Daily Sun staff reports

Beatrice Bakery Company will make its debut on the Food Network’s “Unwrapped” program on Dec. 4.

Each week, “Unwrapped” uncovers behind-the-scenes details on classic American food, from peanut butter and chocolate syrup to French fries and bubblegum.

On Dec. 4, host Marc Summers will show viewers the secret that goes into producing one of America’s holiday traditions – Grandma’s Fruit & Nut Cake.

Beatrice Bakery Company was one of the 12 companies selected to be featured on the upcoming show.

Each show is usually grouped around a theme and this one will spotlight “Holiday Treats and Traditions.” 

The show will offer a glimpse into the 40 employees at Beatrice Bakery Company who hand produce a variety of sizes and flavors of Grandma’s Fruit & Nut Cake.

The secret to the original Grandma’s Fruit and Nut Cake dates back to 1917 when the Lantz Brothers, two German immigrants who operated a bakery in St. Louis, Mo., started making their grandmother’s famous fruitcake. During the 1960s, they sold their recipe to a Beatrice bread company to produce their cake in a volume to meet customer orders.  On several occasions they visited the bakery to oversee the transfer as well as to insure the integrity and sweet success of their grandmother’s original recipe. Today, the baking of that original fruitcake recipe lives on.

This hands-on bakery has a history of making 1.2 million pounds of cake per year.

“Holiday Treats Unwrapped” is scheduled to air Dec. 4 at 9 p.m. It is currently scheduled for repeat dates Dec. 12, 13 and 21.