The Friendship Cake

Now, I will admit to being sceptical when Irene, a Bridge friend from Truro gave me a starter, along with full instructions for the 10 day routine. Not onerous at all, just a minute a day.

This “Herman” cake is a sweet fruit sourdough and when it finally came out of the oven and I tasted it! Wow. It was absolutely delicious. Not to mention the fabulous smell. It tastes and smells like bread but is a cake, although you can use the plain mix for a sweet loaf. Use whatever final ingredients you want - I used chopped apricots, dried cranberries and a handful of sultanas with 1 teaspoonful cinnamon. But the choice is yours completely. Use any mix of dried fruit, cherries, apples, chocolate chips, any nuts, all in any combination.

A few “dos and don’ts - No metal, spoons or bowls. Do not refrigerate, it will die. Do not use a lid, it needs air! I used a clean tea towel.

You will first need to make a starter and this takes 5 days. In a plastic or glass bowl place:

12 fl oz warm water and milk mix

1 sachet of dried active yeast

5 oz plain flour

7 oz caster sugar

Dissolve the yeast in 2 fl oz of the warm milky water for 10-15 mins until frothy and coming alive.  then stir in the remaining liquid, flour and sugar with a wooden spoon. Cover loosely and leave overnight. Leave for a day.

That’s the starter - now begin the ten day routine.

Day 1 - place in a medium/large mixing bowl and cover loosely 

Day 2 - Stir

Day 3 - Stir

Day 4 - Feed the cake with 4 oz plain flour, 6 oz caster sugar and a small cup of milk [4 fl oz]. Stir.

Day 5, 6, 7, 8, - Stir

Day 9 - as Day 4

Day 10 - make the cake!!

You can now divide this into 4 portions, give 3 away and bake with one.

OR - if you only use half of the “feeding” ingredients, divide into 2, bake with one half and begin again with the other.

The ¼ portion makes a 7 inch cake but for the half portion use a 9 inch, as I did, above.

Main Cake

8 oz caster sugar 

10 oz plain flour

5 fl oz of oil - I used rapeseed

2 eggs

vanilla extract to taste

2 heaped teaspoonfuls of baking powder

2 teaspoonfuls cinnamon

Now add the fruit/cake flavour/ingredients you prefer

Mix it all together and tip into your prepared tin, with the base lined. Now sprinkle over some demerara and a couple of fl oz of melted butter then bake for about an hour at 170C in your fan oven. Now cover with foil and continue baking until a knitting needle comes out clean. The 9 inch cake took another 30 mins.

Just delicious. Well worth the effort and on day 4 the cake was still most and soft. I will make a date and walnut with it next, I think!