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Top 4 fruit cakes you can order online
If you think finding the best holiday gift is hard, try finding the best dessert for a mixed crowd at holiday parties. While it’s smart to play it safe with pies or cookies, that means you might miss out on your personal favorite: fruit cake. Fortunately, you can order delicious varieties online — and these four will arrive at your door in time for your holiday festivities.
What you need to know about fruit cake
What is fruit cake?
Fruit cake is a dense, moist dessert made with a mix of nuts, dried fruit and spices. The finished cake is “soaked” in brandy, rum or whiskey and wrapped in plastic wrap and foil for a few months. As expected, it’s not exactly a cake made the night or week before serving. In fact, most bakers recommend starting the fruit cake baking process at least six weeks in advance or earlier if possible.
Fruit cake is often baked in tube or bundt cake pans, though some prefer regular cake or loaf pans. Modern takes on the baking process include using air fryers or cast iron skillets. Mini fruit cake varieties, which have risen in popularity recently, are often baked in muffin or bundt pans.
Is fruit cake popular?
Fruit cake is a holiday dessert staple, but according to some people, it’s not the most popular option for parties and gatherings. Among other reasons, it’s an expensive cake to buy or make compared to other options. Some people simply aren’t fans of heavy, fruit-laden cakes, especially after eating large roast meals at holiday gatherings. Fruit cake may not be ideal for children, as some may prefer classic desserts like ice cream cake or apple pie.
With that said, some people are diehard fruit cake lovers. Not only do they appreciate the intense flavor and aroma of the fruit cake, they know it’s made as a labor of love on behalf of the baker given the time investment it requires.
Why you should buy fruit cake online
Because it’s fairly late in the season, many fruit cake lovers have decided to order the cakes, and it’s not just a matter of convenience.
For one, bakeries often have a limited number of fruit cakes to sell, and at this point, many of them have been purchased. As a result, buying the cake online might be the only option to get it in time for the holidays.
While fruit cakes share many of the same ingredients, you’ll find several unique varieties online. There are now gluten-free fruit cakes and those packaged in single-serving portions. Certain fruit cakes may be soaked with your preferred liquor, as well.
How much are fruit cakes online?
Fruit cakes start at around $22, and some varieties run as high as $85. If you’re not eligible for free shipping or need the fruit cake sooner, be prepared to pay a premium to guarantee delivery on time.
Indulge in these 4 fruit cakes you can buy online
Baked with a 1930s recipe, two-thirds of this 3-pound fruit cake contains fruit and nuts. It’s packaged in an attractive, gift-ready tin.
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Trappist Abbey Monastery Fruit Cake
If you’re looking for a smaller fruit cake, this one measures 3 by 3 inches and weighs one pound. It’s made with 120-proof brandy and comes in a decorative tin.
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Collin Street Bakery DeLuxe Fruitcake
This popular fruitcake, featured on television shows, is made with juicy ripe red cherries from Washington and Oregon and contains 27% pecans.
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Carli’s Cakes Original Fruit Cake
This affordable fruitcake trio is a top choice if you’re on a budget. Each loaf is chock-full with some of the finest nuts and fruit in the world.
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Sian Babish writes for BestReviews. BestReviews has helped millions of consumers simplify their purchasing decisions, saving them time and money.
