Fruitcake
Five Pounds of Flavor
What is fruitcake?
Fruitcake is a cake made with chopped candied fruit and/or dried fruit, nuts or spices.
History of Fruitcake
- References to fruitcake can be found as early as the Middle Ages, when crusaders and hunters carried them for sustenance on long trips from home.
- In 18th Century Europe, fruitcakes were made at the end of the harvest and saved to be eaten at the beginning of the next growing season. Eating the previous year's cake was done in hopes of bringing a fruitful harvest in the coming year.
Fun Facts About Fruitcake
The most famous quote about fruitcake is attributed to Johnny Carson.
"The worst gift is a fruitcake. There is only one fruitcake in the entire world, and people keep sending it to each other."
Fruitcake By the Numbers
9,596 lbs
The weight of the world's largest fruitcake, according to the Guinness Book of World Records. That's about the same as a monster truck!
$1.65 Million
Price of this diamond encrusted fruitcake created by Japanese pastry chef Jeong Hong-young, which is studded with 223 small diamonds. The cake was created as part of a display called "Diamonds: Nature's Miracle."
415 feet
Record hand toss of a fruitcake at the Great Fruitcake Toss held in Manitou Springs, CO. Sadly, this annual tradition ended in 2014.