Many fruit-cake recipes suggest that to preserve fruit cake it should be wrapped in either grease-proof paper or baking parchment before being placed in a sealed container.
Why?
I can understand that grease-proof paper might help to keep the air out and the moisture in back in the days when cake tins really were made of tin - and the lid wasn't a very good seal. But is this still needed in the days of close-fitting tupperware (or similar) plastic containers?
Even with an airtight container, wrapping a fruitcake in paper may be useful for getting it back out again. Fruitcake tends to be sticky, and can stick to the container itself. Wrapping it in paper ensures it easily comes out in one piece, and only comes in contact with a known material that is easily removed - otherwise, the recipe maker can't be sure it won't stick to whatever plastic/glass/metal container you choose to use. It's fairly common to find sticky or moist foods sold in sealed packaging with paper dividers between/around items, not for the purpose of preservation, but for presentation and serving.
