Fruitcake you'll actually want to eat -- really

By Jennifer Justus, The Tennessean This is a fruitcake redemption story. And no doubt, some of you have already turned up your noses. "Never touch the stuff," you might be saying. But in the come-together spirit of the holidays, we urge you to pass over the pecan pie and give these nutty cakes another go. Long before fruitcakes acted as paperweights, doorstoppers and prank gifts at office Christmas parties, they could bring back memories with just a whiff of whiskey and cinnamon. In A Christmas Memory, Truman Capote wrote about the aroma of fruitcakes sweetened by vanilla and spiced with ginger. And even local chef Phila Hach, seasoned in all things kitchen at age 83, paused when sharing her fruitcake knowledge to remember her childhood. "I smell my grandmother's house as I talk," she said. "She always would make them the day after Thanksgiving." A tarnished reputation So what prompted the fruitcake's fall from grace? Some of them deserve the bad rap. Stacked like toy blocks in supermarkets, the slim logs taste more like a handful of jellybeans - and smell like plastic - than the original versions of pungent, moist spice cake. Capote's aunt, Marie Rudisill, has even been remembered as the "fruitcake lady," more for fielding wacky questions on The Tonight Show With Jay Leno show than when she first baked her version of the dessert on air. But good fruitcake can still be had. When Donna Ledbetter wants the real thing, she heads to Becker's Bakery in Donelson, where the family recipe has lured fruitcake lovers since 1925. A Nashville native, Ledbetter, 58, learned to love fruitcake from her mother, who would chop fruit and nuts through the night and wrap the cakes in bourbon-soaked cheesecloth beginning every fall. "I've loved fruitcake all my life," Ledbetter said. "When I found out Becker's had a fruitcake, I thought 'I've got to try it.' " These days, Ledbetter's mother has Alzheimer's and can no longer make the cake, but Ledbetter shares a Becker's cake with her each year. "She thinks we're remembering her recipe," Ledbetter said, even though they tell her where it came from. The two cakes are that similar. Old-fashioned flavors Although we wouldn't dare give out the Becker's family recipe, we've included old-fashioned versions to convert even the most ardent fruitcake hater. Hach shared a version that won her a "recipe of the month" award from The Chicago Tribune in the late 1940s. Held together by slow-caramelized, sweetened condensed milk, Hach said it's otherwise "nothing but fruit." "You can literally slice it paper-thin," she said. "It's gorgeous." From the late Ida Ramsey of Viola, Tenn., we've included a no-bake fruitcake held together by a rich blend of melted marshmallows and graham cracker crumbs. And for those who just can't get past the unnaturally green sugared cherries of fruitcakes, there's an old-fashioned recipe from Southern food historian John Egerton that's reminiscent of the classic cake - boozy and dense with pecans but fruited only with raisins. Even with their differences, many of these fruitcakes offer similar treasures - an anticipation in preparation, an aroma of a season, and a blend of nuts and preserved fruits that were once considered a luxury. Sadly, as quality fruitcake becomes harder to find, the cakes themselves may, too, become a scarce luxury. Jere Couch, 43, who has worked at Becker's Bakery since she turned 16, said she sees fewer and fewer fruitcakes sold each year. Along with Ledbetter, she can only hope for new fans to keep a tradition alive. "It's a cake of its own, and all I can say is try it," Ledbetter said. "Just try it." Where to find it In addition to their famous fruitcakes, Becker's old-time treats at the holidays include blackberry jam cakes with caramel icing, prune cakes, coconut cakes and mincemeat pies. Loaves of salt rising bread are available year-round. If you're looking for trendier pumpkin-spice cupcakes or classics like pecan pie and yeast rolls, they've got those too. Now in its fourth generation, Becker's opened in 1925 under Ed and Frank Becker, the sons of German immigrants. Becker's Bakery
2543 Lebanon Pike
Nashville, TN
615-883-3232 />