Sunday, 10 June 2012

Herman the Friendship Cake

Herman is a sour dough 'friendship' cake. 
Do not fear him, he is very low maintenance and nothing bad will happen if you accidentally kill him or even if you just decide you can't be bothered with him.

Herman needs to live in a bowl on your worktop for ten days without a lid on. Be warned, Herman does smell a bit.
Herman will die if you put him in the fridge!
If Herman stops bubbling he is dead. Throw him away.
It is not necessary to talk to Herman, but it won't do him any harm. 

Day 1. 
Take the lid off Herman.
Place him in a mixing bowl capable of holding 2 litres.
Cover him with a clean tea towel.

Days 2 & 3. Stir Herman daily.

Day 4. Herman is hungry! 
Feed him the following ingredients, stir well and cover again:
115 g plain flour
225 g granulated sugar
235 ml milk

Days 5 - 8. Stir Herman daily.

Day 9. Herman is hungry again!
Add the same ingredients as day 4.
Divide into 4 equal portions.
Give 3 away to friends, along with a copy of these instructions.
Herman stays with you and is ready to be baked.

Day 10. Herman is starving!
Stir him well and add the following ingredients:
225 g plain flour
225 g caster sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla essence
2 heaped tsp cinnamon
2 heaped tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
160 ml vegetable or sunflower oil
2 cooking apples, peeled, cored, and cut into chunks
100 g walnuts or almonds (optional)
200 g raisins or sultanas (optional)

Mix everything together and place into a cake tin or a large greased roasting tin.
Sprinkle with 50 g brown sugar and 50 g melted butter.
Bake for about 45 minutes at 350 °F, 175 °C, Gas Mark 4.
Check after about 25 minutes as Herman may be ready. If he is cooked on top but still soggy underneath you may need to cover him in foil for the remaining baking time. Test Herman with a knife or skewer, if it comes out clean he is cooked. You may need to cook him for a lot longer than 45 minutes!


A copy of these instructions can be found here:
http://halfafishfinger.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06/herman-friendship-cake.html

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