Top Fruitcake In Philadelphia

Fruitcake is any cake with fruit in. But it is typically a dense cake, soaked in different liquors, such as brandy, or rum, and made with candied fruit, dried fruits and nuts. It has a decent shelf life (more so if commercially manufactured), and most often seen in the winter months. It can have a bad rep, probably because if not made well, it is more suitable for throwing at each other than eating. However, when made with fresh ingredients, with the cake being moist and not dry, it's plenty delicious. It really doesn't deserve the reputation it has received in recent years. If you are looking for fruitcakes to enjoy or gift, here are five places in the Philadelphia area that make different kinds of fruit cake.

Bredenbeck's Bakery
8126 Germantown Ave.
Philadelphia, PA 19118
(215)247-7374
www.bredenbecks.com

Bredenbeck's Bakery has been baking up deliciousness since 1889 from their historic shop in Chestnut Hill. Not only do they stand the test of time, the building itself is interesting for architecture and history lovers. When in season, Bredenbeck Bakery also has a full holiday themed menu; so not only can you get delicious fruitcake, you can get gingerbread houses, Stollen, holiday cookies and much more. Bredenbeck's has earned the right to be such a popular bakery over the years and is also an award winner for their wedding cakes.

Sweet Elizabeth's Cakes
4409 Main St.
Philadelphia, PA 19127
(267) 331-8949
www.sweetelizabethscakes.com

Over in Roxborough, you can enjoy plenty of holiday treats at Sweet Elizabeth's cakes. When in season, you can find a Yule Log ("Bouche De Noel"), which is sponge cake soaked in liquor, iced and decorated with candied fruits and fondant. They also carry sticky gingerbread cupcakes, which are iced with gingersnap butter cream. Sweet Elizabeth makes everything from scratch and uses an all natural approach that avoids "fake food," such as high fructose corn syrups, shortening and other stabilizers. This is a perfect stop for anyone who needs to watch what he or she eats or who is trying to be more healthy.

Metropolitan Bakery
262 S. 19th St
Philadelphia, PA 19103
(215) 545-6655
www.metropolitanbakery.com

The Metropolitan Bakery has four locations in the city and is most famous for their old world style of baking. Fresh authentic loaves of their famous breads are baked daily. During the holiday season, they put together a few other delights such as Pannetonne and a candied fruitcake made from brioche bread, sprinkled with chocolate chips and powdered sugar. You can order their breads and a limited menu of cakes online.

Related: Top Places For Chocolate Cake In Philadelphia

KC Pastries
109 N. 10th St.
Philadelphia, PA 19106
(215) 238-8808
www.kcpastries.com

KC Pastries have been baking up delicious desserts for the Philadelphia area since 1995. The bakery items available consist mostly of French pastries, despite being in Chinatown. They also have fun bubble teas and egg tarts, if you are looking for something Asian. The fruit cakes from KC Pastries are topped with fruit as opposed to the conventional candied fruit and are a good alternative if you are seeking a less dense cake.

Beiler's Bakery
Reading Terminal Market
51 N. 12th St.
Philadelphia, PA. 19107
(215) 351-0735
www.readingterminalmarket.com

Beiler's Bakery is a very popular and favorite bakery for Philadelphians. Seasonally, you can find fruitcake here and other winter-themed treats like cider or hot chocolate. Beiler's is located in the Reading Terminal and also serves up many favorite Pennsylvania Dutch bakery items, such as cinnamon buns, cookies, fresh made pies and possibly the best donuts in the city. Beiler's Bakery opens Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday at 8 a.m.

Related: Top Bakeries In Philadelphia

Christina Dagnelli is a freelance writer in Philadelphia and the author of Little Squares with Colors: A Different way to look at autism. Her work on examiner can be found here Examiner.com.