MTN DEW fruitcake deserves a place at the holiday dessert table

Fruitcake is often the brunt of many holiday jokes. This holiday season embrace a new holiday tradition, thanks to the great minds at MTN DEW.

The festive bow and pretty packaging can try to disguise it, but that holiday dessert still sits, untouched on the dessert table. Are people uncertain? Maybe those gingerbread men are just too tempting. No matter the reason, that holiday fruitcake is like the dessert wall flower that everyone tends to ignore. This year, fruitcake is getting its rightful place at the holiday dessert table thanks to the geniuses at MTN DEW.

Before continuing, everyone knows the many jokes about doorstops, there’s only one in the world and even the annual toss in Colorado. Still, this particular dessert has been around for centuries. When made well, it is a delightful piece of flavorful cake.

In truth, a fruitcake is a mash-up of sorts. It combines dried fruits, sometimes nuts and warm spices into a dense, sweet yet slightly tart bite of holiday deliciousness. To celebrate this holiday mash-up of sorts, MTN DEW thought that it could help transform this old school, often overlooked cake into a modern, sought after version. After all, isn’t MTN DEW the king of mash-ups? Remember that Super Bowl commercial?

For the holidays, MTN DEW has released a holiday mash-up of its own. The MTN DEW MERRY MASH-UP combines the flavors of cranberry and pomegranate into a refreshing holiday-centric beverage.

Cranberry and pomegranate are popular seasonal flavors during the holidays. Creating a MTN DEW flavor that is dressed and ready for the holiday season adds a little brightness to the holiday.

Since this new MTN DEW flavor incorporates cranberry and pomegranate, there is a natural extension to holiday baking. Just like a few favorite holiday desserts, this beverage could transform a traditional dessert into something a little more invigorating. And, MTN DEW did just that with the fruitcake.

MTN DEW fruitcake, featuring MTN DEW MERRY MASH-UP, photo by Cristine Struble

With a little help from the incredible bakery, Four & Twenty Blackbirds, this MTN DEW took on the most controversial holiday desserts, the fruitcake. It created the Mountain Dew Merry Mash-up Cranberry Pomegranate Fruitcake. Having had the pleasure of trying this dessert, I was definitely surprised and delighted. This recipe will have anyone rethinking their opinions on fruitcakes.

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Granted, having a bakery like Four & Twenty Blackbirds assist on the recipe ensures that this particular version is better than anything you find in a grocery store. More importantly, this dessert has a depth of flavor that people will want to enjoy over and over.

With a touch of sweetness from the dates and apricots to the brightness from the cranberries and a touch of spice from the candied ginger, this dessert is a pure delight. Since it is a dense cake, a small piece is all you need. But, that piece will make you want to eat it over and over.

On my second piece, I figured out that the boost of flavor comes from the Mountain Dew Merry Mash-Up, which is used in two places. First, the dried fruits are re-hydrated with the beverage. The fruit becomes plump with the sweet yet tart beverage. It helps with both the flavor and texture.

Second, the MTN DEW is used in the syrup glaze. The cake is glazed and that flavor permeates every bite. While never too sweet, the flavor helps to lighten up a little of the cake, itself.

Although some people might still be skeptical about this cake, the idea of a Mountain Dew Merry Mash-Up glaze is something that anyone could borrow. The beverage can be infused in an icing, glaze and more. Because this MTN DEW features holiday flavors, it is a great way to liven up any traditional holiday recipe.

Since it is the holiday season, there could be a little moral to this holiday dessert tale. Instead of overlooking that long forgotten piece of holiday tradition, why not give it a modern update.

If Mountain Dew Merry Mash-Up can make a fruitcake be the star of the holiday table, what other holiday miracles could happen?