Finally something we can all agree on…even them Texans!

[FireMan]

Are there prunes in fruitcake?

[Mark V]

I am neither for nor against fruitcakes, just never get them or make them. A friend swears that his sister makes a great one but that is soaked in booze, so I could see that. That adds a lot of flavor and attitude.

[Mosca]

I think we need a fruitcake poll along the lines of Mosca's prune juice poll.

When I was a kid, fruitcakes appeared around the holidays. I remember seeing one and thinking, “That looks like it’s going to be good!” And it wasn’t.

I think a big part of it is the disappointment, that it’s something that should be good; it has the look and smell of stuff like babka, poppyseed cake, spice cake, etc.

I did have one really, truly excellent fruitcake, once. But I don’t remember where, what brand, anything about it, except that I remember thinking that I wasn’t disappointed by it; it tasted as good as it looked and smelled.

I got my vote ready, when someone wants to start the poll.

[WayneT]

I’ve eaten the (in)famous Claxton Fruitcakes, Southern Supreme Fruitcakes, my grandmother’s fruitcakes and my mother’s fruitcakes in the very distant past. I do not eat any of them anymore. If I am gifted a fruitcake, I will use it as a door stop until it starts to smell. Then I use it as a weight in my compost pile. You cannot put enough booze in a fruitcake to make it appealing to me.

Clay, keep searching for that universally agreed upon subject. 😉

[CHNeal]

Wayne it’s awesome you used the door stop analogy! I just posted a poll with that in the title! My uncle had one of my grandmas cakes in a tin as a door stop my entire childhood!

[texastweeter]

Try soaking it in rum or bourbon...

[WayneT]

As an addendum to my previous negative post about fruitcake, I think my aversion to them is because of the terrible taste of the candied fruit peel, especially the citron. Last year, I started using home made candied fruit peel for my stollen and it was revelatory. Maybe if I could find a good home made fruitcake recipe that did not use store bought candied fruit peel I would think differently about it. Having said that, I really do prefer the dough vs batter medium for all the fruit and nuts.

[Alan Brice]

Growing up I always loved fruitcake! I was ridiculed by family and friends. Guess who got all the fruitcake he could possibly eat?
Originally it was a brand called "Grandma's" somewhere in central Ohio. I have looked and the results are Beatrice Baking Co has purchased the name. Not interested in spending nearly $50 to find out if it is still the wonderful treat I enjoyed in the past.
I will be purchasing the Texas variety because it comes highly recommended. Once I get a few priorities out of the way, I will try my own version. Great thread!

[CHNeal]

Alan,
PM me your address. The Beatrice Bakery Company is just down the road from me. They make an excellent Fruitcake and I have it on good authority it’s the same recipe they started with in 1917 and it’s still being made in the same bakery since 1964 when they moved here.
They actually sell the small 1lb loafs at the grocery around the corner from my home.

[Murdy]

I always thought I hated fruticake. Long ago, a former boss brought one in to work that the neighbor lady had made. It was excellent. That's the only one I've had in my life that I did not loathe, but I guess it proves that it is possible.

[Clawbear57]

I enjoy a good fruit cake. I haven't had one this year,but I will.