How many traditional holiday desserts can you think of off the top of your head? For most people there's only one, fruitcake. Here's another question: when you think of the word fruitcake, which day of the year comes immediately to mind? For most people the word fruitcake means Christmas. Fruitcake for the holidays is an American tradition going back more than a hundred years.

Millions of people have at least tried fruitcake at some point in their life, and in fact many people celebrate the holiday fruitcake's taste and textures all year long. So it's no surprise that the modern fruitcake has become so delicious and luxurious, made with only the best ingredients and prepared by expert bakers who incorporate generations of traditions from around the world into their fruit and nut creations.

What Makes A Fruitcake Special?

The mixture of fruits and bread actually dates back many thousands of years, and can be found in most of the world's cultures. The classic American fruitcake is a combination of fruits, nuts, and a rich butter batter, baked together into a delicious and filling mixture.

Fruitcakes contain oranges, lemons, limes, pears, apples, and sometimes other fruits, as well. Fruitcakes also contain almonds, pecans, walnuts, and hazelnuts. Some specialty fruitcakes feature a choice of ingredients over others. Examples of these kinds of regional fruitcakes include the Texan pecan fruitcake and the Australian apricot cake.

How the Fruitcake Got Famous, Infamous, And Famous Again

You've almost certainly heard the phrase "nutty as a fruitcake." The saying comes from the Great Depression, when fruitcakes stuffed with nuts were a popular, affordable dessert and gift for families dealing with economic hardship. During this same period, screwball comedies also began expressing a character's onscreen antics as "nutty," with the comparison "as a fruitcake" coming along right after.

It's true the fruitcake waned in popularity for some years, as its manufacture possibly got too widespread. The fruitcake became a holiday punch line, and fell out of favor as a gift. But in recent years the dependably delicious fruitcake for the holidays has made a true comeback, this time even better than before.

The modern fruitcake makes the most of the online age, with high quality fruitcakes for the holidays shipping everywhere around the United States and sometimes Canada. The ingredients for these amazingly delicious fruitcakes are taken fresh from the orchards of Florida and elsewhere, so the ultimate flavor of their peak freshness is baked right inside every fruitcake. Best of all, the fruitcakes arrive ready to serve and keep well, so they're a true taste pleasure through the holidays and beyond.