Herman Friendship Cake

Friendship Cake

 

 

This idea originated from the Amish Friendship Bread, we tend call it a friendship cake or Herman cake. It is called the friendship cake because every time you make a batch you pass 4 little portions of the mix away to your friends, relatives or neighbours. Who then in turn pass 4 little portions onto their neighbours, friends or relatives.

It is yeast based and one starter can last a lifetime literally, and it is so simple to make, although it’s a long process with the 10 day cycle it is so worth it and every time I make one and freeze or give away the individuals I always get a sense of achievement.  There are so many variations of the end ingredients, just go with whatever you have in the pantry.
To make the cake from scratch if no-one has given you a starter mix is easy follow my instructions and you’ll always have a great base mix for your delicious cake.
 
Ingredients

·         5oz Plain flour

·         8oz castor sugar

·         1 packet active dry yeast (7 grams or 2 tsp.)

·         300ml Pint Luke warm milk

·         2 fluid ounces of Luke warm water

Method

·         Dissolve yeast in the warm water for about 10 minutes

·         Stir thoroughly

·         Stir in the warm milk

·         Cover with clean tea towel or muslin cloth

·         Leave for 24 hours covered with the cloth and then start the 10 day process.

Once you have this base mix or one that someone has passed on to you follow these instructions for the next 10 days… Remember this cake does NOT like the cold so no fridge. He grows at room temperature, and must be covered with cloth NOT cling film or foil!

                              ***********************************************

Take your little cake mix and start this 10 day process... 

Day 1: Take your Cake starter mix and scrape him into a large mixing bowl and cover with muslin cloth.

 Day2:

Stir Cake mix 2 – 3 times during the day with a large wooden spoon ( leave the spoon in the bowl as its easier that way)

Day3:

Stir him 2 or 3 times

Day 4:

Your Cake mix is ready for some action so add

·         200mls milk,

·         250 grams sugar,

·         200grams of self raising flour and stir in really well.

 

Day5: Stir Cake 2 or 3 times

 Day6: Stir Cake 2 or 3 times

 Day7: Stir Cake 2 or 3 times

 Day 8: Stir Cake mix 2 or 3 times

 Day 9: Now is where the good bit starts:

·         Add 200mls Milk, 250grams sugar, 200 grams Self raising flour and stir really well. Now divide up the mix into 5 portions.  Use Tupperware for this and leave the 5^th portion in the large mixing bowl.  Now you can give away the 4 portions to your friends with a copy of these 10 day instructions. Or alternatively you can pop them in the Freezer for up to 6 months and you’ll always have your own mix to start from.

 

 

Day 10:

Heat your oven to 170 * Celsius

 Your portion now needs some ingredients to make him into a real cake, Into your mix add

·         150g self-raising flour

·         1 tsp. baking powder

·         1 tsp. grated nutmeg

·         3 tsp. ground cinnamon

·         100g chopped nuts

·         Handful of dried fruit (I use a mix saltanas, currants, raisins, & glace cherries)

·         2 large grated apples (skin on)

·         1 grated carrot

·         200mls sunflower oil

·         3 eggs

Grease a large cake tin about 9-10 inches Diameter. Or a 2lb Loaf tin will be good.

Bake him for about an hour until he’s cooked nice and firm, If he starts to look too brown on top before the middle is cooked place a piece of tin foil over the top loosely to stop it burning on the top.

Also you don’t have to make a fruit and nut version; I know one of my friends cannot abide  traditional fruit cake so she adapted hers into a pear and ginger cake. So she added to her starter mix:

1lb of peeled and cored pears and apples, 1 tsp. baking powder, 3 eggs, 200g melted butter and a good helping of freshly grated ginger.

So really anything goes. I’ve added allsorts to mine; I’ve made raspberry & lemon, coffee & walnut. As long as you add the 150g of flour, the baking powder and the oil/butter and the eggs, you can wing it and experiment with what you have in the pantry.