5 Reasons You Should Give Fruitcake Another Chance

Learn to love the controversial tradition, gag gift and unique treat this holiday season.

Photograph: Shutterstock / Elena Shashkina

Christmas fruit block busy with holly and berries

No, this isn't a joke. At that place's no cutesy punchline at the terminate. I'm writing this open love letter about fruitcake considering I genuinely think it's succulent—and severely underappreciated. I first realized how outnumbered I was—and how unpopular I was about to get—when I brought up the hot topic to a group of friends at the bar last week. "Fruitcake? You actually eat that?" some said. Even the eavesdropping bartender shot me a skeptical side-heart.

After from my initial, defensive reaction ("Let me alive, people!"), I was sent into a spiral of cocky-examination virtually why I like the quirky vacation staple so much, when seemingly everyone else would rather use it as a doorstop. For me, information technology has a lot to practise with nostalgia. Before you could have a fruitcake sent to your doorstep with the click of a keyboard key, y'all either had to make it from scratch or purchase ane in the store. Since my father's only culinary specialty was burnt grilled cheese sandwiches, he settled for the latter—and I was his accomplice. We hit up the local grocery store and a few bakeries to runway downwards the best one, and we ate it on the drive abode while listening to Christmas carols.

In short, fruitcake brings back all the warm fuzzies of my childhood during the holiday flavour. Merely in that location are a few other reasons I remember my friends, that bartender, and the remainder of you hesitant fruitcake eaters should give it some other chance:

ane. The recipe is flexible

You tin can make fruitcake nighttime or light, and use candy-coated or stale fruit. Still you do it, the ingredients can vary greatly, and at that place are a ton of different combinations. Pineapple, apricots, brown carbohydrate, raisins and molasses are all possibilities.

2. Yous can incorporate your favorite booze

Although most archetype fruitcake recipes call for brandy, you tin swap that out for rum, bourbon or even wine.

iii. It keeps for a very long time

The serious fruitcake lovers out there take been to known to wait as long equally 3 years before eating the treat. If you desire to follow their pb, be sure the cake is stored properly so the it ages safely.

iv. It satisfies a sugariness tooth

Fruitcake is everything sweet baked into a dense, flavorful loaf. And then from the candied fruits to the dark, boozy palatableness, it satisfies every sweet peckish.

five. It's a Christmas tradition

Y'all might not have grown upwards eating fruitcake, just I bet your grandmother did…and her mom and dad and their family before that. In our opinion, for the sake of keeping tradition alive, munching on a delectable fruitcake is a pocket-size price to pay. Psst! We've gathered a few more fun holiday traditions you might want to start this yr.

Get Started With Our Best Fruitcake Recipes

Upside-Down Fruitcake

I become tired of people bad-mouthing holiday fruitcakes. It's one of my favorite holiday flavors and I look frontward to it every year. This yr, I decided to combine information technology with everyone's favorite, upside-downward cake. Attempt to say no to this fruitcake; I cartel yous! —James Schend, Taste of Abode Deputy Editor

Spiced Rum Fruitcake

This fruitcake not only can be made weeks ahead, it tastes better that way! You lot can substitute Brazil nuts, pecans and hazelnuts for the walnuts—or utilize a combination of nuts. —Jason Churl, Manchester, New York

Mini Fruitcakes

Fruitcake always looked so festive to me just I did not like the hard citron fruit so I came upwardly with my ain recipe using dried fruits and nuts. I place these in Christmas themed petit fours paper cups and give them to neighbors and friends forth with the many other cookies and candies I broil. These keep well in the freezer in an airtight container. Simply thaw to room temperature and they taste fresh baked and moist. —Lisa McDermith, Highland, California

Kokosnoot Fruitcake

A neighbor gave me this recipe when nosotros start moved to this small-scale town, saying information technology dated dorsum to the 1800s and everybody in the area fabricated information technology. I soon discovered why when I took a taste...and I'm not a fruitcake fan! —Lorraine Groh, Ferryville, Wisconsin

Fruitcake Christmas Cookies

As vacation gifts, these rich fruit-and nut-filled cookies are pretty and practical. These are keen make alee Christmas cookies —the taste actually gets amend over time! —Julia Funkhouser, Carson, Iowa

Vacation White Fruitcake

Years agone, when I attended Koloa Missionary Church in Hawaii, a friend gave me this recipe. Now I whip upwards at least 60 loaves for the holidays. —Eileen Sokolowski Flatt, Chandler, Arizona

Festive Holiday Fruitcake Bark

Every year I make brandy-soaked dried fruit for fruitcake, but I always make too much. When I tried turning the extras into candy, the result was a sugariness and colorful bark for grown-ups. —Susan Bickta, Kutztown, Pennsylvania

