When I met up with a friend recently he came bearing gifts. Well one specific, rather random gift actually, courtesy of his mother: Herman the friendship cake (though at the time he was not a cake, just a little bowl full of bubbly yellowish slop). I freely admit that I am hopelessly out of touch with the modern world and was therefore a little baffled as I had never heard of a friendship cake, but thankfully he came with a sheet of instructions.
It is basically a bit like a chain email (which I loathe) but using cake (which I love!). Herman is a living yeast mixture that you have to feed with various ingredients over a number of days, before giving four parts of the mixture to friends to carry on the chain, and turning the fifth part into a yummy spiced apple cake. A little research told me this is not a new idea, but based on a traditional Amish sweet bread that uses a sourdough starter. I have never had much luck with yeast-based things as I can never get them to rise properly, but because this evolves so slowly it is foolproof.
I can't deny I was a little dubious at the thought of the mixture sitting around for goodness knows how long in various random people's houses, but I got over it and the resulting cake was really yummy (and I haven't died from food poisoning yet), so if the mixture reaches you and you can turn a blind eye to the health and safety quagmire, then I recommend you try it!
If you like the look of this cake but have yet to be gifted a bowl of yeasty goo, you could always start your own - I found a link to the recipe here. And if you can't be bothered with any of that never fear as Herman bears more than a passing resemblance to this apple loaf cake, so maybe give that a try instead...
Happy Sunday!
Delilah x
Though that's a pretty nify idea, I'm not sure I'd eat it! Wouldn't something sitting around with yeast in it for days become pretty alcoholic?
Posted by: Emma | Monday, 31 October 2011 at 03:00 PM
Haha, it doesn't taste alcoholic at all. I think proper bread is traditionally made like that too (though I may equally be talking rubbish...) so I don't think it can be so bad!
Posted by: Delilah | Wednesday, 02 November 2011 at 08:24 PM
nice looking cakes and looks mouth watering too.
Posted by: florist penang | Monday, 21 November 2011 at 06:21 AM
I like to eat this type of cake , it is called fruit cake in our country.
Posted by: florist in penang | Monday, 21 November 2011 at 06:22 AM
I remember making Hermans in the 80's. Yummy! And the little friendship "slob" are picked up when you are ready to bake Herman so the culture is fresh and no more strange then functional food like some kinds of yoghurt...
Posted by: Ulrika, Sweden | Friday, 16 December 2011 at 08:19 PM
I had a Herman to stay to - scrummy isn't he :-)
Posted by: scentedsweetpeas | Wednesday, 01 February 2012 at 12:32 PM