recipe originated in 1491, when after several generations of lobbying by ], ], and their ancestors, ] gave an exemption to the Roman Catholic ] on using butter during ] to Saxon bakers.<ref></ref>
Official ''Dresden Stollen'', produced by only 150 Dresden bakers, bears a special seal depicting Elector ].
]


In ], the local fruitcake called ] is traditionally sold and eaten during the Christmas season. ''Bremer Klaben'' is a kind of Stollen which is not dusted with powdered sugar after baking. Both ''Dresdner Stollen'' and ''Bremen Klaben'' are ]. In ], the local fruitcake called ] is traditionally sold and eaten during the Christmas season. ''Bremer Klaben'' is a kind of stollen which is not dusted with powdered sugar after baking. Both ''Dresdner Stollen'' and ''Bremen Klaben'' are ].


In Southern Germany and the Alpine region, ''Früchtebrot'' is a sweet, dark bread baked with nuts and dried fruit, e.g. apricots, figs, dates, plums. In Southern Germany and the Alpine region, '']'' (also called ''Berewecke'', ''Birnenbrot'', ''Hutzenbrot'', ''Hutzelbrot'', ''Kletzenbrot'', ''Schnitzbrot'', or ''Zelten'') is a sweet, dark bread baked with nuts and dried fruit, e.g. apricots, figs, dates, plums, etc.


=== India === === India ===
Fruitcake is a rich dense cake packed with dry fruits and nuts flavoured with spices usually made during Christmas. In India, this is found everywhere during Christmas season, although it is also available commonly throughout the year. Fruitcake is a rich dense cake packed with dry fruits and nuts flavoured with spices usually made during Christmas. In India, this is found everywhere during the Christmas season, although it is also available commonly throughout the year.


=== Ireland === === Ireland ===
]]]
In Ireland, a type of fruitcake called ] is eaten at Hallowe'en. The cake contains different objects such as a ring or small coin, each signifying a different fortune for the person who finds it. In Ireland, a type of sweetbread called ] is eaten at Hallowe'en. The cake contains different objects such as a ring or small coin, each signifying a different fortune for the person who finds it.


=== Italy === === Italy ===
]]] ] is a yeast-leavened fruitcake]]


] is a chewy, dense ] fruitcake dating back to 13th-century ]. Panforte is strongly flavored with spices and baked in a shallow form. Genoa's fruitcake, a lower, denser but still crumbly variety, is called Pandolce ] is a chewy, dense ] fruitcake dating back to 13th-century ]. Panforte is strongly flavored with spices (''panforte'' means "strong bread") and baked in a shallow form. Genoa's fruitcake, a lower, denser but still crumbly variety, is called pandolce ("sweet bread").


There are various types of fruitcakes from the ] region, most being dark and heavily spiced with an abundance of candied fruit and nuts. The ''certosino'' from ] is a round cake similar to panforte but with aromatic spices and a variety of whole-halved candied fruit decorating the top; dark chocolate is often added to the dough for a richer flavour. The certosino is low and very dense. '']'', produced in much of Emilia, is similar to the certosino, but with a lighter, fluffier dough and candied fruit inside the cake rather than used as decoration. ''Panpepato'' from ] has a dough similar to panone but has a higher ginger content. Candied fruit is not often found and instead there is a high concentration of nuts within the dough; the entire cake is often coated in dark chocolate.
⚫ ] is a ]ese sweet bread loaf (widely available throughout Italy and in many other countries) served around Christmas which is traditionally filled with dried and candied fruits, with a bread loaf consistency similar in texture to Irish ].


''Gubana'' is a Christmas/holiday cake from the ] region, specifically from the area around ]. It is a leavened dough cake with a filling of nuts, dried fruit, sugar, and ] which is rolled into a spiral filled tube which is then twisted into the shape of a rose or snail's shell. Gubana is often eaten with alcohol (] or grappa) around the holiday season. It combines Italian, Friulan, and Slovenian tastes and cooking styles to create a unique sweet.
=== New Zealand ===
⚫ Fruitcakes arrived in New Zealand with early settlers from Britain. Until the 1960s fruitcake was generally homemade, but since then they have become commercially widely available in a range of styles. Light coloured fruitcake is often sold as ''tennis cake'' or ''light fruit-cake'' all year round.


