Dorothy Miller from Towson, Md., was looking for a recipe for what she called Oriental fruitcake. She said the layer cake was made with pineapple, coconut, walnuts and raisins.

Faith Hermann from Relay, Md., sent in a recipe for a Japanese fruitcake that her mother used to make that she thought sounded very similar to the cake Miller had described. According to Bill Neal, author of “Biscuits, Spoonbread, and Sweet Potato Pie,” Japanese Fruitcake is “an exotically named, typically Southern dessert cake, especially popular in the 20th century.

This same cake was once called Oriental cake, but there is nothing of the Far East about it, except the spices, none of which is Japanese in origin.” Why this cake should bear this curious and confusing name is a mystery.

Hermann said her mother always made two 2-layer cakes with this recipe instead of one large 4-layer cake. That way she would have one cake to give away and one to enjoy at home.

While nothing about this luscious layer cake is remotely Japanese, it is easy to understand why, like classic fruitcake, it is enjoyed widely throughout the South as a holiday-season celebration cake. No matter what this cake is called, its tempting combination of flavors will have even those who dislike fruitcake asking for a big slice.

Recipe request

Marie Cox from Bel Air, Md., would love to have the recipe for the creamed spinach that was served at the now-closed Haussner’s restaurant in Baltimore.

Mary Meyers from Perry Hall, Md., is looking for a recipe for Black Walnut Cake that was served at the Akron Restaurant in Akron, Pa., which is now closed.