About Fruitcake

The mere mention of fruitcake will make many people cringe, whether or not they've even tried the moist, heavy and often rich dessert that has enjoyed a certain notoriety around the holidays. Fruitcake hasn't always been as cringe-worthy as it is today, however. In fact, it has enjoyed a long history of being one of the most popular and flexible desserts served around the world.

History

Since its earliest recorded mentions, fruitcake has always been cited as having an incredibly long shelf life, an attribute that seems rather unnatural today. So it's no surprise that the ancestor of today's fruitcake was often taken to the battlefield by Roman soldiers. Made from a combination of pomegranate seeds, raisins, pine nuts and bran mash, this early fruitcake was a staple of a soldier's diet.
Similarly, the fruitcake was also carried by knights and crusaders in the Middle Ages as they waged war on foot and horseback throughout Europe. These fruitcakes were a bit closer to our own. Honey, spices and preserved fruits were added, and it was officially given the name fruitcake. This is the period in which fruitcakes also gained their reputation for flexibility. Ingredients could be added or subtracted as they were available in different countries and according to religious regulations.
By the 16th century, fruitcake was quickly gaining its reputation for the heavy, decadent dessert that is familiar now. With the expansion of European colonies, sugar, tropical fruits and rum were added.

Significance

In the United States, fruitcake is traditionally one of the most dreaded holiday gifts, perhaps in great part thanks to Johnny Carson's comment that there "is only one fruitcake in the entire world, and people keep sending it to each other." But its connection with the holiday is unmistakable, and even after 100 years of mail-order fruitcakes sent to loved ones, it's still a popular gift.
In other parts of the world, fruitcake has escaped its American ignominy. They are extremely popular in England, often made with a variety of ingredients that make them lighter and moister than their American cousins. Often, English fruitcakes are delicate works of art, glazed with marzipan and decorated with winter and holiday scenes.

Features

Proper fruitcake must contain the basic ingredients of flour, sugar and eggs, along with some sort of alcohol (usually brandy or rum) and several different types of nuts. From there, there are any number of variations.
Many contain spices such as nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves and allspice. Lemon, vanilla, citron and brown sugar can also be added.
Perhaps the most important part of the fruitcake is the fruit itself. Most fruitcakes contain candied fruits, including candied lemon and orange peel, green and red cherries, and pineapple.
On average, a fruitcake weighs about 2 pounds, and has the same density as a piece of mahogany.

Time Frame

Fruitcake should generally be started at least a month before it's going to be consumed to give it time to develop its distinctive flavor. This is only a guideline, however. Traditionally, many fruitcakes have been baked as long as a year before they're enjoyed. In Europe, the fruit and nuts of one year's harvest were baked into a fruitcake that was saved to eat the next year for good luck.
Another one of fruitcake's notorious qualities is its longevity. It can be left on countertops and in refrigerators for months without spoiling. In fact, if sealed in an airtight tin, it'll still be edible after 26 years. That's because a fruitcake contains so much sugar that it absorbs the water content and acts as a natural preservative.

Function

Fruitcake has a number of other uses aside from simply being an addition to a holiday meal.
Every January, the Great Fruitcake Toss is held in Manitou Springs, Colorado. The object isn't just to recycle the holiday's unused fruitcakes, but also to show off some modern ingenuity when it comes to disposing of old traditional desserts. The object is, of course, to throw the fruitcake as far as possible, sometimes with the help of man-made devices from catapults to fruitcake guns. The yearly event has developed into a popular contest involving categories of fruitcake hurling and prizes for everything from catching the thrown fruitcake to best showmanship.

Resources

• Fruitcake Recipes