⚫ ] is a ]ese sweet bread (widely available throughout Italy and in many other countries), served around Christmas, which is traditionally filled with dried and candied fruits, with a bread-like consistency.
⚫ Most New Zealand wedding cakes are finely iced and decorated fruitcake often several tiers high. Most fruitcake is eaten in the Christmas period. It is dark, rich and made from multiple dried fruit. Homemade cakes may use brandy or sherry to enhance flavour rather than as a preservative. They may be square or round, iced or uniced. A Christmas cake is usually simply decorated with a Christmas scene or the words Merry Christmas.


=== Philippines === === New Zealand ===
⚫ Fruitcakes arrived in New Zealand with early settlers from Britain. Until the 1960s fruitcake was generally homemade, but since then has become commercially widely available in a range of styles. Light coloured fruitcake is often sold as ''tennis cake'' or ''light fruit-cake'' all year round.
] '']'' cake, traditionally eaten during ]]]
In addition to the European-style fruitcake, a traditional fruitcake commonly eaten during ] is the '']''. It is made with layers of ], sweet ] or ], ] or '']'' (]), and various preserved or fresh fruits, including ], ], ], and ].<ref name="kp">{{cite web|url=https://www.kawalingpinoy.com/crema-de-fruta/|title=Crema de Fruta|author=Lalaine|date=28 November 2017|publisher=Kawaling Pinoy|accessdate=2 December 2018}}</ref><ref name="pp">{{cite web|url=https://panlasangpinoy.com/2009/07/22/pinoy-noche-buena-dessert-recipe-baking-crema-de-fruta/|title=Crema de Fruta Recipe|publisher=Panlasang Pinoy|accessdate=2 December 2018}}</ref>


⚫ Most New Zealand wedding cakes are finely iced and decorated fruitcake often several tiers high. Most fruitcake is eaten in the Christmas period. It is dark, rich and made from multiple dried fruits. Homemade cakes may use brandy or sherry to enhance flavour rather than as a preservative. They may be square or round, iced or uniced. A Christmas cake is usually simply decorated with a Christmas scene or the words Merry Christmas.
Easier-to-prepare ] variants of ''crema de fruta'' use ] (''broas'') instead of sponge cake layers. ] is a very popular modern adaptation of this dish. It uses ] and ripe ]es (though other fruits can be used as well).<ref name="mc">{{cite web
|url=http://maputingcooking.com/recipe/crema-de-fruta-christmas-dessert/|title=Crema de Fruita a Festive Christmas Dessert |author=Jane|date=5 December 2016|publisher=Maputing Cooking|accessdate=2 December 2018}}</ref><ref name="tle">{{cite web|url=https://www.thelittleepicurean.com/2015/06/mango-royale-icebox-cake.html|title=Mango Royale (Mango Icebox Cake)|author=Maryanne|date=15 June 2017|publisher=The Little Epicurean|accessdate=2 December 2018}}</ref>


=== Poland === === Poland ===
]

''Keks'' is a traditional fruitcake eaten during Christmas season. It is a loaf shaped sponge cake with a substantial content of nuts, raisins, figs and candied fruits. ''Keks'' is a traditional fruitcake eaten during Christmas season. It is a loaf shaped sponge cake with a substantial content of nuts, raisins, figs and candied fruits.


=== Portugal === === Portugal ===
Although French in its origin, ] is a traditional fruitcake enjoyed during Christmas season and a staple dessert in any Portuguese home during the holidays. Included is the characteristic fava bean and, according to tradition, whoever finds the fava bean has to pay for the cake next year. Although French in its origin, ] is a traditional fruitcake enjoyed during Christmas season and a staple dessert in any Portuguese home during the holidays. Included is the characteristic fava bean and, according to tradition, whoever finds the fava bean has to pay for the cake the following year.

=== Romania ===
] is a fruitcake mostly made for every major holiday (], ], ]).

=== Spain ===
]
'']'' is a cake made from figs, almonds or walnuts, and flavorings, similar to a ].


=== Switzerland === === Switzerland ===
Birnenbrot<ref> {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090412234743/http://www.schweizer-kochrezepte.ch/rezepte/schweiz/birnenbrot_aus_grosis_rezeptbuch.html |date=2009-04-12 }}</ref> is a dense sweet Swiss fruitcake with candied fruits and nuts. Birnenbrot<ref> {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090412234743/http://www.schweizer-kochrezepte.ch/rezepte/schweiz/birnenbrot_aus_grosis_rezeptbuch.html |date=2009-04-12}}</ref> is a dense sweet Swiss fruitcake with candied fruits and nuts.


