In 1878 , Fidelia Ford of Berkey , Ohio , made her one-year holiday fruitcake . As with many fruitcake recipes , this one called for a year of ripening — so when the current year ’s cake was being baked , the previous year ’s was quick for ingestion . unhappily , Ford passed off not long after baking the 1878 cake , and her married man could n’t convey himself to slice and serve the sweet the following year . rather , he placed her necrology on top of the patty and saved it . And saved it . And saved it . It was keep for so long that when he died , the confection remained in the family . In 1952 , it wasinheritedby Fidelia ’s great - grandson , Morgan , after his founder had a stroke .
As custodian of the cake , Morgan admits he ’s been a little more lax than his forerunner , countenance his Uncle Amos to sample the ancient sweet back in 1964 . “ He thought it was a dirty shame nobody had ever taste nan ’s cake , ” Morgan said . After producing a air pocket tongue and jab a glob off of the cake , Amos rectified the position . “ He did n’t say how it taste , but I remember it sounded reasonably crunchy . ”
And the review did n’t get much better in the old age that followed . In 2003 , Morgan went onThe Tonight Showand allowed Jay Leno to take a taste of the cake , then 125 years quondam . Morgan eventually taste it too , and he did n’t exactly give it aglowing revaluation : “ In the summer , when they thresh wheat berry , and you put a duet of the heart and soul in your mouth and chew ‘ em . … Not much of a taste , no , and not good . ”
As of 2012 , the ancient fruitcake was still kicking . Though Morgan fail in 2013 at the age of 93 , he made plan to guarantee the nut case ’s continued survival by will it to his son , James Ford . James will surely store the bar safely off somewhere , but we may not see it on talk shows anytime soon . " I reckon I do n’t have anything else that ’s a family heirloom , " hesaidin 2003 . " It ’s history . I think my papa gets a piddling more fun out of it than I do . "
