FYI: There do exist a few recipes for delicious fruitcakes. My family has such a recipe and nobody has been sorry to get one of our cakes or to eat it.

The pecans are usually expensive and scarce (we only use those that are sweet, fresh, plump and golden) and I prefer it with dried, not candied fruits: sweet cherries, apples, and slightly sweetened cranberries alongside the pecans and dates (in place of the usual very sweet and oddly colored candied pineapple and cherry pieces.) Other nuts can be used. Brushing the finished fruitcakes with brandy or rum can add a nice flavor and keep them tasting fresh longer, but it's optional.