Join Max Miller on a journey through time, exploring how fruitcake evolved from the ancient treats to the festive staple we know today.
The term itself encompasses a wide variety of baked goods with added fruits. Ancient Egyptians and Romans had their own versions of fruitcake, but they were quite different from the fruitcake we know today.
Sugar and spices, essential ingredients in modern fruitcake, became more readily available in the 16th and 17th centuries, leading to a shift in fruitcake recipes. For the next 200 years, fruitcake leavened with yeast became the standard Christmas cake. Queen Victoria’s fruitcake iced with white royal icing further solidified fruitcake’s association with weddings.
The decline in fruitcake’s popularity can be traced back to the mid-20th century. The rise of chiffon cakes and other lighter, airier cakes overshadowed the dense fruitcake.
However, fruitcake did travel to space! Astronauts on the Apollo 11 mission even had fruitcake with them. And during the American Civil War, fruitcake was a popular treat sent to soldiers fighting on both sides. The reason behind its popularity is its longevity. Unlike the airy sponge cakes we are used today that require yeast, fruitcake was made with baking powder or baking soda, making it shelf-stable for months, or even years.