Why do so many people hate fruitcake? Probably because they’ve never had a good one. A fruitcake is made with chopped candied or dried fruit, nuts, and spices and sometimes liquor. There are records of fruitcakes dating back to the Roman era as well as the Middle Ages. Many different European countries have their own versions, including panforte from Italy, and stollen from Germany. It is typically given as a gift and often re-gifted, at the holidays.