There is fruitcake, and then there is fruitcake. Those ridiculous gift cakey things with candied cherries in them bear the same resemblance to fruitcake as a unicycle does to a Ferrari.

For die-hard self-proclaimed fruitcake haters, I simply wait an extra month and re-label my fruitcake and "Dark Fruit and Nut Loaf," and they always love that ;)

Originally, fruitcake was devised as a means of preserving the summer's fruits and goodness over the winter, which is probably why we still assocaitge it with Christmas in many places. The symbolism of a properly preserved cake, chock full of nutrition, that will last many years makes ti particularly appropriate for a traditional wedding gift.

And I use cognac on my fruitcake...