=== Anglophone Caribbean === === Anglophone Caribbean ===
Called ], is a traditional part of Christmas celebration in the English Caribbean. The cake incorporates a large quantity of mixed fruits and rum/wine and becomes a treasured Christmas treat consumed and given out between the Christmas season and New Years'. The fruit, wine and rum is prepared weeks sometimes months ahead, and has its origin in the English Christmas pudding, and can be quite expensive. It is very different from a North American fruitcake. In Guyana, South America, the same cake with icing, as in the U.K becomes a wedding cake. ], is a traditional part of Christmas celebration in the English Caribbean. The cake incorporates a large quantity of mixed fruits and rum/wine and becomes a treasured Christmas treat consumed and given out between the Christmas season and New Year. The fruit, wine and rum is prepared weeks, sometimes months, ahead, and has its origin in the English Christmas pudding, and can be quite expensive. It is very different from a North American fruitcake.


=== United Kingdom === === United Kingdom ===
] ]]]


In the UK, fruitcakes come in many varieties, from extremely light to rich and moist. In the UK, fruitcakes are made in types ranging from extremely light to rich and moist.


The traditional Christmas cake is a round fruitcake covered in ] and then in white ] or fondant icing. They are often further decorated with snow scenes, holly leaves, and berries (real or artificial), or tiny decorative robins or ]. It is also the tradition for this kind of cake to be served at weddings as part of the dessert course. The traditional Christmas cake is a round fruitcake covered in ] and then in white ] or fondant icing. It is often further decorated with snow scenes, holly leaves, and berries (real or artificial), or tiny decorative ] or ]. It is also the tradition for a similar kind of cake to be served at weddings.


In Yorkshire, it is often served accompanied with cheese. Fruitcakes in the United Kingdom often contain ] and ], an example of this type being the ]. One type of cake that originated in Scotland is the ], a type of fruitcake which does not contain ]. This is a fruitcake that is decorated with ], and which owes its name to ]. In Yorkshire, fruitcake is often served accompanied with cheese. Fruitcakes in the United Kingdom often contain ] and ], an example of this type being the ]. A type of fruitcake which originated in Scotland, the ], owes its name to ]. It does not contain ], but is decorated with ].


Fruitcake was historically referred to as ] in England since around 1700.<ref>{{cite book | last=Goldstein | first=D. | last2=Mintz | first2=S. | last3=Krondl | first3=M. | last4=Rath | first4=E. | last5=Mason | first5=L. | last6=Quinzio | first6=G. | last7=Heinzelmann | first7=U. | title=The Oxford Companion to Sugar and Sweets | publisher=Oxford University Press | year=2015 | isbn=978-0-19-931339-6 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jbi6BwAAQBAJ&pg=PA120 | page=120}}</ref> Fruitcake was historically referred to as ] in England from around 1700.<ref>{{cite book | last1=Goldstein | first1=D. | last2=Mintz | first2=S. | last3=Krondl | first3=M. | last4=Rath | first4=E. | last5=Mason | first5=L. | last6=Quinzio | first6=G. | last7=Heinzelmann | first7=U. | title=The Oxford Companion to Sugar and Sweets | publisher=Oxford University Press | year=2015 | isbn=978-0-19-931339-6 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jbi6BwAAQBAJ&pg=PA120 | page=120}}</ref>


=== United States === === United States ===
] ]
Typical American fruitcakes are rich in fruit and nuts. Typical American fruitcakes are rich in fruit and nuts.


Mail-order fruitcakes in America began in 1913. Some well-known American bakers of fruitcake include ] in ], and ] in ]. Both Collin Street and Claxton are Southern companies with inexpensive access to large nut quantities, for which the expression "nutty as a fruitcake" was derived in 1935.<ref name=sietsema/> Commercial fruitcakes are often sold from ]s by ] as a ]. Mail-order fruitcakes in America began in 1913. Some well-known American bakers of fruitcake include ] in ], and ] in ]. Both Collin Street and Claxton are Southern companies with inexpensive access to large quantities of nuts, for which the expression "nutty as a fruitcake" was derived in 1935.<ref name=sietsema/> Commercial fruitcakes are often sold from ] by ] as a ].


