On Sat, 03 Jan 2004 15:42:12 GMT, Wayne Boatwright
> wrote:

>Daisy > wrote in
:
>
>> I read a newspaper article yesterday written by a non-USA person, who
>> had experienced life in a Brtitsh-style culture for a while. The
>> article was all about fruit cakes.
>>
>> Apparently fruit cakes (the genuine version please people LOL) are
>> virtually unknown in the USA. I didn't know that.
>>
>
>Actually, various type of fruitcakes are well known in the USA.
>Generally, however, they do not enjoy a very good reputation here. They
>are joked about by many and, I suspect, often by people who have never
>even tasted one. There are many poor excuses for fruitcake sold
>commercially and they truly deserve the derision.
>
>OTOH, many families have treasured fruitcake recipes that are baked and
>enjoyed every year. I imagine that their origins are mostly British. My
>family has traditionally baked three types of fruitcake, all of which I
>love. My very favorite cake is like the traditional Christmas cake,
>dark, rich with fruits and nuts, moist with rum and brandy, and made with
>only enough batter to hold it all together. We also bake a "white
>fruitcake" that only contains candied fruits and peels and nuts, but no
>dried fruit. It is made with somewhat more batter and is not quite as
>moist. The third is almost a dead-ringer for the Dundee Cake. I also
>love this one, but have never considered it a true fruitcake, yet, I
>suppose it is.
>
>A note of humor... There are stories of families gifting members with
>the same fruitcake (never eaten) for years on end. I'd be willing to bet
>that the foundations to these stories is based on truth. <G>
>
>FWIW, on the Saturday following Christmas, I baked 20 pounds of
>"Christmas Cake" to be stored away and mellowed for the Christmas of
>2004.
>
>Cheers,
>Wayne

Thanks Wayne. I guessed that there would be people in the US who
loved rich fruit cakes as much as I.

As an addition, have you tried skewering holes in the fruit cake while
it is still fairly warm (or hot) from the oven and pouring rum or
brandy into the holes?

I did this with the small rich fruit cake (the smallest of three) from
my wedding cake trio. I wanted to use it for the first Christening.
I topped it up every year with more brandy.

Well, it was 3 and a half years as it happened! The cake was
glorious - if a bit alcoholic! But enjoyed by all. Whilst the cake
was stone cold every time I added the liquor, it was so successful I
have done it since with the cake being hot or very warm (the better
for the cake to absorb the alcohol).

I have made the cakes that are even quantities of fruit and nuts, but
for my personal taste, the richer fruit cake with the nuts thickly
laden on top is our favourite.

Cheers and Happy New Year.

Daisy.

Don't assume malice for what stupidity can explain.