Fruitcakes

Fruitcakes are a type of cake that is made with candied or dried fruit, nuts, and spices, and optionally soaked in spirits. A cake that simply has fruit in it as an ingredient can also be colloquially called a fruitcake.

History

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 fast.

Preparation and Use

Traditional recipes are very rich in dried fruits and nuts, and cover varieties from light, moist and delicate in flavor to dark, dense and aromatic. The choice of fruits and nuts can be changed to suit personal tastes. Some people prefer to use fresh fruit, such as cherries or a grated apple.

Fruitcakes are often served in celebration of weddings and Christmas. Given their rich nature, fruitcake is most often consumed on its own, as opposed to with condiments (such as butter or cream).

Cultural References

Due to the rich, heavy nature of fruitcake, it has become a staple of British comedy. Several British sitcoms, including Blackadder and The Vicar of Dibley, have featured fruitcake in their Christmas episodes.

In the United States, the fruitcake has been a source of humor and the phrase "nutty as a fruitcake" was coined, meaning crazy. The tradition of giving fruitcakes as gifts is often mocked, and they are often regifted from person to person until they are finally eaten or discarded.

See Also

• Christmas cake
• Panettone
• Stollen
• King cake