Fruitcakes are also made and sold by ] monasteries, as a means of supporting the monks and nuns who reside there. Some well-known American monasteries which offer fruitcake include Abbey of Gethsemani, in Trappist, Kentucky; Assumption Abbey in Ava, Missouri; Monastery of the Holy Spirit, in Conyers, Georgia; and Trappist Abbey in Carlton, Oregon.<ref name="ForCashStrappedMonks">{{cite web|url=https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2016/12/20/506180471/for-cash-strapped-monks-selling-fruitcakes-is-a-saving-grace |title=For Cash-Strapped Monks, Selling Fruitcakes Is A Saving Grace |author=Helmer, Jodi |publisher=National Public Radio}}</ref><ref name="4Things">{{cite news|url=https://www.ajc.com/things-to-do/atlanta-winter-guide/4-things-you-probably-dont-know-about-fruitcake/TRILE4U6TFDXPKBW3YYZOUXO3I/ |title=4 things you probably don't know about fruitcake |author=Boyce, Hunter |newspaper=The Atlanta Journal-Constitution}}</ref> The fruitcake produced by the ] of the Abbey of Gethsemani in Trappist, Kentucky earned the "best overall fruitcake" accolade from ].<ref name="TasteTheBooze">{{cite news|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB952614507604421993 |title=In a Good Fruit Cake You Can Taste the Booze |author= |newspaper=The Wall Street Journal |date=21 November 1998}}</ref>
⚫ Most American mass-produced fruitcakes are alcohol-free, but traditional recipes are saturated with ]s or ] and covered in ], both of which prevent mold. Brandy (or wine) soaked linens can be used to store the fruitcakes, and some people feel that fruitcakes improve with age.


⚫ Most American mass-produced fruitcakes are alcohol-free, but those made according to traditional recipes are saturated with ]s or ] and covered in ], both of which prevent mould. Brandy (or wine) soaked linens can be used to store the fruitcakes, and some people feel that fruitcakes improve with age.{{Citation needed|date=February 2020}}
⚫ In the ], the fruitcake has become a ridiculed dessert, in part due to the mass-produced inexpensive cakes of questionable age. Some attribute the beginning of this trend with '']'' host ].<ref name=sietsema/> He would joke that there really is only one fruitcake in the world, passed from family to family. After Carson's death, the tradition continued with "The Fruitcake Lady" (]), who made appearances on the show and offered her "fruitcake" opinions. In fact, the fruitcake had been a butt of jokes on television programs such as '']'' and '']'' years before ''The Tonight Show'' debuted and appears to have first become a vilified confection in the early 20th century, as evidenced by Warner Brothers cartoons.


⚫ In the ], fruitcake has become a ridiculed dessert, in part due to inexpensive mass-produced cakes of questionable age. Some attribute the beginning of this trend to '']'' host ].<ref name=sietsema/> He would joke that there is really only one fruitcake in the world, passed from family to family. After Carson's death, the tradition continued with "The Fruitcake Lady" (]), who made appearances on the show and offered her "fruitcake" opinions. In fact, the fruitcake had been a butt of jokes on television programs such as '']'' and '']'' years before ''The Tonight Show'' debuted. It appears to have first become a vilified confection in the early 20th century, as evidenced by Warner Brothers cartoons. It has also been used as a derogatory term for people who are considered weak, strange, or insane.
⚫ Since 1995, ], has hosted the Great Fruitcake Toss on the first Saturday of every January. "We encourage the use of recycled fruitcakes," says Leslie Lewis of the Manitou Springs Chamber of Commerce. The all-time Great Fruitcake Toss record is 1,420 feet, set in January 2007 by a group of eight ] engineers who built the "Omega 380," a mock artillery piece fueled by compressed air pumped by an exercise bike.<ref>Photos from the 2009 event: www.blueskiesbb.com/fruitcake-popup.html</ref>

⚫ Since 1995, ], has hosted the Great Fruitcake Toss on the first Saturday of every January. Leslie Lewis of the Manitou Springs Chamber of Commerce said that they encourage the use of recycled fruitcakes. The all-time Great Fruitcake Toss record is 1,420 feet, set in January 2007 by a group of eight ] engineers who built the "Omega 380", a mock artillery piece fueled by compressed air pumped by an exercise bike.<ref>Photos from the 2009 event: www.blueskiesbb.com/fruitcake-popup.html</ref>


