Which country invented or started making fruitcakes? Do people really like getting them for Christmas? Do you?

Answer 1

1. WHICH COUNTRY ... FRUITCAKES?

The earliest recipe from ancient Rome
lists pomegranate seeds, pine nuts, and raisins that were mixed into barley mash.

In the 18th century, Europeans were baking fruitcakes using nuts from the harvest for good luck in the following year. The cake was saved and eaten before the next harvest. Fruitcakes proliferated until a law in Europe restricted them to Christmas, weddings, and a few other holidays. Even so, the fruitcake remained popular at Victorian Teas in England throughout the 19th century.

Mail-order fruitcakes began in 1913. The management of Ringling Brothers Circus liked the fruitcake from Collin Street Bakery, a local bakery in Corsicana, Texas. They ordered them as gifts to be mailed to friends around the country. Collin Street Bakery, using the old European recipe of baker Gus Weidmann and salesman Tom McElwee, grew quickly, and have shipped their fruitcakes to nearly 200 countries worldwide and numerous multi-national corporations and famous individuals.

The modern fruitcakes are fundamentally butter cakes with just enough dough to bind the fruit. The cakes are saturated with liqueurs or brandy, and covered in powdered sugar, both of which prevent mold. Brandy or wine-soaked linens are used to store the fruitcakes. Many people feel fruitcakes improve with age. Some cakes have been eaten 25 years after baking.


2. DO PEOPLE REALLY ... CHRISTMAS?

Christmas cake is a type of fruitcake served at Christmas time in the UK, Ireland and many Commonwealth countries.

A particular favourite of many is the traditional Scottish Christmas cake, the Whisky Dundee. As the name implies, the cake originated in Dundee and is made with Scotch whisky. It is a light and crumbly cake, and light on fruit and candied peel—only currants, raisins, sultanas and cherries. This Christmas cake is particularly good for people who don't like very rich and moist cakes. As with all fruitcakes, the almonds (or other nuts) can be omitted by people who don't like them.

Dundee Cake Ingredients
Sultanas 8 oz
Currants 8 oz
Mixed peel 3 oz
Butter 6 oz
Sugar 6 oz
Small eggs 4
Ground almonds 1 tbsp
Glace cherries 3 oz

Lemon ½
Plain Flour 8 oz
Baking powder 1 tbsp
Brandy 1 tbsp
Blanched split almonds 1 oz
Milk or whisky (or mix) 2 tbsp

Method:
Several hours before making the cake, put the dried fruit and peel into a casserole dish. Cover and heat through in a slow oven for about 20 minutes. Stir occasionally until completely cold before using. Cream the butter well with the sugar. Add the eggs one at a time, alternating with a good sprinkle of flour and beating continuously. Stir in the ground almonds, and add the dried fruits, peel, cherries and lemon rind and juice along with a pinch of salt. Mix the remaining flour with the baking powder, blend into the mixture and finally stir in the brandy.

Turn into an 8 in/20 cm cake tin that has been greased and lined with non-stick baking parchment. Cover with foil and bake at 300 °F/150 °C/Gas Mark 2 for about 21/2 hours. Half way through cooking time, remove the foil on top and scatter over the split almonds. Test with a skewer before removing from the oven and, five minutes before it is ready, brush the top with milk, boiled with one tablespoon sugar, then return to the oven to finish cooking.
Do not remove from the tin until cold.


3. DO YOU?
I Don't. I love Tiramisu

Answer 2

I can proudly say that I have never given anyone a fruitcake -- and I recommend that policy to you. They're not very good, IMNSHO. BUT, if you'd like to show that you love your dad, my wife makes a great holiday cake with raisins and nuts and cherries. She got that recipe and many others for my favorite things from my mom when we were married. That's the kind of girl she is. Want the recipe?

Answer 3

Germany

Answer 4

Dont know the country.. And I can't say that i've ever had one.