The Fruitcake Capital of the World
Did you know a town in southeast Georgia is the Fruit Cake Capital of the World? The story of how this came to be starts with an Italian immigrant named Savino Tos.
Tos immigrated to New York City in the early 1900s and worked as a master baker in a Brooklyn hotel. Ready for a change, he accepted a job with a company making ice cream in Macon, Georgia.
Tos enjoyed the south and frequently traveled from Macon to the Georgia coast to visit Savannah and Tybee Island. As you can see on the map below, Claxton is about halfway between Macon and Savannah.
Tos’ travels to and from Macon took him through Claxton, GA. Claxton is the county seat of Evan County - created by the Georgia Legislature on August 11, 1914.
BELOW: Image of the Evans County Court House on Main Street in Claxton, Georgia.
The ice cream company for which Tos was working eventually closed and Tos decided to open a bakery in Claxton. Tos’ bakery opened in 1910 and was an immediate success. Tos offered baked goods and ice cream, a welcome treat during the heat of summer in the south.
The origin of the fruitcake can be traced to ancient Rome. The ancient cakes were a barley-mash cake. Recipes for fruitcake evolved over the years before being introduced in the United States in the late 19th century.
The combination of fruits and nuts are held together by a batter that makes the “cake” portion of the fruitcake. The Claxton Bakery is proud that its cakes are 70 percent fruits and nuts by weight so the pound cake really functions as a binder.
Albert Parker began working with Tos in 1927 while Parker was still in school. Parker arrived at the bakery before school to help start operations and returned to the bakery after school where he worked until dark.
Tos sold the bakery to Parker in 1945 when Tos decided to retire. In the era following the second World War, groceries, service stations and other establishments began to carry traditional bakery items. Parker decided to specialize in making fruit cakes and expanded his operations.
Parker and his employees baked 45,000 pounds of fruit cakes in their first year of mass production. Parker was able to expand his operations as more establishments stocked his fruit cakes.
BELOW: The Claxton Bakery on Main Street sits across North Grady Street from the Evans County Court House, pictured above.
Albert Parker passed away in May of 1995. The bakery is now managed by his children and his grandchildren work in the business as well. The company produces fruit cakes year-round though it ramps up operations with more than one hundred seasonal workers from mid-August to December for the holiday baking season.
BELOW: The company store at the main entrance to the bakery is open year-round.
Claxton Fruit Cakes contain California raisins, pineapple, papya, Georgia pecans, cherries, freshly-shelled walnuts and almonds, lemon and orange peel blended into a pound cake batter. You’ll have to choose between the “regular” and “dark” recipes.
BELOW: You can purchase “regular” or “dark” fruit cake in the company store or online.
Dark fruit cakes contain the same fruit-and-nut content though the recipe calls for molasses, spices and sun-ripened raisins. According to the Claxton Bakery, the regular recipe outsells and dark recipe by eight-to-one. You can purchase both in a sampler pack to decide which you prefer.
The Claxton Bakery recommends their fruit cakes be thoroughly chilled (like other cakes) before slicing and serving. The fruit cake slices can be served with ice cream or topped with whipped cream, and they make a great compliment to a cup of coffee.
The Claxton Bakery also sells individually wrapped slices, chocolate-covered fruit cake and a “supreme” fruit cake weighting in at three pounds. An enterprising host might create a chocolate fondue with both regular and dark Claxton Bakery fruit cake for a holiday surprise.
Fruit cakes from the Claxton Bakery have been a popular treat for 115 years and the Claxton Fruit Cake is still made according to Savino Tos’ original recipe. The cakes are shipped across the nation and can be found in many stores. They’re even available from online retailers like Amazon.com
Have you ever had a Claxton Fruit Cake? Leave a comment below to let us know your thoughts… and whether you prefer the regular or dark recipe!
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