Oh for the love/hate of Fruit cake!

Don't like it, in pudding or cake form.  I tried it for the first time last Christmas, but maybe its an acquired taste? So I've been told....

Love love love UK fruit cake and pudding.  We had two wedding cakes, one sponge and one fruit, and the fruit one was SO good.

Nothing better than a well-sauced (as Chary is doing with hers) Christmas pudding with double cream....mmmmmm 

I like both as well.  Haven't made either yet though, as I make a jam cake for Christmas.

I loathe american fruitcake with it's golf ball size cherries and whole nuts. My dad for some bizarre reason, sent me one over once and I brought it to work and everyone hated it.

I love homemade fruitcake though - Delia's recipe being the rolls royce of fruitcakes.  Has to be made 2 months in advance though and fed weekly to make it a boozy affair. My youngest likes it as well... 

I made one once to take back home. In August. In Calif. Insisted the whole clan try some...after much moaning it was eaten and everyone agreed it was actually really nice.

Love Christmas pudding.  Not at Xmas dinners at pubs though - they are generally crunchy and vile.

I actually like fruit cake!

When I told my family that our wedding cake would be (traditional) fruit cake covered in the normal icing, etc., they reacted with horror!  I told them it was my wedding, so I will have whatever cake I please .  I don't mind...I really don't like sponge cake all that much.

Funnily enough, when I told this to the future MIL, she laughed and asked what else they were expecting.  I told her we usually have sponge cake for weddings in the US and she was surprised!

I like the idea of having it because it's traditional in my new country.  Kind of crossing-cultures type of thing.  What about others who have gotten married in the UK?

I don't mind UK fruit cake but agree that it really has to be homemade. We had one sponge and one fruit for our wedding and I had both and enjoyed both! 

I'm thinking I'll try Delia's this year, but really must get a move-on. Can't believe it's already mid-October!!!

A certain UKY-er may have to feed it over Thanksgiving though! 

Has anyone ever made Alton Brown's fruitcake?  It looked good to me because it had dried fruits that I actually enjoy.  I'd have to get started soon though...

Christmas with my English in-laws:  Dinner = Yum!  Dessert = Yuk!  All kinds of carefully prepared, homemade, completely inedible desserts.  Mince pies, Christmas pudding, Christmas cake.  My mother-in-law thinks I'm some kind of health nut because I refuse all their desserts but really it's just because after the first couple of bites I thought "no need to ever try this again".

In fact, moving to England is probably the best thing I've ever done for my arteries, given that I hate almost all English desserts.  Wedding cake is bleck.  Sponge cake that has been saturated with anything (fruit, liquor, whatever) is bleck.  Flan/custard anything is bleck.

I'd never turn down a Hob Nob or an ice cream though.

In fact, moving to England is probably the best thing I've ever done for my arteries, given that I hate almost all English desserts.  

I think we must be sisters, because I feel pretty much the same!  (Though hate is a strong word, it's just that I'm 'meh' enough on a majority of English desserts -- especially the ones served warm, to give them a pass -- as in why waste consuming all those calories for something you don't really love?)  Oh man - I just can't get into the heavily suet-laden puddings!   And warm custard too.

I do like mince pies though.  Not at all keen on Christmas pudding, although I will have some at Christmas dinner just to be nice (while thinking of lots of other really nice desserts I'd rather be having like pumpkin pie!).  I sort of like Christmas cake but that's mostly because of the the sweeeeet icing...but Steve and my in-laws aren't keen on Christmas cake so we don't usually have it.  (I might get a contraband slice once or twice a year from Ainsleys. )

I do love mince pies. But for some reason I had those in the US. There are a few of my family members who quite like it. Mom even makes an amazing mince bread (it's like a spiral filled with mince) that is wonderful.

I haven't had a proper homemade Christmas pudding, though we did get a single serving M&S one to try. Like Carolyn, I'm 'meh' on all of that dense, fruity, boozy stuff. Ditto the hot puds like sticky toffee and whatnot. And as I've posted before, I think American cake recipes are much nicer than UK ones (they're moister).

And don't get me started on English apple pie. If it's not my mother's recipe, it ain't worth eating!!!

I love Christmas cake and Christmas pudding. I made my Christmas cake last week and I burnt it! It was the one I do every year, the Delia recipe where you add the four beaten eggs one tablespoon at a time  , but I used a different oven and it must have been too high. And you know what? I'm going to make the whole thing all over again. I can't imagine a Christmas without that Christmas cake, especially the marzipan.

 All kinds of carefully prepared, homemade, completely inedible desserts.  Mince pies, Christmas pudding, Christmas cake.  
In fact, moving to England is probably the best thing I've ever done for my arteries, given that I hate almost all English desserts.  Wedding cake is bleck.  Sponge cake that has been saturated with anything (fruit, liquor, whatever) is bleck.  Flan/custard anything is bleck.

I'd never turn down a Hob Nob or an ice cream though.

I'm with you on this one.  My MIL and I have come to an agreement. She makes her traditional and I make my traditional christmas desserts. 


When we had our wedding reception over here in the UK, I was quite surprised that fruitcake was traditional but I went along with it.  I did say to DH that I don't think it will go over very well.  He just said "they're British. It's what they are used to."  So MIL got a nice big round fruitcake and a small 9" round chocolate one.  Guess which one flew out the door?!  Not the fruitcake.  No one, not one single person, touched the fruitcake and the chocolate cake had to be divided into about 50 teensy, tiny pieces!!!  Later, I told DH he had a lot of cake to eat!!

Not something I'm wild about. But DH made Nigella recipe for the US folks last year and that was not bad.

What drives me bonkers is fruit cake for wedding cake. Bleugh!!!!!!!!!

Finally!! Someone who agrees with me! Why would anyone want fruit cake at their wedding?

hate it as well.  There is a pretty famous bakery in Texas (name escapes me at the moment) that is well-known for their fruitcakes and every year my grandpa sends me one from there.  Bless him, it's the thought that counts but to spend $35 on a fruitcake and another $35 on postage how do I tell him we don't like fruitcake!!

Colin Street Bakery in Corsicana, TX?

Not a fan of fruit cake myself.  DH love it though. I'd rather have some Yule Log.
I'm okay with a mince pie and mulled wine if push comes to shove.

Nothing really hits the spot after a gluttonous, shameless, overindulgence of a christmas spread quite like a rich christmas pudding with hot creamy brady sauce!!!

Christmas cake year round (well its just fruit cake with marzipan) mmmmm mmmmm good

Wedding cake - I like 'em both as long as they're not mine 

Pumpkin pie with whipped cream -  mmmmm mmmmm anytime of year. Pity it hasn't caught on. YET.

Pecan pie - mom's only - to die for.

Borden's Egg Nog - just as well it ain't imported. One less thing to over indulge in.
(I know not a fruit cake topic but ...)