It's been the brunt of many jokes: The late Johnny Carson claimed there was only one and it was re-gifted each year. Some Boeing engineers invented a piece of artillery for launching one 1,420 feet high. And Manitou Springs west of Colorado Springs is known for its annual tossing competition to see who can throw it the farthest.
It's been used as a doorstop and food for birds. A Michigan household has kept one for more than 130 years. (The baker died before it could be served and the family did not want to eat it.)
Fruitcake – a dark dense cake known for its candied fruits and nuts and long lifespan – may be one of the most hated desserts, but many people treasure the sweet holiday treat.
This time of year, Claxton Bakery Inc. in Claxton, Ga., makes 86,000 pounds of fruitcake a day, according to Dale Parker, one of the owners. Other mass producers include Assumption Abbey, a monastery in the Missouri Ozarks, and Eilenberger Bakery and Collin Street Bakery, both in Texas.
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