# The fruitcake poll **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 5, 2013, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-fruitcake-poll/675602 "2013-12-05T21:09:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2013, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-fruitcake-poll/675602/41 "2013-12-16T15:30:55Z")
> [@Idle\_Thoughts](#): > > I’m going to slide this up to Cafe Society since it’s about a food. > [@silenus](#): > > No it isn’t. I agree. Take a listen to [Holiday Lament (The Fruitcake Song)](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EQfWWWTE8K4). ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2013, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-fruitcake-poll/675602/42 "2013-12-16T23:57:17Z")
> [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > I agree. > > Take a listen to [Holiday Lament (The Fruitcake Song)](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EQfWWWTE8K4). Loser. :rolleyes: I bought pecans for mine today. I need dates instead of those nasty raisins. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2013, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-fruitcake-poll/675602/43 "2013-12-17T01:27:28Z")
I have made a fruitcake and it was good. It is a committment though … I like lots of nuts and fruits and just enough batter to hold it together and to soak up the rum. It’s the weeks and weeks of dousing with rum that makes it great. And that I don’t have the patience for. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2013, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-fruitcake-poll/675602/44 "2013-12-17T02:56:04Z")
I don’t notice that the liquor adds that much. Of course, I eat some immediately that it is cool enough to not burn my mouth. Please elaborate about using rum. I pour a little rum (once peppermint schnaps) over it, soak some paper towels in rum and put them in a closed plastic container with the fruit cake, and don’t notice much difference. Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![freckafree](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/freckafree/32/3050_2.png) [@freckafree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/freckafree)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2013, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-fruitcake-poll/675602/45 "2013-12-17T12:52:52Z")
> [@tadtooornamental](#): > > I voted “I can go either way”, but that’s not the whole story. I’m not really interested in it, but I’ll eat a piece. I make it every year, though, because my father adores it. I’m more or less in this category. My husband grew up with a raisin and pecan cake that is thoroughly soaked in booze (so much so that the raisins become little brandy bombs when you bite into them), and I make one every year for him. I’ll eat it. It is pleasant enough. My husband and son both like the fruitcake our local grocery store bakery makes. It has candied fruit. I don’t care for it, but neither do I consider it an abomination. ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2013, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-fruitcake-poll/675602/46 "2013-12-17T21:17:43Z")
The “traditional” recipes that I know involve wrapping it in cheesecloth soaked in rum in a sealed container and pouring rum over it once a week for at least 6 weeks. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2013, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-fruitcake-poll/675602/47 "2013-12-17T21:23:54Z")
> [@DSeid](#): > > The “traditional” recipes that I know involve wrapping it in cheesecloth soaked in rum in a sealed container and pouring rum over it once a week for at least 6 weeks. I usually eat all four of them before six weeks. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![jabiru](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/bbce88/32.png) [@jabiru](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jabiru)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2013, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-fruitcake-poll/675602/48 "2013-12-18T00:47:18Z")
I **LOVE** fruitcake. Fruitcake and its cousins (Christmas pudding and fruit mince pieces) are the best thing about Christmas. Sadly, I am the only one in my family who feels this way (how did my sons not inherit the gene for loving dried fruit based comestibles?) so we don’t often get it, even at Christmas, because it would either be wasted or I’d end up making a total pig of myself and eating the lot. ---
**Author:** ![SCAdian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scadian/32/3292_2.png) [@SCAdian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SCAdian)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2013, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-fruitcake-poll/675602/49 "2013-12-18T02:17:00Z")
> [@SCAdian](#): > > About forty years ago I found a recipe for Fruitcake of the Twelve Spirits, so called because there are 12 kinds of booze in it. Someday I’m going to try making a batch of it… > [@carnivorousplant](#): > > Give! Give! > 🙂 It’s in a book called _The Art of Cooking with Spirits_, by Elise Landauer Meyer. Your public library ought to be able to ILL it for you, or you can try online [used-book stores](http://www.abebooks.com/art-cooking-spirits-Elise-Landauer-Meyer/1532047688/bd). ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2013, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-fruitcake-poll/675602/50 "2013-12-18T15:36:46Z")
> [@jabiru](#): > > I **LOVE** fruitcake. Fruitcake and its cousins (Christmas pudding and fruit mince pieces) are the best thing about Christmas. > > Sadly, I am the only one in my family who feels this way (how did my sons not inherit the gene for loving dried fruit based comestibles?) so we don’t often get it, even at Christmas, because it would either be wasted or I’d end up making a total pig of myself and eating the lot. Maybe we should do a homemade fruitcake exchange next year … I can experiment with making them in the tiny loaf pans instead of the full sized ones. Or maybe a muffin placque. I have my mom in laws persimmon pudding recipe but no real source for good persimmons, at least until we move to California and can steal hers 😃 ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2013, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-fruitcake-poll/675602/51 "2013-12-18T16:54:19Z")
