Herman Friendship Cake Recipes

Steps:

• Mix starter ingredients in a bowl and let stand at room temperature undisturbed for 24 to 36 hours.
• (If you already have your one cup of starter from a friend, disregard the above.) Place starter in a medium bowl and combine it with the"First Day" ingredients.
• Cover and refrigerate.
• Stir once a day for 5 days.
• On the 5th day, place in a larger bowl and add the"Fifth Day" ingredients.
• Cover and refrigerate.
• Stir once a day for 5 more days.
• Remove 3 separate cups of starter and give each cup to 3 friends with the recipe and instructions.
• (They will not need to mix their starter or let it sit for 24 to 36 hours because you are giving them their starter.) Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Combine all of the"Tenth Day" ingredients with the remaining mixture.
• Pour into a greased and floured 9 x 13" pan.
• Combine topping ingredients and sprinkle on top.
• Bake for 40- 50 minutes.

Steps:

• To Make Starter: Dissolve yeast in warm water. Add 1 tablespoon white sugar, 1 tablespoon vinegar, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1 cup of the flour, and 1 cup of the milk in a non-metal bowl and stir with a non-metal spoon until creamy. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let stand in a warm place for two days to ferment. It will become bubbly and have a sour odor. Do not place in refrigerator. On second day, third day, and fourth day: stir. On fifth day, add 1 cup flour, 1 cup sugar, 1 cup milk, and stir. On sixth, seventh, eighth, and ninth day: stir. On tenth day add 1 cup flour, 1 cup sugar, and 1 cup milk. Reserve 1 cup starter; pour remaining starter, 1 cup each, into 3 containers to give away to friends if desired. Starter is enough for 8 loaves.
• To Make Cakes: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease two 8 or 9 inch loaf pans.
• Mix 1 cup of the starter, oil, baking powder, eggs, 1 cup of the sugar, 2 cups of the flour, 1/4 teaspoon of the salt, vanilla, and chopped nuts. Stir in the baking soda just before pouring the batter into the prepared pans.
• Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Bananas, dates, or raisins can be added for variety.

Steps:

• To Make Starter: Mix 2 cups flour, 1/4 cup sugar, 2 cups warm water, 1/4 ounce yeast in a bowl, cover and let stand over night (cover should be loose). Refrigerate and stir daily. On fifth day feed Herman one cup flour, 1 cup milk and 1/2 cup sugar; stir and refrigerate. Stir daily until 10th day. On 10th day remove 1 cup starter and feed as on fifth day.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease four 8 inch pans or three 9 inch pans.
• Mix together 1 cup starter, white sugar, self rising flour, salt, 2 teaspoons cinnamon, oil, eggs, raisins, 1 cup chopped nuts, honey (optional). Stir until combined. Pour into prepared pans. Top with sugar-nut topping.
• Dot with 1/2 cup butter or margarine and bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 15 minutes. Remove cakes from oven and pour glaze over still-warm cakes.
• To Make Sugar-Nut Topping: Mix together 1 cup brown sugar, 1 teaspoon flour, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/4 cup chopped nuts.
• To Make Glaze: Combine 1 cup sifted confectioners' sugar, 2 tablespoons melted margarine, 2 tablespoons milk. Use immediately to glaze cake.

Steps:

• In a large glass or plastic container, dissolve the yeast in warm water. Stir in the flour and sugar, mix until smooth. (DO NOT USE A METAL SPOON)! Cover loosely and store in a warm place overnight.
• The next day, stir and refrigerate.
• Stir once each day for the next four days. On the fifth day, stir, then divide in half. Give half away with feeding instructions.
• Feed starter with 1/2 cup white sugar, 1 cup flour, and 1 cup milk. Stir until smooth. Cover and place in refrigerator. Stir once each day for next four days.
• On the tenth day feed again with 1/2 cup white sugar, 1 cup flour, and 1 cup milk. Return to refrigerator and stir once each day for the next four days.
• On the fifteenth day it is ready to be used for baking. Reserve one cup of the starter in the refrigerator and continue to follow the stir and feed cycle (Stir once a day for four days, stir and feed on the fifth day, ready for use on the tenth day.)

Steps:

• STARTER: Stir Ingredients together, mixing well, in a gallon container.
• Cover tightly and refrigerate.
• Feed Herman the same 3 Starter ingredients (above) every 5 days for a total of 4 times (20 days).
• Stir Herman daily.
• When you are ready to bake a Herman Cake, you should have about eight cups of starter.
• Bake Herman cake (recipe below) on the 25th day from the first feeding.
• ***Keep your own starter growing, use some to bake a Herman Cake, and give some to friends.
• ***SHARING YOUR STARTER: If someone gives you a cup of Herman Starter, you must feed it for 10 days before you bake with it.
• Day 1: Feed Starter with 1/2 cup sugar, 1 cup flour, and 1 cup milk.
• Stir, cover and refrigerate.
• Day 2-4: Stir.
• Leave in refrigerator.
• Day 5: Feed Starter again with 1/2 cup sugar, 1 cup flour, and 1 cup milk.
• Stir, cover and refrigerate.
• Day 6-9: Stir.
• Leave in refrigerator.
• ***Herman should now be about 4 cups: use 2 cups to bake, give 1 cup to friend, and keep 1 cup to grow more Starter.
• ***Day 10: MAKE HERMAN CAKE AS FOLLOWS: Mix all Herman Cake ingredients together, along with 2 cups of Herman Starter, and pour into a greased/floured bundt pan.
• Sprinkle top with Topping mixture.
• Bake 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes.
• Or use a 15x19-2" pan and bake 325 degrees for 30-35 minutes.
• TOPPING MIXTURE: Mix together all Topping ingredients and sprinkle over cake BEFORE baking.
• GLAZE: Mix all Glaze ingredients together and cook for 5 minutes.
• Pour over top of hot baked Herman Cake.