How to Navigate Fruit Cake Season for Non-Fans

Dec 1

Why in the world is fruit cake a thing people love so much? you find yourself asking every single year, once November 30th rolls around. And every single year, no one really has a good enough answer. No, you don’t particularly have any beef with dried fruit or red cherries, or (God forbid) dislike cake — but this combo together, drowned in cheap booze, just somehow doesn’t do it for you. And before you get a chance to get over last year’s trauma, it’s time again to be inundated with it.

So, instead of leaving yet another fruit cake gift basket on the kitchen counter to rot, here are a couple of alternative options to try this Yuletide.

Give it a personalised twist

Sometimes, you just have to put your own spin on something to really come to enjoy it. Not a fan of the raisins and currants you typically find in fruit cake? Swap it out for tidbits you actually like — like dried mango, coconut flakes or different types of nuts — and try baking your own fruit cake. You might just surprise yourself.

Re-gift it

This is a smart and inexpensive way to prevent waste and get someone off your gift list. If it makes someone else glad, why not?

Order a Christmas cake ahead of time

It’s the season of binging on sweet treats — especially on Christmas Day. So instead of having to endure one unsatisfying slice of fruit cake after another, stock up on what you like before bakeries close for the holidays. That includes a big ol’ Christmas cake you can enjoy all by yourself, if need be.

Make a parfait with it

Forgive me, but I’m currently really into homemade parfaits and keep thinking up new ways to make them, and this seems like it’d be fun. Little bites of fruit cake in between layers of Greek yoghurt and banana slices sounds a lot more tolerable than chomping down on bigger chunks, is what I say.

Stash it away for the New Year

Unexpected visitors in the weird period between New Year’s Day and back-to-work season, where you’re not quite sure what day it is and the fridge is looking a little bare? Whip out your frozen fruit cake and serve. Sorted.