Just Cook It: All we are saying is give fruitcake a chance
Let’s talk about fruitcake.
We are going to spend an entire column diving head first into one of the most gifted, yet disliked holiday foods. Personally, I really enjoy a good slice of fruitcake. The problem is that a lot of fruitcakes made commercially aren’t good fruitcakes, and because the holiday cake is gifted so often, bad ones tend to float around. The plethora of bad fruitcakes being passed back and forth leads to the bad rap given to the unfortunately misunderstood fruitcake.
So what exactly is a good fruitcake? The main ingredients of a proper fruitcake are flour, sugar, eggs, whiskey, brandy or rum, walnuts and other nuts or dates. All good fruitcakes must, of course, also contain candied or dried fruit. The average fruitcake weighs 2 pounds and serves six to seven people.
Fruitcake should be heavy, moist and contain a variety of flavors for maximum deliciousness. Most American-produced fruitcakes are alcohol-free, but traditional recipes are saturated with liqueurs or brandy and covered with powdered sugar, both of which help to prevent mold and lead to fruitcake’s incredibly lengthy shelf life.
Another factor that allows fruitcake to keep for so long is it’s high amount of sugar. High density of sugar actually reduces the cakes water content and therefore reduces its ability to bind to microorganisms.
The flavor of fruitcake isn’t the only thing rich about it. Its history is rather rich in nature. In fact, fruitcake goes back to Roman times, even though today it is widely associated with December holidays.
Ancient Egyptians would place an early version of fruitcake on the tombs of loved ones to provide them with food for the afterlife.
As previously stated, fruitcakes were common in Roman times. Pomegranate seeds, pine nuts and barley mash were mixed together to form a ring-shaped dessert. Because fruitcake was extremely portable and had a great shelf life, Roman soldiers would take fruitcake with them onto the battlefields.
In the Middle Ages, preserved fruit, honey and spices were added to the fruitcake, and it became popular with crusaders.
In the 16th century, fruitcakes began containing larger amounts of sugar. This added density to the cake. Along with the extra sugar, candied fruits and nuts also began being added to fruitcakes.
Each century added a new flair and different ingredient to the cake. During the Victorian era, alcohol began being added to fruitcakes as well.
By the early 18th century, fruitcakes were known for being very decadent and even “sinfully rich.” During this time, believe it or not, fruitcakes were actually outlawed in Europe for this sinful decadence. Obviously, the law was eventually repealed and fruitcake became a very important part of the tea hour in England.
Much like many of us Americans, fruitcake as we know it, also has some relatives abroad. The Italian cousin to the fruitcake is panettone and is actually one of my favorite holiday treats. Panettone is lighter, has a more cake-like consistency and doesn’t contain alcohol. Stollen is fruitcake’s German cousin. Stollen has less sugar and, much like panettone, also contains no alcohol.
What is the secret behind a delicious fruitcake that you will actually want to eat and enjoy instead of re-gifting as soon as possible? Most bakers agree that fruitcake should be made at least one month in advance of being eaten or given as a gift.
When you think about fruitcake in its most basic elements, it is simply a sweetened cake with candied fruit and nuts that has been drenched in a flavorful liqueur of some kind. Am I missing something? That description sounds nothing but delicious to me!
If I described fruitcake to you without telling you that what I was describing was “fruitcake,” I’d be willing to bet that most of you would be more than willing to at least try it. Most of you would probably even really enjoy it, of course until I told you that it was indeed actually fruitcake.
This Christmas and holiday season, don’t gift and re-gift fruitcake without giving it any thought. Either make a fruitcake or try to find a really good one to gift and enjoy with your family, friends and loved ones. The truth of the matter is that if you like fruit, cake and some booze, then you’d like fruitcake. You may think you don’t like it from what you’ve been told, but if you try it, you’ll actually like it.
Give fruitcake a chance this year and for some extra fun try baking your own. Don’t be nervous — Just Cook It!
Mario J. Porreca of Belle Vernon is a food personality, author, and the host of Just Cook It on WMBS Radio 590 AM. He can be reached via his website at: www.JustCookIt.net.