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Health & Fitness

Revival of the Legendary Fruitcake

I grew up in the era of the legendary “fruitcake in a tin”, which was a staple gift of the holidays in the 1970s here in the U.S.  Many people have heard stories of the dreaded processed store-bought fruitcake. Some of us not only lived those stories, but we were lucky to have lived through them, despite ingesting 5-year-old cakes that were re-gifted 50 times before some unknowing kid was desperate enough for sweets that they actually opened it when mom wasn’t looking.

Those wild tales you hear about the gift that kept on giving and receiving over and over again were actually true. I remember the decorated round tins that were piled in stacks on table displays in every grocery and drugstore around. Some legends really do live up to their reputation, this was no exception.  It was the perfect convenience gift that everyone wanted to give, but no one wanted to receive because they were just plain old yucky. Yet, they looked so festive in their fancy tins with their red and green fruit. They were the perfect last minute gift for the poor souls who didn't quite make a person's gift list.

When I was a kid I was fascinated by the mystery fruit inside these cakes.  I used to pick out those little globs of bright green and red transparent rubberized pieces and wonder how they got to be such strange and bright Christmas colors and taste nothing at all like fruit. In fact, I was sure this couldn’t be the fruit because they seemed more like the rubber bouncing balls I would get at Woolworths. They did actually bounce. I tried.

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I didn’t mind the taste of these cakes when I was a kid. They were sweet, and that was all that mattered. People used to say that they kept so well because of the alcohol. However, I don’t really know that many of these cakes in a tin had much, if any, alcohol to preserve them. But yet, something in them preserved them for years. We shouldn’t think about that too much.

During some of this time, I remember gifts of homemade fruitcakes that were actually good. No really, I’m not joking.  Years later, I found myself remembering those cakes that were somehow grouped in with those imposters.

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I found a recipe in my family cookbook from 1969 for two kinds of fruitcakes, one of them is exactly like a 1970’s fruitcake of ill-fated fame, except it was real. It was a darker version and called for dried fruit and whole ingredients. It tastes like what fruitcake should taste like, except it is probably still too close to a bad memory for anyone to accept it or even try a bite.  Traditional fruitcake might have sounded wonderful if the idea of a good fruitcake hadn’t already been commercialized, processed and canned; ruining the taste for an entire generation of Americans.   

This year, I decided to move on from my old fruitcake, and search the internet for something a little better, something that might begin to build a bridge between fruitcakes from a dark past and modern day baking. I was seeking one that stood out as individual, yet still clung to the traditional fruitcake roots (minus the tin and rubber fruit!). I am glad to say that I found one that fits the bill.

This recipe is from celebrity chef Alton Brown and Food Network. It is called the “Free Range Fruitcake”.

I really wanted this recipe to work, and I had high hopes. I needed a good fruitcake to help me bring back what might have been a good childhood tradition if things had been different. My goal is to lend a hand in the revival of the fruitcake, if that is at all possible.

Fruitcake still has a distinctive taste of its own, if you do something completely different than it isn’t true fruitcake.  It isn’t for everyone, but I think many of us Americans would still be enjoying the tradition if it didn’t catch on virally decades ago as a commercialized holiday dessert made on an assembly line.

This recipe called for various dried fruits, candied ginger and fresh citrus zests, so I knew we were on the right track. It is a lighter colored cake than the traditional fruitcakes. It lived up to the test, but yet you can taste where the fruitcake origins came from. It is really what fruitcake should be with real fruit, fresh spices and quality ingredients. If you want a darker recipe, you can probably adapt the butter, fruit and spices of this recipe with a dark fruitcake recipe.  

If you never liked the idea of fruitcake, then this might not be for you, but if you always thought fruitcake had promise, then this is the recipe and it is delicious.  

These are the adaptions I made to this recipe. I really liked the idea of persimmons in this cake, so I asked a friend for some off her tree and I dried them.  I didn’t use the blueberries called for because for my taste, they tend to overpower. I also couldn’t find any currants, so I omitted them completely adding extra cranberries and cherries instead. I went against tradition and didn’t use alcohol in the cake because I personally don’t always enjoy the richness that it gives unless the cake is very good. But I am happy to say this cake was excellent even without it, so I am sure it will be great with it too.

Since I didn’t use the alcohol in the recipe, I soaked the fruit overnight in a cup of unfiltered apple juice.  For the pecans, I used Trader Joes candied pecans, and I have to warn you not to sample them before using them, or none will make it into this cake. I also I added a teaspoon of vanilla after heating the fruit.  Alton Brown’s video on the site is a must as he has a lot of important tips. I did grind my own allspice and cloves with my coffee grinder and it does make a difference.  Next time I am going to throw in a few more scoops of fruit as well.

Here is the Recipe from Food Network: Free Range Fruitcake by Alton Brown

The whole process of making it was an experience. The fruit looked so colorful when mixed together, and the smells of the freshly ground spices were mesmerizing. I couldn’t wait to try it, but knew I had to wait at least overnight. If you use alcohol it will taste even better the longer it sits as the flavors blend and meld. The decision to make it with or without the alcohol depends on what you are looking for in a dessert. Alcohol, typically rum, bourbon or brandy is traditional for this kind of cake. If you do use alcohol, it is a general rule that you do not touch it for a week or two. Instead, let it sit for the flavors to mellow and blend.  Alcohol preserves it well for months and can be frozen even for a few years. However, if you aren’t using alcohol, it will spoil much sooner and dry out, so you will want to eat it within a week or so, just waiting overnight before enjoying.  

I am doing my best to revive this tradition that I think deserves a second chance. If you tried this or have any recipes of your own you’d like to share with us, please do!  


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