Fruitcake can be enjoyed up to 25 years after baking.

Fruitcake can be enjoyed up to 25 years after baking.

Fruitcakes are rich in both sugar and alcohol, which are preservatives. According to The Joy of Cooking, by Irma Rombauer and Marion Becker, "Many people feel that these cakes improve greatly with age. When they are well saturated with alcoholic liquors, which raise the spirits and keep down mold, and are buried in powdered sugar in tightly closed tins, they have been enjoyed as long as 25 years after baking.