What is fruit cake in England?

Through looking through various cake designers based in England I have noticed all offer "fruit cake" as a flavor. Now in America fruit cake is normally a spice cake with nuts, and colored fruits given out around Christmas time, it doesn't hold the highest regard as a tasty cake ( http://www.cryercreek.com/files/holidayf... ). And normally is topped with more nuts and fruit. For this reason I can't help but think that perhaps there is a difference in fruit cake in the UK opposed to America.





Or maybe I am wrong in other parts of the US is fruit cake a popular flavor in other parts?

What is fruit cake in England?
Yep, you're right, what you describe is 'fruit cake' in Britain. Very traditional as a wedding cake here because it keeps very well and actually improves with age (within reason!). You are traditionally meant to keep the top layer of the cake for the baptizing of your first child. However, a lot of people hate fruit cake (my fiance included!) so having a sponge is just as acceptable here now. Actually (and some other people may disagree with me) but I would say people have a sponge cake for a wedding cake more often than a traditional fruit cake, the last 2 weddings I have attended have rejected fruit-cake for sponge.





Just as an aside a fruit cake with nuts on the top is also called a 'Dundee Cake' here in Scotland, this doesn't have the marzipan of a 'xmas cake' style fruit cake though.
Reply:The cake you described is the same one. It's often used as an 'additional' wedding cake in some cultures here in North America as well. We gave ours out at the receiving line, it was a small thick rectangular piece, wrapped in a doily and plastic wrap with ribbon around. It's our family/cultural tradition to give this, for guests to put under their pillow to dream of their true love.
Reply:What you have described as fruit cake is the same as what we have in the UK and NZ as well. I made a fruit cake with nuts, sultanas and spices etc but put a marzipan icing on the top - often called royal icing. Many people often have this for their wedding cake as well.
Reply:I hate fruit cake. I'm from the United States and fruit cake is a popular gift at Christmastime.