== Shelf life == == Shelf life ==
When a fruitcake contains a good deal of alcohol, it can remain edible for many years. For example, a fruitcake baked in 1878 was kept as an heirloom by a family (Morgan L. Ford) in ].<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20097708,00.html|title=Holidays—and Centuries—Come and Go, but for the Faithful Fords, It's Semper Fidelia's Fruitcake|date=November 30, 1987|work=People Magazine|access-date=April 9, 2016|via=People Magazine}}</ref> In 2003 it was sampled by ] on ''The Tonight Show''.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1817&dat=20031224&id=0R0fAAAAIBAJ&sjid=p6cEAAAAIBAJ&pg=6655,2002670|title=Leno eats 125-year-old fruitcake|date=Dec 24, 2003|work=The Tuscaloosa News|access-date=April 9, 2016|via=Google News Archives}}</ref> Wrapping the cake in alcohol-soaked linen before storing is one method of lengthening its shelf life.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://scottymacblog.com/2010/12/fruitcakes/ |title=Fruitcakes – Myths, Mysteries and Truths |last=Mac |first=Scotty |date=December 21, 2010 |work=Scotty Mac's Blog |access-date=April 9, 2016 |via=Internet Archive Wayback Machine |deadurl=unfit |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120308022445/http://scottymacblog.com/2010/12/fruitcakes/ |archivedate=March 8, 2012 }}</ref> When a fruitcake contains a good deal of alcohol, it can be preserved for many years. For example, a fruitcake baked in 1878 has been kept as an heirloom by a family in ]; as of 2019, the baker's great-great-granddaughter is the custodian of the cake.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20097708,00.html|title=Holidays—and Centuries—Come and Go, but for the Faithful Fords, It's Semper Fidelia's Fruitcake|date=November 30, 1987|work=People Magazine|access-date=April 9, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2019-12-16 |title=A Michigan family has preserved a fruitcake that was baked in 1878 |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/trending/trending-globally/michigan-family-passes-down-141-year-old-fruitcake-as-heirloom-6169741/ |access-date=2022-09-27 |website=The Indian Express |language=en}}</ref> Wrapping the cake in alcohol-soaked linen before storing is one method of lengthening its shelf life.{{citation needed|date=December 2022}}


A 106-year-old fruitcake discovered in 2017 by the ] was described as in "excellent condition" and "almost" edible.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/13/world/europe/fruitcake-antarctica-scott.html|title=Fruitcake From Robert Scott Expedition Is ‘Almost’ Edible at 106 Years Old|date=August 15, 2017|work=New York Times|access-date=August 14, 2017|via=New York Times}}</ref> A 106-year-old fruitcake discovered in 2017 by the ] was described as in "excellent condition" and "almost" edible.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/13/world/europe/fruitcake-antarctica-scott.html|title=Fruitcake From Robert Scott Expedition Is 'Almost' Edible at 106 Years Old|date=August 15, 2017|work=]|access-date=August 14, 2017}}</ref>


== See also == == See also ==
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== References == == References ==
===Citations===
{{reflist|2}} {{Reflist|2}}

===Works cited===
* {{cite book |title=Apicius: Cookery and Dining in Imperial Rome |first=Joseph Dommers |last=Vehling |publisher=Dover Publications |year=1977 |isbn=0-486-23563-7}}


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Latest revision as of 12:58, 2 January 2025

Cake made with candied or dried fruit, nuts, and spices For other uses, see Fruitcake (disambiguation).
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Fruitcake
A traditional fruitcake loaf
TypeCake
Place of originEurope
Region or stateVarious
Created byOriginally from Roman times
Main ingredientsCandied fruit and/or dried fruit, nuts, spices, sugars, flour
VariationsQuickbread or yeasted. Can optionally be soaked in liquor. Many varied combinations of dried fruits and nuts possible. Sometimes topped with icing.

Fruitcake or fruit cake is a cake made with candied or dried fruit, nuts, and spices, and optionally soaked in spirits. In the United Kingdom, certain rich versions may be iced and decorated.

Fruitcakes are usually served in celebration of weddings and Christmas. Given their rich nature, fruitcakes are most often consumed on their own, as opposed to with condiments (such as butter or cream). Fruit cake is different to fruit bread, but may share similar toppings and mixtures.

History

A traditional Easter Simnel cake

The earliest recipe from ancient Rome lists pomegranate seeds, pine nuts, and raisins that were mixed into barley mash. In the Middle Ages, honey, spices, and preserved fruits were added.

Fruitcakes soon proliferated all over Europe. Recipes varied greatly in different countries throughout the ages, depending on the available ingredients as well as (in some instances) church regulations forbidding the use of butter, regarding the observance of Fasting. Pope Innocent VIII (1432–1492) finally granted the use of butter, in a written permission known as the ‘Butter Letter' or Butterbrief in 1490, giving permission to Saxony to use milk and butter in the Stollen fruitcakes.

Starting in the 16th century, sugar from the American Colonies (and the discovery that high concentrations of sugar could preserve fruits) created an excess of candied fruit, thus making fruitcakes more affordable and popular. The 17th-century English fruitcake was originally yeast-leavened, and the rum and dried fruit helped extend the shelf life of the cake.

