Why is fruitcake such a lasting part of holiday baking traditions? In this Explained in 60 Seconds video from TCU’s social media team, Rebecca Sharpless, professor of history at TCU, explains the cultural history of fruitcake and how it became a holiday staple. Her quick breakdown highlights how English traditions shaped early American baking, why ingredients like wheat and sugar were once costly and how soaking fruitcake in wine helped preserve it longer.
Sharpless is also digging into the sweet and surprising past of baking in the American South in her latest research. She explores how familiar treats like fruitcake and gingerbread reflect centuries of cultural exchange, economic change and regional identity, and how what we think of as traditional Southern desserts may be more modern than we realize. Her work reveals that behind every recipe lies a story of trade, labor and innovation that connects today’s kitchens with history.