Baker and Sun Street Breads owner Solveig Tofte says she’s trying to bring back the fruitcake: “But not the weird red-and-green-cherry shellacked one,” she says. “This year we’re doing a proper British fruitcake.” That is, the kind with very little dough but abundant figs, almonds, bittersweet chocolate, and crystallized ginger, the whole thing baked, cooled, and then soaked in rum. 4600 Nicollet Ave., Mpls., 612-354-3414, sunstreetbreads.com
John Kraus’s Patisserie 46 is known for its very fine French-descended pastries, but in fact Kraus’s mother hailed from Italy. This influence comes out especially at Christmas in Italian fruitcake variations, including two fruitcake-like pannetone, one a chocolate and hazelnut gianduja and the other a traditional Sicilian citrus-accented version. 4552 Grand Ave. S., Mpls., 612-354-3257, patisserie46.com
Stollen is the German and Alsatian version of fruitcake, and Patrick Bernet, the French owner of Patrick’s Bakery, trained in Alsace, so if you want genuine European stollen get yourself to Richfield, pronto. There you’ll find stollen featuring tender, brioche-like dough studded with fruit, which has been macerating in brandy since before the State Fair. 2928 W. 66th St., Richfield, 612-861-7570, patricksbakerycafe.com
