#9: Fruit Cake

Fruitcake is a cake made with chopped up candied fruits and/or dried fruit and nuts, which are occasionally soaked in spirits. They are often served at wedding or Christmas celebrations. As they have such a rich and strong flavour, they are often consumed with extra toppings such as butter, cream or icing.

The earliest recipe of a Fruit Cake came from Ancient Egypt, where the Egyptians baked fruit cakes for the deceased to bring with them to the afterlife.

Ancient Rome using ingredients such as pomegranate seeds, pine nuts or raisins that were combined with a barley mash. During the Middle Ages, honey, spices and preserved fruits were added to the recipe. The reason why the Fruit Cake is associated with Christmas is unknown.