Fruitcake (or fruit cake) is a cake made with chopped candied fruit and/or dried fruit, nuts and spices, and optionally soaked in spirits. Cake is a form of Food that is usually sweet and often baked. thumb|right|Candied orange peel Candied fruit or Glacé fruit also known as crystallized fruit, has been around since the 14th century The term fruit has different meanings dependent on context and the term is not synonymous in Food preparation and Biology. Nut is a general term for the large dry oily Seeds or Fruit of some Plants. A spice is a dried Seed, Fruit, Root, Bark or vegetative substance used in Nutritionally insignificant quantities as a Food additive In the United Kingdom certain rich versions may be iced and decorated. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located Cake decorating is one of the sugar arts that uses icing and other edible decorative elements to make otherwise plain cakes more visually interesting Fruitcakes are often served in the celebration of weddings and Christmas. A wedding is the Ceremony in which two people are united in Marriage.

Contents 1 History 2 Germany 3 Italy 4 In the United States 5 In the UK 6 Other meanings 7 See also 8 Notes 9 External links

History

The earliest recipe from ancient Rome lists pomegranate seeds, pine nuts, and raisins that were mixed into barley mash. Ancient Rome was a Civilization that grew out of a small agricultural community founded on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 10th century BC The pomegranate ( Punica granatum) is a Fruit -bearing Deciduous Shrub or small Tree growing to between five and eight metres tall This article is about the tree For other uses of the term "pine" see Pine (disambiguation. Raisins are dried Grapes They are produced in many regions of the world such as the United States, Australia, Chile, Barley ( Hordeum vulgare) is an annual Cereal Grain, which serves as a major animal Feed crop, with smaller amounts used for

In the Middle Ages, honey, spices, and preserved fruits were added and the name "fruitcake" was first used, from a combination of the words "fruit" (Latin: fructus, Old French: frui), and "cake" (Old Norse: kaka, Middle English: kechel)^[1]. Honey is a sweet and Viscous fluid produced by Honey bees (and some other species and derived from the nectar of Flowers According to the A spice is a dried Seed, Fruit, Root, Bark or vegetative substance used in Nutritionally insignificant quantities as a Food additive Food preservation is the process of treating and handling Food in a way that preserves its edibility and nutrition value The term fruit has different meanings dependent on context and the term is not synonymous in Food preparation and Biology. Latin ( lingua Latīna, laˈtiːna is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. Old French was the Romance Dialect continuum spoken in territories which span roughly the northern half of modern France and parts of modern Belgium Old Norse is the North Germanic language that was spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia and inhabitants of their overseas settlements during the Viking Age Middle English is the name given by Historical linguistics to the diverse forms of the English language spoken between the Norman invasion of

Starting in the 16th century, inexpensive sugar from the American Colonies, and the discovery that high concentrations of sugar could preserve fruits, created an excess of candied fruit, thus making fruitcakes more affordable and popular^[2]

Fruitcakes soon proliferated all over Europe, however recipes varied greatly in different countries and throughout the ages, depending on the available ingredients as well as in some instances on church regulations regarding the observance of fast (e. The Thirteen Colonies were part of what became known as British America, a name that was used by Great Britain until the Treaty of Paris (1783 recognized the Fasting is primarily the act of willingly abstaining from some or all Food, Drink, or both for a period of time g. "Butterbrief").

In the 18th century in some areas in Europe, fruitcakes were made using nuts from the harvest for good luck in the following year. The 18th century lasted from 1701 to 1800 in the Gregorian calendar, in accordance with the Anno Domini / Common Era numbering system The cake was then saved and eaten before the harvest of the next year.

The fruitcake also remained popular at Victorian Teas in England throughout the 19th century. Culture The Victorian fascination with novelty resulted in a deep interest in the relationship between modernity and cultural continuities Depending on a country's customs tea can refer to any of several different meals or mealtimes

Germany

Dresdner stollen is a fruitcake that originated in Dresden over 500 years ago. Stollen is a bread-like cake traditionally made in Germany, usually eaten during the Christmas season as Weihnachtsstollen or Christstollen. Dresden (etymologically from Old Sorbian Drežďany, meaning people of the riverside forest, Drježdźany is the Capital city of the German ^[3] Traditional Stollen are made with yeast, water and flour, and usually succade, almonds, and spices such as cardamom and cinnamon. Succade is the candied peel of any of the Citrus species especially from the Citron or citrus medica which is distinct with its extra thick They are baked in a traditional form and sprinkled with powdered sugar. Stollen have a higher ratio of cake batter to fruit and nuts than American fruitcakes.

Italy

Panforte is a chewy, dense Tuscan fruitcake dating back to 13th century Siena. panpepato-smalljpg|thumb|right|with chocolate]] Panforte is a traditional Italian dessert containing fruits and nuts and resembling Fruitcake or Lebkuchen Tuscany (Toscana is a region in Italy. It has an area of 22990 km² and a population of about 3 Siena is a city in Tuscany, Italy. It is the capital of the Province of Siena. Panforte are stongly flavored with spices and baked in a shallow form.

