I can’t remember a Christmas day when we didn’t have fruit cake. Even as a child, lots of people would give my parents fruit cakes for Christmas. There were times when my mother would order dozens of fruit cakes for gift-giving.
The fruit cake in the photo was given by my mother-in-law. She didn’t bake it though; it was given by her sister-in-law. See, in my husband’s family, only he eats fruit cakes. When we were still living with them, for two Christmases, he and I gorged on all the fruit cakes that entered the house. We had no competition. When we moved out, my mother-in-law would give us their fruit cakes when we came over during the holidays.
Of course, it isn’t true that a fruit cake is a fruit cake is a fruit cake. There’s the real thing, smelling and tasting of brandy with gooey candied fruit peel and whole nuts, and the cheap imitations. In supermarkets, you can choose from all available price brackets, depending on your budget.
This year, for instance, I bought two fruit cakes–one for us and another for Yuga whom I was supposed to meet at the Pinoyblog Christmas party. For some unfortunate reason, I wasn’t able to make it (don’t ask anymore why, it’s so embarrassing). I ended up bringing home both fuit cakes. They were from Dulcinea and they were pretty expensive for their size. My husband and I were so disappointed. The candied peel looked like they had been sprinkled on top, like an afterthought, instead of baked in. The bread wasn’t firmly packed and crumbled when sliced. And it was so tiny inside the box. Anyway, Yuga‘s fruit cake is still sitting in the fridge. He can have it for Valentine’s Day. 
Thing is, the Dulcinea experience isn’t an isolated one. Year in and year out, we’d try fruit cakes from different deli shops. A few happy times we’d be satisfied but those are exceptions. There were more disappointments than satisfying experiences.
Personally, the best fruit cake I ever had were mini fruit cakes the size of muffins. Some European brand. Six mini cakes in a tin given by a friend of my mother years ago. It was really unforgettable. Moist and dark and heavy and… well, the bread was pratically invisible with the amount of fruits and nuts. 
Just the way I like it. Don’t know when I’d have the chance of eating a fruit cake as perfectly delectable.
Have I ever tried baking my own fruit cake? Yeah, once. Such a disaster I never tried again.
[tags]fruit+cake[/tags]
My husband’s grandmother makes fruit cake every year. But we haven’t been given any loaf for about 3 years now, fortunately…LOL. I can’t stand it. She likes making it because of the rum..lol. She particularly loves that ingredient
LOL loves it beyond brushing it on fruit cakes eh?
ok I will put this for this year wish list for Sassy
here is swiss cheese secret is… ok grated carrots to keep moisture!!
I dont Bake this I leave this to the expert….
also am thinking this xmas 2006 I might be able to send u the English pudding…
happy new year to all!
only a few people enjoy fruitcake which has also become the one of the most recycled christmas gifts. it wouldn’t have been if commercially made fruit cake were baked well – you know, the real ingredients inside the cake and all.
i love fruitcake, too. and as such, i have tried to (perfect) baking it every year (for 15 years LOL). i believe that doing it every christmas is worth the try for something you love and eat only once a year.
waahhhhh and fruitcake ko!!!
Wow, sha, wowowowow. Thank you! Nalalasap ko na.
Maris, tha’s inspiring ha. Maybe, I’ll try again this year.
Yuga, wala na, forfeited na. hahahaha
gawa ka na lang kasi, connie! hindi mahirap, you just need a really good recipe. my favorite is studded with — what else? chocolate chunks….
may recurring joke dito pag Pasko… there’s this fruitcake that’s been around 100 years… it gets passed on to someone else every year… you probably know it hahaha!!!
fruit cake with chocolate chunks? oh my gosh. that sounds like sugar heaven.
Yung 100 year old fruit cake, pass na ko dun, may amag na yun hahahahaha
Connie, try this link for a great Christmas cake recipe you might like to try.
http://splendidtable.publicradio.org/recipes/dessert_easychristmascake.shtml
With your cooking inventiveness I’m sure you’ll find a substitute for chestnut puree if you can’t get it in Manila.
Thanks, Chris. I read the recipe and, I agree, looks really easy to make. But I think I’ll surprise you. I already “invented” a Pinoy fruit cake. Just a matter of perfecting it.