Who invented fruit cake

Later, in the Middle Ages , preserved fruit, spices and honey were added to the mix and fruitcakes gained popularity with crusaders [source: What's Cooking in America ].

In addition, fruits from the Mediterranean were candied and added to the mixture, along with nuts. Each successive century seemed to contribute yet another element to the cake, like alcohol during the Victorian era, until it became weighty with the cumulative harvests of the seasons.

In fact, by the early 18th century, fruitcake became synonymous with decadence and was outlawed in Europe, where it was proclaimed "sinfully rich" [source: Associated Content ]. The law was eventually repealed since fruitcake had become an important part of the tea hour, particularly in England. Recent centuries have seen fruitcake continue as a popular item to send to soldiers. One former soldier, Lance Nesta, rediscovered a fruitcake gifted to him in when he was stationed in Alaska.

He had forgotten about the loaf, and it ended up in his mother's attic, where he found it 40 years later, claiming that at the time of receiving the present, "I opened it up and didn't know what to do with it. I sure wasn't going to eat it, and I liked my fellow soldiers too much to share it with them" [source: Breitbart ]. And its legendary lasting power is not limited to the cake itself: the history of fruitcake is long, and fruitcake has existed in one form or another since Roman times.

To sustain their troops in battle, the ancient Romans concocted a sort of energy bar called satura , which consisted of pomegranate seeds, pine nuts, raisins, barley mash and honeyed wine. Eventually becoming popular as a dessert for special occasions, it was packed with calories in the form of healthful carbs and beneficial fats, and lasted long enough to fortify a soldier through a long, exhausting campaign.

A similar form of fruitcake was used by Christian armies during the Crusades. During Shakespearean times it contained meat, wine, sherry, fruit juices, sugar and various preserved fruits. The tradition was brought to America by the colonists in the years before the Revolution, and by the late s the fruitcake was gifted in decorated tins. The Christmas fruitcake tradition was brought to America by the colonists in the years before the Revolution, and by the late s the fruitcake was gifted in decorated tins.

The Swiss Colony has been baking fruitcakes since the early s, and has continually perfected the recipe over the years to deliver the right blend of density, moistness, and flavor. These ingredients are bound together by a buttery-rich batter and baked to form a rich, dark cake.

A pattern of more dried fruits and fancy-grade pecan halves are beautifully hand-arranged on top. The top is then hand-brushed with a sugar glaze, cooked in small batches in copper kettles, to set the design and add the final glistening touch. While mass-produced, the fruitcakes are made with premium ingredients and an uncommonly personal touch. Is this a cake or a pet? Well, to many people the holiday fruitcake is a living tradition that requires tending, and they order it appropriately in advance to account for the aging process.

It may seem strange to age a food product, except for wine and cheese…and, under carefully controlled conditions, beef. But baked goods? In this case, yes. Every year, the holiday season gives us the opportunity to revisit special traditions.

Many of these traditions often revolve around food. The winter holidays , in particular , are celebrated many times with a dense, sweet treat that some people love and some people hate. What are we talking about? The fruitcake, of course! For some people, fruitcakes evoke memories of warm kitchens and the smell of spices in the air.

Perhaps fruitcake was one of Grandma 's specialties that you looked forward to every year. For others, fruitcakes are nothing more than tasteless bricks that make better doorstops than edible treats. For these people, fruitcakes represent unwanted gifts that probably came from a factory kitchen rather than a homemade specialty. Fruitcake is exactly what it sounds like: cake made with lots of chopped candied or dried fruit.

Fruitcake also typically contains lots of nuts and spices. Some historians believe that the ancient Egyptians would put an early version of the fruitcake in the tombs of loved ones. They believed they were providing food for the afterlife. Given the impressive shelf life of most fruitcakes, they may have been on to something. Fruitcakes weren't very common, though, until ancient Romans began to mix pomegranate seeds, pine nuts, and raisins with barley mash to make ring-shaped cakes.

These early fruitcakes were easy to carry and remained edible for a long time, which made them popular with Roman soldiers who traveled abroad to distant battlefields. Over time, other ingredients , such as honey, spices and preserved fruits were added to fruitcakes.

In the 16 th century, the popularity of sugar led to the discovery that fruit could be preserved by soaking it in heavy concentrations of sugar. This preserved fruit — called candied fruit — made fruit available year-round in places where it couldn't always be found.

Candied fruit was imported in great quantities in the American colonies. With so much excess candied fruit, it was only natural to turn it into fruitcakes. Fruitcakes layered with candied fruits and nuts were quite heavy and dense.

A typical fruitcake might have contained citrus peel, pineapples, plums, dates, pears and cherries. Many fruitcakes had a density similar to that of mahogany wood! Today, the average fruitcake weighs about two pounds. Although fruitcakes can certainly be delicious, they've declined in popularity over the years. They're still a holiday tradition in many areas, but you won't see them very often on restaurant menus or store shelves beyond the holiday season!

Are you hungry yet? We are! Ask a friend or family member to help you take a bite out of the following activities:. Hi, Sarah! Everyone has different opinions about fruit cake. Some people love it! We really appreciate your comment about our fruitcake Wonder, Crystan! Thanks for sharing your thoughts with us today. Hey there, Mary Kate! Fruit cake has a distinct taste-- and some of our Wonder Friends really enjoy it However, we're so glad that you learned something new about a very traditional holiday treat!

Thanks for joining the fun, Mary Kate! Click here to learn more. A leading-edge research firm focused on digital transformation. Talia Lakritz. Fruitcake is a holiday staple, even though it's often the butt of jokes. Fruitcake dates back to the ancient Romans, who mashed up barley, pomegranate seeds, nuts, and raisins and held it together with honey.

It gained popularity as a dish for special occasions in the 18th and 19th centuries.