In various countries

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Australia

In Australia, fruitcake is consumed throughout the year, but most commonly at Christmas, and is available at most major retail outlets. The cake is rarely given icing; often it is consumed with butter or margarine, or custard.

Bahamas

In the Bahamas, not only is the fruitcake drenched with rum, but the ingredients are as well. All of the candied fruits, walnuts, and raisins are placed in an enclosed container and are soaked with the darkest variety of rum, anywhere from 2 weeks to 3 months in advance. The cake ingredients are mixed, and once the cake has finished baking, rum is poured onto it while it is still hot.

Bulgaria

Keks sold in a shop

In Bulgaria, the common fruitcake is known as keks (Bulgarian: кекс [kɛks]), is home-made and is consumed throughout the year. Recipes for keks vary, but commonly it contains flour, butter and/or cooking oil, milk, yeast, yoghurt, eggs, cocoa, walnuts, and raisins. It is usually baked in Bundt-style pans.

There is also another specific type of fruitcake prepared for Easter, which is known as kozunak (Bulgarian: козунак [kozuˈnak]).

Canada

The fruitcake is commonly eaten during the Christmas season in Canada. Rarely is it seen during other times of the year. The Canadian fruitcake is similar in style to the UK version. However, there is rarely icing on the cake, and alcohol is not commonly put into Christmas cakes that are sold. The cakes are shaped like a small loaf of bread, and often covered in marzipan.

Dark, moist and rich Christmas fruitcakes are the most frequently consumed, with white Christmas fruitcake less common. These cakes tend to be made in mid-November to early December when the weather starts to cool down. They are a staple during Christmas dinner and also can be a gift generally exchanged between business associates and close friends/family.

It is called gâteau aux fruits in Quebec and New-Brunswick.

Chile

Pan de Pascua is a fruitcake traditionally eaten around Christmas and Epiphany.

France

In France, fruitcake is called cake aux fruits confits.

Germany

In Germany, baked goods which fit the description of fruitcake are not usually regarded as cake but rather as sweet breads.

Dresdner Stollen

Stollen is loaf-shaped and often powdered with icing sugar on the outside. It is usually made with yeast, butter, water, and flour, with the addition of citrus zest, candied citrus peel, raisins, and almonds.

The most famous Stollen is the Dresdner Stollen, sold at the Dresden Christmas market, the Striezelmarkt. Official Dresden Stollen, produced by only 150 bakers in Dresden and some adjacent settlements, bears a special seal depicting Elector Augustus II the Strong. Typically, it is covered with a crust of compacted powdered sugar around 1 cm thick, but it is actually defined by its richness in butter and certain fruit and nuts: Per kilogram flour, Dresdner Stollen is mandated by law to contain at least 650 grams sultanas, 500 grams of butter, 200 grams succade, and 150 grams of almonds. The recipe originated in 1491, when after several generations of lobbying by Elector Ernest, Duke Albert III, and their ancestors, Pope Innocent VIII gave an exemption to the Roman Catholic ban on using butter during Lent to Saxon bakers.

German Früchtebrot

In Bremen, the local fruitcake called Klaben is traditionally sold and eaten during the Christmas season. Bremer Klaben is a kind of stollen which is not dusted with powdered sugar after baking. Both Dresdner Stollen and Bremen Klaben are protected geographical indications.

In Southern Germany and the Alpine region, Früchtebrot (also called Berewecke, Birnenbrot, Hutzenbrot, Hutzelbrot, Kletzenbrot, Schnitzbrot, or Zelten) is a sweet, dark bread baked with nuts and dried fruit, e.g. apricots, figs, dates, plums, etc.

India

Fruitcake is a rich dense cake packed with dry fruits and nuts flavoured with spices usually made during Christmas. In India, this is found everywhere during the Christmas season, although it is also available commonly throughout the year.

Ireland

Irish barmbrack

In Ireland, a type of sweetbread called barmbrack is eaten at Hallowe'en. The cake contains different objects such as a ring or small coin, each signifying a different fortune for the person who finds it.

Italy

Italian panettone is a yeast-leavened fruitcake

Panforte is a chewy, dense Tuscan fruitcake dating back to 13th-century Siena. Panforte is strongly flavored with spices (panforte means "strong bread") and baked in a shallow form. Genoa's fruitcake, a lower, denser but still crumbly variety, is called pandolce ("sweet bread").

