How Many Calories.. in fruitcake?

by Brigitte Dale (Subscribe to Brigitte Dale's posts)
Dec 12th 2007 6:00AM

Fruitcake is the butt of many jokes. Like fruitcakes as paperweights. Fruitcake football. The tradition of re-gifting the fruitcake that Grandma always brings. And that rumor that fruitcake lasts forever (it doesn't.)

It's one of the few foods that is better known as a joke than a food. Most people I know haven't ever tried fruitcake before, so they have no idea what it tastes like.

But lots of people who eat fruitcake love it just as intensely as the mockers mock it. Fruitcake fans feel that this dense loaf of fruit and nuts in cake has gotten a bad reputation for no good reason. For the fruitcake lovers out there, a quiz:

The correct answer is B) 275 calories. Yes, that's a hefty hunk of calories to add to a meal, but fruitcake does offer health benefits including fiber and protein. If you like fruitcake, maybe instead of adding it to an already filling meal as a dessert, try it as a holiday afternoon snack?

Comments (21)

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)

gary 12-14-2007 @ 8:07PM

I love fruitcake! My favorite cake.

Haley 12-15-2007 @ 1:08AM

I love fruitcake too!!! I am a old fashioned Claxton Fruitcake girl but Collin Street Bakery is a close 2nd. For the person who asked about the protein I believe alot of it comes from the nuts. It is loaded with fruit and nuts and the flavors just meld together. I have always eaten it as a snack and even as my lunch a few times because it packs so much into a very small slice. Most of it is good calories.. Yum Yum.. even my daughter has learned to love it!! If you like fruit and nuts you gotta try it!!!

licoriceval 12-14-2007 @ 8:48PM

I can eat a piece of fruit cake and enjoy. Buy beyond that is the Amish Friendship Cake. Takes two months (yes, 60 days) to make, but it's worth it. Loaded with fruit, nuts, and the punch of burbon. The recipe is easy to find; just Google it. You can thank me later.

Crabby McSlacker 12-14-2007 @ 9:29PM

I have to go with folks who joke about it--it sounds like it should be tasty: fruit + cake? I mean, if carrot cake is good, fruitcake should be too.

But when I've tried it, it always tastes kinda nasty. I'm glad to find out those are 275 calories that I won't need to worry about.

(But if you think fruitcake is bad... when you're done checking out all the informative articles at That'sfit, those who are curious about some odd Christmas gifts (or who just like to click on things) may want to visit: http://www.crankyfitness.com/2007/12/cranky-christmas-list.html

E raymond 12-14-2007 @ 10:33PM

2 questions -

where does the protein in fruitcake come from?
and
Amish cake with BOURBON???

Melwheeler 12-14-2007 @ 10:40PM

I love a good fruit cake. The best I ever had is the Collin Street Bakery fruit cake. All fruit and nuts with no citrin.

Erika 12-14-2007 @ 10:48PM

My mother makes the best fruitcake! It is like that amish friendship
cake but she soaks hers in rum adds lots of dried fruit, 4 kinds of
nuts, and chocolate chips. It also takes months to make. . .YUM!! Probably has more calories that
normal fruitcake but hey you only get it once a year.

Jay Hall 12-14-2007 @ 10:51PM

I’ve tried fruit cakes on several occasions, and found that the greatness of taste depends on where you get your fruit cakes from. There are some that’s dry and will nearly choke you. There are others that are moist and are soaped in a small portion of wine to keep it from drying out so fast. It won’t hurt to have some available for the friends who like it. But, don’t forget about the 275 calories per slice it you are forced to eat it because your friend decided against the extra calories.

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Suzzane 12-15-2007 @ 12:02AM

If you think you don't like fruitcake try the apricot-pecan cake from Collin St. Bakery. It might change your mind.

gkinteg 12-15-2007 @ 12:24AM

I never could understand why people always have things against fruit cake. Because of the negative things and jokes people made about it, I was afraid to try it. Last year around Christmas time, I tried fruit cake for the first time and thought it was good, but very filling. I found myself cutting myself a slice of the fruit cake for a few nights until it was gone, but I didn't eat the whole thing. My friend was the one who bought it and taunted me into trying it and he helped me eat it too. So, all I have to say is, before you think of bad talking fruit cake, try it first. I laugh at people who bad talk fruit cake and have never even tried it. Yeah, when you look at the calories of fruit cake, its kind of alot. Think of how many calories are in the chocolates and candies and foods that your eating around Christmas time, those contain just about the same if not more than what a slice of fruit cake contains.

Kathy 12-15-2007 @ 12:28AM

Costco fruitcake is the best I've found. Collin street bakery was very dissapointing, I think.

Tree 12-15-2007 @ 1:12AM

There is one (1) fruitcake that is passed all around the world........hee hee
I have a sweatshirt that reads....."Friends don't give friends fruitcake"!!! :o)

Carol 12-15-2007 @ 1:30AM

I have never heard of Collin Street Bakery, but would like to try it. For our family, Benson's fruitcake is the best. Claxton is ok. We like the moistness of Benson's. Most other fruitcakes we have tasted are too dry.

Jo Miceli 12-18-2007 @ 2:55PM

Hi Carol, I love Benson's fruit cake, too. Can you tell me how to get them? Many years ago I bought them from a church fund raiser but haven't been able to find them since. Thanks, Jo

eddie 12-15-2007 @ 1:51AM

got to love the people that spend time and love to make and send them i love the cakes no matter who makes them they

BClyce 12-15-2007 @ 1:54AM

Fruit cake is wonderful. When you eat it at Christmas the calories are taken away by the fruit cake fairy. So don't worry about it. Just enjoy this seasonal lovely. It's the same as fudge, and cookies and all the other goodies from Thanksgiving to the New Year, they don't count. The weight you put on during the holidays is from the stress we are under in having to smile and be nice to all the relatives we see at this wonderful time of year, not the food. I can't believe everybody doesn't know this.

JosephW 12-15-2007 @ 2:54AM

I have to disagree with the number of calories in fruitcake. There is NO absolute "275 calories per slice". Every fruitcake has a different level of calories based on the cake itself. (Two different brands I checked out recently would have to have each slice cut by about 25% to 35% in order to meet the "275 calories"--one was 350 calories per slice, the other was 400 calories per slice.)
Fruitcakes are as varied as cereal. No one (in his/her right mind) would seriously write "cereal has 200 calories in a bowl" yet we're supposed to accept this flat "275 calories" canard? I don't think so. The calories in a piece of chicken or beef or fish will depend on what part of the animal it came from and how it's prepared (fried chicken with skin on has more calories than the same piece broiled without skin; a 3 oz piece of braised beef liver has almost 25% fewer calories than a 3 oz T-bone steak).
A little bit of research would show this "fact" to be nothing more than fiction.

WILL 12-16-2007 @ 1:45AM

IS IT TRUE..IF A DIABETIC DRINKS A SHOT OF VINIGAR HE CAN HAVE A PIECE OF FRUIT CAKE WITH NO ILL EFFECTS.?

Al Schrader 12-15-2007 @ 5:29AM

Actually the best one is something called Stollen which is made by Germans around Christmas time. For dessert lovers
I invented a new pie that you can eat anytime - Pineapple/mango with crumb crust.
You can email me for the recipe.
Chef Alfred
alfredschrader@aol.com