Fruitcake has been around for centuries and has a history as rich as its ingredients
Fruitcake’s durability – the butt of most of the jokes about the holiday treat – is actually the reason the baked good was invented in the first place.
Roman soldiers carried fruitcake with them during their long treks. Crusaders also brought the hearty treat along on their search for the Holy Grail. Egyptians packed the fruit-and-nut bread in the coffins of friends and relatives. They apparently felt it was the only food that could survive the journey into the afterlife.
Fruitcake was also tied to the abundance of ingredients in the Middle East region during ancient times. Fruits and nuts were plentiful in the Holy Land, so mixing together a fruitcake wasn’t difficult. It also provided a special treat for people in northern Europe, where those items weren’t as readily available.
In addition, fruit was a luxury in winter months, so a fruitcake made in summer or fall would still be edible during December and January.
The evolution of fruitcake
The fruitcake has evolved over the centuries. Marjorie Dorfman on her web page, ingestandimbibe.com, notes the Romans mixed raisins, pine nuts and pomegranate seeds with barley mash to make their sturdy, compact cake.
During the Middle Ages, Dorfman says, preserved fruits, honey and spices were added. These days, candied fruit, fruit rind, citron peel and some sort of liquor are also part of the ingredients. Dorfman says the ratio of fruit and nuts to batter is high, which gives fruitcake it’s dense, heavy make-up.
There are several theories about fruitcake’s ties to the holiday season. Some historians say it’s because the bread originated in the Holy Land. Others say it became popular during the holidays when English citizens passed out slices of the cake to poor women who sang Christmas carols on the streets of England in the late 1700s.
Immigrants from Germany, England and the Caribbean brought their own styles of fruitcake to the United States. That’s why there is a number of different versions.
Light and dark fruitcake
There are two basic types of fruitcake. The lighter version uses lighter ingredients such as granulated sugar, almonds, golden raisins, pineapple and apricots. The darker version uses darker ingredients such as molasses, brown sugar, raisins, prunes, dates, cherries, pecans and walnuts.
The jokes about fruitcake’s staying power are true. Peggy Trowbridge Filippone on the website about.com says fruitcakes can easily last three years if stored and cared for properly. They need to be tightly wrapped and you need to pour a small quantity of liquor over them every few months.
Fruitcake is still popular
Despite the jokes, fruitcake does retain some popularity. The Collin Street Bakery in Texas sells 1.6 million fruitcakes every year. They go to all 50 states and 200 countries.
The 14 monks at the Assumption Abbey in Missouri make 23,000 fruitcakes every holiday season. It costs $28 for a 2-pound cake. And their website says they’re sold out for Christmas 2007. If you want one of their fruitcakes, you have to wait until Feb. 1.
A popular fruitcake recipe can be found on Marjorie Dorfman’s web page at ingestandimbibe.com