There are various types of fruitcakes from the Emilia-Romagna region, most being dark and heavily spiced with an abundance of candied fruit and nuts. The certosino from Bologna is a round cake similar to panforte but with aromatic spices and a variety of whole-halved candied fruit decorating the top; dark chocolate is often added to the dough for a richer flavour. The certosino is low and very dense. Panone, produced in much of Emilia, is similar to the certosino, but with a lighter, fluffier dough and candied fruit inside the cake rather than used as decoration. Panpepato from Ferrara has a dough similar to panone but has a higher ginger content. Candied fruit is not often found and instead there is a high concentration of nuts within the dough; the entire cake is often coated in dark chocolate.

Gubana is a Christmas/holiday cake from the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region, specifically from the area around Cividale del Friuli. It is a leavened dough cake with a filling of nuts, dried fruit, sugar, and grappa which is rolled into a spiral filled tube which is then twisted into the shape of a rose or snail's shell. Gubana is often eaten with alcohol (slivovitz or grappa) around the holiday season. It combines Italian, Friulan, and Slovenian tastes and cooking styles to create a unique sweet.

Panettone is a Milanese sweet bread (widely available throughout Italy and in many other countries), served around Christmas, which is traditionally filled with dried and candied fruits, with a bread-like consistency.

New Zealand

Fruitcakes arrived in New Zealand with early settlers from Britain. Until the 1960s fruitcake was generally homemade, but since then has become commercially widely available in a range of styles. Light coloured fruitcake is often sold as tennis cake or light fruit-cake all year round.

Most New Zealand wedding cakes are finely iced and decorated fruitcake often several tiers high. Most fruitcake is eaten in the Christmas period. It is dark, rich and made from multiple dried fruits. Homemade cakes may use brandy or sherry to enhance flavour rather than as a preservative. They may be square or round, iced or uniced. A Christmas cake is usually simply decorated with a Christmas scene or the words Merry Christmas.

Poland

Polish keks

Keks is a traditional fruitcake eaten during Christmas season. It is a loaf shaped sponge cake with a substantial content of nuts, raisins, figs and candied fruits.

Portugal

Although French in its origin, Bolo Rei is a traditional fruitcake enjoyed during Christmas season and a staple dessert in any Portuguese home during the holidays. Included is the characteristic fava bean and, according to tradition, whoever finds the fava bean has to pay for the cake the following year.

Switzerland

Birnenbrot is a dense sweet Swiss fruitcake with candied fruits and nuts.

Anglophone Caribbean

Black cake, is a traditional part of Christmas celebration in the English Caribbean. The cake incorporates a large quantity of mixed fruits and rum/wine and becomes a treasured Christmas treat consumed and given out between the Christmas season and New Year. The fruit, wine and rum is prepared weeks, sometimes months, ahead, and has its origin in the English Christmas pudding, and can be quite expensive. It is very different from a North American fruitcake.

United Kingdom

Dundee cake

In the UK, fruitcakes are made in types ranging from extremely light to rich and moist.

The traditional Christmas cake is a round fruitcake covered in marzipan and then in white royal icing or fondant icing. It is often further decorated with snow scenes, holly leaves, and berries (real or artificial), or tiny decorative robins or snowmen. It is also the tradition for a similar kind of cake to be served at weddings.

In Yorkshire, fruitcake is often served accompanied with cheese. Fruitcakes in the United Kingdom often contain currants and glace cherries, an example of this type being the Genoa cake. A type of fruitcake which originated in Scotland, the Dundee Cake, owes its name to Keiller's marmalade. It does not contain glace cherries, but is decorated with almonds.

Fruitcake was historically referred to as plum cake in England from around 1700.

United States

Two-year-aged brandy-soaked fruitcake

Typical American fruitcakes are rich in fruit and nuts.

Mail-order fruitcakes in America began in 1913. Some well-known American bakers of fruitcake include Collin Street Bakery in Corsicana, Texas, and The Claxton Bakery in Claxton, Georgia. Both Collin Street and Claxton are Southern companies with inexpensive access to large quantities of nuts, for which the expression "nutty as a fruitcake" was derived in 1935. Commercial fruitcakes are often sold from catalogues by charities as a fund raiser.

Fruitcakes are also made and sold by Christian monasteries, as a means of supporting the monks and nuns who reside there. Some well-known American monasteries which offer fruitcake include Abbey of Gethsemani, in Trappist, Kentucky; Assumption Abbey in Ava, Missouri; Monastery of the Holy Spirit, in Conyers, Georgia; and Trappist Abbey in Carlton, Oregon. The fruitcake produced by the Trappists of the Abbey of Gethsemani in Trappist, Kentucky earned the "best overall fruitcake" accolade from The Wall Street Journal.

