The Christmas cake, a cousin of the fruitcake, is a spicy, dense or light cake, swimming in a sea of Brandy and made with eggs, flour, brandy soaked dried fruits, candied peels, glaced cherries and almonds. The cake is then covered in a blanket of marzipan and fondant icing. It is hard to fathom that this majestic cake, the highlight of the Christmas dinner, has in its infancy and origins, once been a porridge made of oatmeal, plums and raisins.
In the 16th century the porridge was re-invented; this time cooks no longer used oatmeal but flour in the recipe and with the introduction of sugar cooks no longer used honey to sweeten the cake. It was much later that eggs and almonds were added to the recipe.
The term, 'As nutty as a fruitcake', meaning a derranged or eccentric person, was first introduced to the English language in 1935. The word 'nuts' to describe insanity was first coined in 1700's.
So why are we so obssessed with fruitcake? Why are our tastebuds so craving this type of cake in December? Why do cooks and houswives slave to make this type of cake which, consequently, takes four hours to bake plus many days to ferment only to give it away as gifts? The fruitcake has been a topic of jokes for centuries. Johnny Carson often cracked jokes about it.
But the proof of the pudding is in the eating....the fruitcake is a very tasty and spicy cake to enjoy this holiday. With its sturdy composition which packs well and is great for posting in the mail, no other cake can hold a candle to the fruitcake.
Sources: http://www.foodtimeline.org/christmasfood.html#fruitcake
http://find.mapmuse.com/interest/fruitcakes
