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Charlie & Debbie

Fruitcake At Biltmore Estate In North Carolina Dates Back To 1924

Author Debbie Nance

It’s a cliche by now to make jokes about fruitcake.  Since I come from what’s often considered one of the “Fruitcake Capitals of the World,” I heard them all growing up.  But, this piece of history “takes the cake.”  A piece of fruitcake at Biltmore Estate in North Carolina dates back to April 29, 1924.  It comes from the wedding of Vanderbilt daughter Cornelia and John Cecil.  A story in the Southern Kitchen details the artifact kept by the museum team at the estate.  Apparently, the cake came from a D.C. based caterer to the rich and famous.   It seems that fruitcake was somewhat of a tradition way back then.  It was a common choice for grooms in 1924.  And, the bride and groom offered guests a piece of wedding cake as a keepsake.  Legend has it that an unmarried woman who slept with a piece of groom’s cake under her pillow dreamed about her future husband.

Anyway,  a North Carolina man whose aunt worked as a Biltmore cook during the 1920s discovered this fruitcake in a trunk he inherited.  Of course, as you might imagine, it is now hard and inedible.  The museum staff took the artifact and put it in a freezer for preservation.  The box containing the treasure bore the words “Biltmore Estate” and the happy couple’s initials.  And, although Cornelia preferred fruitcake for her groom, her parents chose another dessert for Christmas.  The museum team shared a page from a menu book in 1904.  The elaborate Christmas dinner finished with brandy-spiked plum pudding and ice cream.

Full disclosure, Biltmore is my favorite North Carolina destination.  And, during the candlelight Christmas celebrations, it is breathtaking.  Even after multiple visits, I remain in awe each time I see it!  So, these little bits of historical knowledge concerning the Vanderbilt family excite me.  But, I think I’ll pass on sampling this fruitcake at Biltmore Estate!

This was Cornelia’s wedding day when this historic piece of cake would have been served.

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Debbie Nance is the afternoon co-host along with her husband on "The Charlie and Debbie Show" at WSOC, Country 1037 in Charlotte, North Carolina. She has been with the station for 18 years. Debbie is a CMA Award winner for Radio Personality of the Year. And, she has worked in radio for 40 years. Before her current afternoon position, Debbie spent more than a decade as co-host on morning shows in several markets across the Southeast. As a content creator for Country 1037, Debbie writes articles about food, new restaurants in the Carolinas and travel experiences.

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