Those who claim to not like fruitcakes have probably never tried one of Betty Bradbury’s delectable desserts.

Even Bradbury herself claimed to not like fruitcakes before she tried the recipe she uses today. Forty years ago, a friend offered a slice of fruitcake to Bradbury, to which she tried to decline. However after trying a piece, Bradbury asked for the recipe and has been making fruitcakes ever since.

When she first began making fruitcakes, Bradbury only reported making a total of six cakes for friends and family.  Now, 40 years later, Bradbury makes approximately 120 fruitcakes just in time for the holiday season.

“People will always ask if I am going to be making my fruitcakes again and if they are still getting one,” said Bradbury.

With her unique recipe, Bradbury has been changing the negative perception of fruitcakes one batch at a time. She even reported that a few recipients of her fruitcakes have lied about how good her cakes were just so they would not have to share.

“One of my friends told me that her husband didn’t like fruitcakes, so she didn’t tell him how good it actually was. She just didn’t want him to eat any,” laughed Bradbury.

With 120 fruitcakes to bake before Christmas, Bradbury needs all the help she can get. Thankfully, her grandchildren Jordan and Jonathon Bradbury are more than happy to lending a helping hand to their grandmother’s baking mission.

“My favorite part about making fruitcakes is the part with all the goopy fruit,” said Jonathon Bradbury as he helped his grandmother make her first batch of the season.

“These fruitcakes are special because they are homemade,” added Jordan Bradbury.

Once completed, Betty Bradbury gets to perform what she credits as her favorite part of the entire fruitcake making process. She gifts her fruitcakes to family and friends, especially those who attend her church.

“These fruitcakes help keep me close to people and allow me to reconnect with them later in life,” said Bradbury. “A little fruitcake can definitely go a long way.”