I love fruitcake, but dislike nutcake, and so many 'deluxe" fruitcakes are loaded with nuts. I want golden raisins, currants, and just enough glace fruits to make it look pretty. Some decent booze. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2013, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-fruitcake-poll/675602/52 "2013-12-18T17:24:40Z")
The fruitcakes we get over here in the Western-style supermarkets are much better than anything I had in the US. Most of it comes from Britain including a really nice Glenfiddich-topped cake. This year we also got a rum-soaked cake from Germany. You can smell the rum from across the room. ---
**Author:** ![kayT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayt/32/3633_2.png) [@kayT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayT)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2013, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-fruitcake-poll/675602/53 "2013-12-18T18:59:14Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > I love fruitcake, but dislike nutcake, and so many 'deluxe" fruitcakes are loaded with nuts. > > I want golden raisins, currants, and just enough glace fruits to make it look pretty. Some decent booze. This absolutely does sound like the perfect fruitcake. Where to get it? ---
**Author:** ![SerafinaPekala](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecae2f/32.png) [@SerafinaPekala](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SerafinaPekala)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2013, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-fruitcake-poll/675602/54 "2013-12-18T19:33:17Z")
If it has chocolate chunks in it, its tolerable but I wouldnt inflict it on anyone. ---
**Author:** ![jabiru](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/bbce88/32.png) [@jabiru](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jabiru)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2013, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-fruitcake-poll/675602/55 "2013-12-19T00:06:09Z")
> [@aruvqan](#): > > Maybe we should do a homemade fruitcake exchange next year … I can experiment with making them in the tiny loaf pans instead of the full sized ones. Or maybe a muffin placque. > > I have my mom in laws persimmon pudding recipe but no real source for good persimmons, at least until we move to California and can steal hers 😃 I would be the definite winner in such an exchange - I’ve never made a fruitcake, only bought various ones from good bakeries. It hardly seemed worth the effort just for me. ---
**Author:** ![jabiru](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/bbce88/32.png) [@jabiru](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jabiru)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2013, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-fruitcake-poll/675602/56 "2013-12-19T00:08:27Z")
> [@SerafinaPekala](#): > > If it has chocolate chunks in it, its tolerable but I wouldnt inflict it on anyone. This is something I cannot understand. No one loves chocolate more than I (I’m a fully fledged addict) but I’d never consider eating a fruitcake with chocolate in it. Ditto “hot cross buns” which have choc chips instead of dried fruit - an abomination and should be banned in my not so humble opinion. ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2013, 9:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-fruitcake-poll/675602/57 "2013-12-19T09:45:12Z")
> [@jabiru](#): > > I would be the definite winner in such an exchange - I’ve never made a fruitcake, only bought various ones from good bakeries. It hardly seemed worth the effort just for me. This would give you the chance to browse for what looks to be the perfect recipe online, head over to King Arthur Flour for the cute little paper baking trays, and they sell dried fruits nuts and flakes suitable to be included [I seem to remember they also have a fruitcake mix, and a variant that comes with a paper baking tray designed to be given away as a gift.] On my Bujold mailing list we had cookie exchanges for a few years, they were fun. ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2013, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-fruitcake-poll/675602/58 "2013-12-19T22:03:17Z")
I don’t mind it, but I think I’ve only actually had some once or twice. It wasn’t done in my family. However, [Panettone](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panettone) was done and it’s delicious. It’s an Italian thing if that wasn’t clear, and in the diaspora, although my family is from one region down. It still has the raisins and candied fruits, but to my recollection the saturation is denser in fruitcake. Also the break is a soft, sweetish, light bread. Maybe kind of like challah? Radio song from awhile back: [I Hate Fruitcake](http://soundcloud.com/kroq/19-i-hate-fruitcake-1). ---
**Author:** ![gracer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8e7dd6/32.png) [@gracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gracer)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2013, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-fruitcake-poll/675602/59 "2013-12-19T23:21:12Z")
Yum, Christmas cake! Fruitcake with Stilton, anyone? I’m drooling… (Never had one from a shop, I don’t think. They don’t have my great-granny’s recipe, who knows what could happen!) ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2013, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-fruitcake-poll/675602/60 "2013-12-19T23:24:13Z")
> [@thelurkinghorror](#): > > [Panettone](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panettone) was done and it’s delicious. It’s an Italian thing if that wasn’t clear, and in the diaspora, although my family is from one region down. It still has the raisins and candied fruits, but to my recollection the saturation is denser in fruitcake. Also the break is a soft, sweetish, light bread. Maybe kind of like challah? " raisins, which are added dry and not soaked." Gack! Italian diaspora? 😕 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-fruitcake-poll/675602.md?page=2)