Most American mass-produced fruitcakes are alcohol-free, but those made according to traditional recipes are saturated with liqueurs or brandy and covered in powdered sugar, both of which prevent mould. Brandy (or wine) soaked linens can be used to store the fruitcakes, and some people feel that fruitcakes improve with age.

In the United States, fruitcake has become a ridiculed dessert, in part due to inexpensive mass-produced cakes of questionable age. Some attribute the beginning of this trend to The Tonight Show host Johnny Carson. He would joke that there is really only one fruitcake in the world, passed from family to family. After Carson's death, the tradition continued with "The Fruitcake Lady" (Marie Rudisill), who made appearances on the show and offered her "fruitcake" opinions. In fact, the fruitcake had been a butt of jokes on television programs such as Father Knows Best and The Donna Reed Show years before The Tonight Show debuted. It appears to have first become a vilified confection in the early 20th century, as evidenced by Warner Brothers cartoons. It has also been used as a derogatory term for people who are considered weak, strange, or insane.

Since 1995, Manitou Springs, Colorado, has hosted the Great Fruitcake Toss on the first Saturday of every January. Leslie Lewis of the Manitou Springs Chamber of Commerce said that they encourage the use of recycled fruitcakes. The all-time Great Fruitcake Toss record is 1,420 feet, set in January 2007 by a group of eight Boeing engineers who built the "Omega 380", a mock artillery piece fueled by compressed air pumped by an exercise bike.

Shelf life

When a fruitcake contains a good deal of alcohol, it can be preserved for many years. For example, a fruitcake baked in 1878 has been kept as an heirloom by a family in Tecumseh, Michigan; as of 2019, the baker's great-great-granddaughter is the custodian of the cake. Wrapping the cake in alcohol-soaked linen before storing is one method of lengthening its shelf life.

A 106-year-old fruitcake discovered in 2017 by the Antarctic Heritage Trust was described as in "excellent condition" and "almost" edible.

See also

References

Citations

  1. Rowan, Terry. Having a Wonderful Christmas Time Film Guide. Retrieved June 12, 2015.
  2. Vehling (1977).
  3. Stollen history
  4. ^ Robert Sietsema. "A Short History of Fruitcake" Archived 2008-06-18 at the Wayback Machine, The Village Voice, November 20–26, 2002.
  5. Goldstein, Darra (2015). The Oxford Companion to Sugar and Sweets. Oxford University Press. p. 171. ISBN 978-0-19-931339-6.
  6. Meyers Lexikon Archived 2009-12-31 at the Wayback Machine: "Besonders bekannt ist der Dresdner Stollen" ("the Dresden Stollen is especially well-known")
  7. Veröffentlichung des Antrags zum Schutz der Bezeichnung „Dresdner Stollen“ usw. im Amtsblatt der europäischen Union mit genauer Produktspezifikation
  8. «Butterbrief» und «päpstliche Bulle» – Nachrichten – SchwyzKultur
  9. Swiss recipes, Grandma´s Birnenbrot Archived 2009-04-12 at the Wayback Machine
  10. Goldstein, D.; Mintz, S.; Krondl, M.; Rath, E.; Mason, L.; Quinzio, G.; Heinzelmann, U. (2015). The Oxford Companion to Sugar and Sweets. Oxford University Press. p. 120. ISBN 978-0-19-931339-6.
  11. Helmer, Jodi. "For Cash-Strapped Monks, Selling Fruitcakes Is A Saving Grace". National Public Radio.
  12. Boyce, Hunter. "4 things you probably don't know about fruitcake". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
  13. "In a Good Fruit Cake You Can Taste the Booze". The Wall Street Journal. 21 November 1998.
  14. Photos from the 2009 event: www.blueskiesbb.com/fruitcake-popup.html
  15. "Holidays—and Centuries—Come and Go, but for the Faithful Fords, It's Semper Fidelia's Fruitcake". People Magazine. November 30, 1987. Retrieved April 9, 2016.
  16. "A Michigan family has preserved a fruitcake that was baked in 1878". The Indian Express. 2019-12-16. Retrieved 2022-09-27.
  17. "Fruitcake From Robert Scott Expedition Is 'Almost' Edible at 106 Years Old". The New York Times. August 15, 2017. Retrieved August 14, 2017.

Works cited

  • Vehling, Joseph Dommers (1977). Apicius: Cookery and Dining in Imperial Rome. Dover Publications. ISBN 0-486-23563-7.
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