Nanny's Fruitcake Cookies

My grandmother always made a holiday fruitcake. I turned her recipe into cookies that are perfect anytime, specially with a cup of tea. —Amanda Digges, South Windsor, Connecticut

Carrot Fruitcake

Even those who don't care for fruitcake beloved this special holiday dessert. Information technology'southward a fun way to "wearing apparel up" that old favorite, carrot cake. Endeavour it—your friends and family unit will concord. —Ann Parden, Chunchula, Alabama

Gingerbread Fruitcake Cookies

Hither'south a recipe that combines two holiday classics—gingerbread and fruitcake—into i yummy favorite. I spread on a uncomplicated glaze made from confectioners' sugar and orange juice. —Jamie Jones, Madison, Georgia

Eggnog Fruit Bread

Presents from the pantry are a tradition in my family, and this moist, fruity quick bread is a favorite. I wrap loaves in cellophane and garnish with stickers and curly ribbons. —Margo Stich, Rochester, Minnesota

Miniature Christmas Fruitcakes

I've establish that people who normally won't eat fruitcake make an exception when they sample these. Using mini muffin pans for baking creates fun, single-serving cakes. —Libby Over, Phillipsburg, Ohio

Makeover White Fruitcake

A dearest fruitcake recipe has been passed downwards through the generations, and I've made information technology lighter and brighter. I remember my mother making this every December—it merely wouldn't be Christmas in our dwelling without it. —Judy Grebetz, Racine, Wisconsin

Fruitcake Cookies with Rum Glaze

Like fruitcake—simply meliorate! If yous make these cookies nonalcoholic, y'all may wish to increase the rum extract for richer flavor. —Sheila Joan Suhan, Scottdale, PA

Glazed Italian Fruitcake Cookies

I grew up in Italia eating these every Christmas. I have such addicted memories that I make them every year and give them to friends.—Trisha Kruse, Eagle, Idaho

Candy-coated Fruitcake Squares

I'chiliad not big on citrussy fruitcake, and so when I found this version decades agone, I knew I'd establish "my" recipe. We're all nutty for it. —Nancy Johnson, Laverne, Oklahoma

Fruitcake Pie

This recipe came from a friend who knows how much we love fruitcake. The pie has like flavors, but it'due south more manageable to make than a big batch of fruitcake. I normally serve it with whipped cream. It's splendid with ice cream, too.

Daisy's Fruitcake

I added pecans and candied fruits to an apple cake recipe for my Texan take on traditional English fruitcake. —Daisy Corene McHorse, San Saba, Texas

Pumpkin Fruitcake

I make this fruity block many times between Thanksgiving and Christmas. The dense cake has wonderful pumpkin season and is flecked with pecans, dates, raisins and cherries. —Janet Hradsky, Three Rivers, Michigan

Grandma's Molasses Fruitcake

This dense, dark, moist fruitcake was my grandmother's recipe. The flavour but gets meliorate and better as it sits in the fridge, and then be sure to brand information technology alee! —Debbie Harmon, Lavina, Montana

Our Best Fruitcake Blistering Tips

If we've convinced you to give fruitcake another chance, then you're absolutely brave plenty to make your own at home. Taste of Habitation Food Editor James Schend offers some of his best tips for baking fruitcake, below:

• Make it at least 4 weeks in advance. "They just seem to go ameliorate and ameliorate the more than they are anile," says James.
• Utilize loftier-quality, fresh spices (not the old ones sitting in your pantry), since this is principal component of the fruitcake'due south flavour.
• Place a double layer of parchment paper in the pan before calculation the batter. Says James: "Since information technology's in the oven and then long, this helps go along the outside from browning too much."
• Once the fruitcake cools, wrap it in a triple layer of cheesecloth—soaked in whatever alcohol you cull to use—before storing in an airtight container.
• Dampen the fruitcake with alcohol, using a spray bottle, and mist the cheesecloth thoroughly. "I like to 'feed' fruitcakes about once a week in the get-go, and then less often every bit they age," James says.
• Never store them in the fridge, which can be too cold—non to mention moist. Instead, choose a absurd, dry place. "I commonly shop fruitcake in my basement," James says. "If the storage area is too dank," he explains, "information technology stops the aging process."

At the end of the day, fruitcake is one of those things y'all simply tin can't knock until y'all endeavor. Surprise a fruitcake lover by gifting them a bootleg ane this year. You might actually enjoy it, yourself.

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Source: https://www.tasteofhome.com/article/reasons-to-give-fruitcake-another-chance/

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