Fruit Cake, Its History and Some Recipes

No cherries :smile: My father owned a bakery in the 70's, and yes Fruit Cake every Christmas. I always dug out the cherries, citrus, and any other odd looking fruit. The thing looked like a squirrel got into it.

Thanks for the memories, and some really great fruitcake recipes :smile:


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The Christmas Season is here and what would Christmas be like without Fruitcake. I have great memories of fruitcake from my childhood and still love it. A good fruitcake is hard to beat.

Fruitcakes are "holiday and wedding cakes which have a very heavy fruit content. The name fruitcake can be traced back as far as the Middle Ages. It is formed from a combination of the Latin frucus and the French frui or frug."

The oldest reference to fruitcake dates to Roman times. The recipe then included pomegranate seeds, Pine nuts, and raisins that were mixed in barley mash. During the Middle Ages, Crusaders and hunters carried these cakes to sustain them over long periods while away from home.

In the 1400s, the British began their love affair with the fruitcake. By the 18th century fruitcake became very popular. A Victorian tea would not be complete without it. In America, fruitcakes became popular in the 16th century. Sugar from the American Colonies created an excess of candied fruit, which made fruitcakes more affordable and popular.

Mail order fruitcakes in America began in 1913. They are now ordered by many for Christmas.

From The History of Fruitcake by Linda Stradley in web site "What's Cooking America" and from wikipedia, Fruit cake.
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Rich Fruit Cake from "House-Keeping In the Blue Grass" by the ladies of the Presbyterian Church, Paris, Kentucky, 1875.

This recipe is from Mrs. James Hughes of Paris, Ky.

"One pound flour, one pound sugar, one fourth pound butter, thirteen eggs, two pounds raisins, two pounds currants, one of citron, wine-glassful brandy, two of wine, one nutmeg, teaspoonful of cinnamon; flour fruit well. Beat the eggs into which stir all the ingredients. Bake three hours."
 
Another interesting thread on fruitcakes. As I have written before what would Christmas be like without fruitcake. As I posted in another thread, my husband can't have them anymore because of the nuts. He used to love them.
 
December 27th is National Fruitcake Day. It is my birthday too.

My husband got me a chocolate cake with white icing. It is my favorite.

But may also have some fruitcake. I have always liked it a lot.
 
Tropical Fruit Cake, a Florida recipe

4 cups unbleached white flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 cups chopped pecans
1 2/2 cups diced dried papaya
3/4 cup minced dates
2 cups light rum, divided
1 1/3 cup white raisins
1 cup butter
1 cup light honey
4 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sift together flour and baking powder. Then stir in pecans, papaya and dates.
In a small pan, heat 1/2 cup rum and stir in raisins. Set this aside until raisins are plump.
In a medium bowl cream butter until light. Use mixed on medium speed or beat by hand. Add in honey and beat until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well with each addition. Beat in vanilla.
Combine butter mixture, flour and fruits. Pour into 4 greased 3 x 6 loaf pans.
Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Cool in pans. Remove to racks. While warm. pierce tops of cakes with toothpick in random patterns. Pour 2 tablespoons rum over each cake and allow to completely cool.
Place 1 cup rum in small bowl and soak 12 x 16 inch pieces of flannel until statured. Wrap cakes in flannel, then in 2 layers of aluminum foil. Store in cool place for about 2 weeks. It will then be ready for the Holidays.

This makes 4 loaves.

From "Cross Creek Kitchens", Sally Morrison and Kate Barnes.

Cross Creek is where Majorie Kinnan Rawlings lived. She wrote a cook book. She also was author of "Cross Creek", "South Moon Under and "The Yearling". Her home is now a state historic site. It is well worth a visit.

Cross Creek is on an isthmus between two large lakes. Spaniards once planted orange groves here and Indians enjoyed an abundance of readily available foods. Early settlers lived off the land here, with farming, fishing and tending citrus groves.
 
I had the very good sense to marry in Scotland because the Groom's Cake was fruitcake in Edinburgh. I've been told that this also is true in the South though I've never encountered it. Every year I make three at Halloween, wrap them in foil and store in the fridge--moistening each periodically with Single Malt Scotch. This year time was pressing so I skipped the ritual but a Danish-American friend gave me a loaf he had made: it was completely different--but still quite wonderful!
 
I had to drop in to say my favorite fruit cake when I lived in Texas was Collins Street Bakery. Even though I didnt live near one, I managed to get me one for Christmas.
That has been a long time since I’ve gotten one. I need to call them up.
 
My grandmother used to soak her fruitcake in Mogan David 20/20 for 6 weeks before serving it.

Bottom line, I love fruitcake.....and black licorice ice cream, jelly and mustard sandwiches and there is nothing like a good Dagwood sandwich!

--BBF
 
Our family enjoyed great homemade fruit cake!
Dad taught me to secret to making bad fruit cake better
Dark Rum. That fixed nearly everything.
 
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