In the United States

Typical American fruitcakes are rich in fruit and nuts.

Mail-order fruitcakes in America began in 1913. Year 1913 ( MCMXIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Some well-known American bakers of fruitcake include Collin Street Bakery in Corsicana, Texas, and The Claxton Bakery in Claxton, Georgia. The Collin Street Bakery is a bakery in Corsicana Texas most famous for its DeLuxe Fruitcakes, which it ships to more than 150 nations annually Corsicana is a City in Navarro County, Texas, United States. It its located on Interstate 45 some fifty-five miles south of downtown The Claxton Bakery is a Confectionary company based in Claxton Georgia. Claxton is a city in Evans County, Georgia, United States. The population was 2276 at the 2000 census Both Collin Street and Claxton are southern companies with access to cheap nuts, for which the expression "nutty as a fruitcake" was derived in 1935. ^[2] Commercial fruitcakes are often sold from catalogs by charities as a fund raiser. The definition of charitable organization, and of charity varies according to the country and in some instances the region of the country in which the charitable organization operates A fundraiser is an Event or campaign whose primary purpose is to raise money for a cause

Most American mass-produced fruitcakes are alcohol free, but traditional recipes are saturated with liqueurs or brandy, and covered in powdered sugar, both of which prevent mold. A liqueur is a sweet Alcoholic beverage, often flavored with Fruits, Herbs Spices Flowers Seeds Roots Plants Brandy (from brandywine, derived from Dutch brandewijn — “burnt wine” is a spirit produced by distilling Wine Powdered sugar, also known as confectioner's sugar or icing sugar, is a very finely ground form of Sugar. Brandy or wine-soaked linens can be used to store the fruitcakes, and some people feel fruitcakes improve with age.

In the United States, the fruitcake has been a ridiculed dessert. Some blame the beginning of this trend with Tonight Show host Johnny Carson. The Tonight Show with Jay Leno as appropriate --> The Tonight Show is a long-running John William “Johnny” Carson ( October 23, 1925 &ndash January 23, 2005) was an American Television host and ^[2] He would joke that there really is only one fruitcake in the world, passed from family to family. After Carson's death, the tradition continued with "The Fruitcake Lady" (Marie Rudisill), who made appearances on the show and offered her "fruitcake" opinions. Marie Rudisill, ( 13 March, 1911 - 3 November, 2006) also known as the Fruitcake Lady, was a writer and television personality

For the last twelve years over 500 people have shown up in Manitou Springs, Colorado each January for the Great Fruitcake Toss. The City of Manitou Springs is a Home Rule Municipality located in El Paso County, Colorado, United States. "We encourage the use of recycled fruitcakes", says Leslie Lewis of the Manitou Springs Chamber of Commerce. The all-time Great Fruitcake Toss record is 1,420 feet, set in January 2007 by a group of eight Boeing engineers, who built the Omega 380, a mock artillery piece fueled by compressed air, pumped by an exercise bike. Dan w. Etion was the original founder and showed his idea to his brother named Stene G. Etion.

In the UK

In the UK, fruitcakes come in many varieties, from extremely light to those that are far moister and richer than their American counterparts, and remain extremely popular. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located The traditional Christmas cake is a fruitcake covered in marzipan, and then in white satin or royal icing. For the character in the animated internet cartoon see Homestar Runner. They are often further decorated with snow scenes, holly leaves and berries (real or artificial), or tiny decorative robins or snowmen. A snowman is an Anthropomorphic snow sculpture History In Occidental cultures and the northern hemisphere, snowmen are considered

Other meanings

See also: Fruit (slang)

Fruitcake is also used, especially in the United Kingdom and the United States, as insulting slang for a 'crazy person' (e. Fruit and Fruit cake (as well as many variations are Slang terms which have various origins but modern usages tend to g. "he's a complete fruitcake"). ^[4] It is derived from the expression "nutty as a fruitcake", which was first recorded in 1935. Year 1935 ( MCMXXXV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. It can also be used as a derogatory term to imply that a person is homosexual.

See also

• Christmas cake
• Christmas pudding

Notes

External links

• Many fruitcake recipes
• Easy to follow fruitcake recipe
• Stephen Malinowski's Fruit Cake Recipe (very dark, moist, no nuts or citron)
• A Caribbean Christmas inspires a unique fruitcake by Jacqueline Higuera McMahan, SF Chronicle, Wednesday, November 9, 2005
• A Fruitcake Soaked in Tropical Sun by JULIA MOSKIN; The New York Times; December 19, 2007
• Let them eat fruitcake: From joke to welcome treat? by Claiborne Thompson, The Hook, November 15, 2007

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