This type of cake is the result of centuries of progress and evolution. Its ancestor is a plum porridge (oats and plums). Then, crafty cooks enhanced it with fruit, spices, and a bit of honey, calling it Christmas pudding (a pudding in Britain is more like a heavy cake than what we in the U.S. think of as pudding). Then, a bit more tinkering with the recipe: the oats were out and wheat flour, butter, and eggs were in along with spices such as nutmeg and cinnamon (paying homage to two of those wise mens gifts named above). Now this pudding was a true cake a Christmas cake! And then came the icing on top only, not the sides, and adding a bit more sweetness to the flavor palette! Slice yourself a slab and enjoy with a cup of your favorite tea.