Herman the German Friendship cake

[trinder]

This was definitely one I was "Oh really" about. "thanks you, how fine" .
But it is a very moist and rich cake when finished. Well recommended but I really have no clue how to start it.

The secret is .. A friend gives you this bit of iffy looking batter and you follow the instructions so you cannot start it yourself.

this is the written instructions that came with the cack looking batter.

German friendship cake


Hi my name is Herman, I am a sourdough cake.
I sit on your worktop for 10 days without a lid on.
Do not put me in the fridge or I will die. If I stop bubbling I am dead.
Day 1 put me in a large mixing bowl and cover me loosely with a tea towel.
Day 2 stir me well
Day 3 stir me well
Day 4 I am hungry. Please feed me. ( 1 cup = ½ mug)

1 cup of plain flour + 1 cup of milk + 1 cup of sugar, stir me well

Day 5 stir me well
Day 6 stir me well
Day 7 stir me well
Day 8 stir me well

Day 9 I am hungry. Please feed me. ( 1 cup = ½ mug)

1 cup of plain flour + 1 cup of milk + 1 cup of sugar, stir me well

Then divide me into 4 equal portions and give three away to your friends with instructions.

Day 10 I am now very hungry stir me and add :-


1 cup of sugar
½ teaspoon of salt
2 cups of plain flour
2/3 of a cup of cooking oil
2 eggs
2 teaspoons of vanilla essence
2 cooking apples cut into chunks
1 cup of raisins
2 teaspoons of cinnamon
2 teaspoons baking powder

mix together and put into a well greased large baking tin. Pour over the top ¼ cup of melted butter and ¼ cup of sugar.
Bake for 45 minutes at 180 c or gas mark 4
When cool cut into finger size pieces.
Cake freezes well.

This cake is good warm with cream or ice cream

[sarahkeast]

I have been keeping a Herman for a month or so now; keeping the mixture fed and ticking over, not particularly accurate on timing of feedings etc, but it is doing well.

I find the mixture is best just split 3 ways rather than 4, 2 cakes every week or so plus another one 'brewing'. Added all sorts, even tried a savory version with mushroom, fried onion, nuts and cheese. Really loving it, might make up another batch tonight to eat at the weekend.

Would love to hear of other ingredients ideas.

[Pumpkin&Piglet]

i had a friendship cake for ages. It was def a recipe where a bit of this and bit of that went in and my timings and ingredients were never exact.

I fed him when I remembered and made a cake when I fancied it. I certainly didn't divid him properly either, I just poured a bit out.

This website tells you different recipes and how to start one:

http://www.recipes4cakes.com/herman/

[julie_lanteri]

brilliant! A couple of days ago I was talking about making a sourdough starter with the kids at school when one of the teaching assistants mentionned trying this cake once. Off to check how to start if off! yum yum...
thanks Pumkin&Piglet for the link

[magicguitarman]

I'm sorry to say I killed Herman when I was entrusted with his care. I still have no idea what happened. Maybe the cat pee'd in it.

[Pumpkin&Piglet]

I'm sorry to say I had him long enough to get sick of it and through him away. Apart from anything else, I haven't really got the space to have a big mixing bowl sitting on my kitchen side indefinitely!

[seasidegirl]

Never tried this but feel sure it would drive me crazy. I'm with pumpkin on the space thing. Would probably put it out the way somewhere and then forget about it. Did that once with those dried peas you have to soak with a tablet (actually husband started them off and then we both forgot) result was horrible and stinking.

There was a Herman the German advertised on Freegle here recently. I didn't know what it was but now I do think its pretty funny they were Freegling it.

[little blue duck]

I'm sorry to say I had him long enough to get sick of it and through him away. Apart from anything else, I haven't really got the space to have a big mixing bowl sitting on my kitchen side indefinitely!

I know what you mean ... I cooked all of the last batch of mine (and said to my friends I'd shared him with that I'll have some more later on!)
I froze alot, got just one piece left :P

[marshlander]

Missed this thread. I <3 my herman! It's so adaptable. I often make the traditional apple, cinnamon and raisin but have made up lots of variations, pears and cardamom, blueberries and vanilla to name a couple. The only problem is eventually, all your friends have a Herman or the first person you gave Herman to has beaten you to your next intended victims, sorry recipients! The way round this is only to add half the amount on the first two feeds. Then, when you bake you have one to cook and one to feed for the next time.
I have also found that it's earsier to keep track if you bake once a week so I feed every Tuesday and Saturday and bake every Sunday.

[Mrs Moustoir]

I've just made and passed on a "Herman". It did get on my nerves a bit by taking up worktop space and I had to change the teatowel covering the bowl every day as the mixture bubbled up to the top of the bowl and stuck to the towel. It was in a huge Masons ironstone bowl and every morning I expected to find the whole kitchen covered by a bubbling mass like some mad scientist experiment gone wrong.

It was very yeasty and I'm afraid no-one in the house liked the baked cake (apple, raisin and spice). OH said it tasted like Guinness which could be a plus-point for some!

[marshlander]

My Herman won 1st prize for an apple cake in the WI competition at the Festival of Apples on Sunday! Chuffed