While I remember - Herman Cake.

Just before Christmas I was given a 'Herman' with a set of instructions on how to look after him. After a spot of confusion I realised that 'Herman' was in fact a cake batter like a sour dough cake and that you looked after him in order to create a naturally occurring yeast. Below I have added a little bit about the history of the cake and also the ingredients and instructions on how you can create your own. I never started the original so have had to adapt the recipe that I found online to fit in with the instructions that I was given.

The Herman cake is known by a few different names (the Amish cake, the friendship cake to name a couple) and comes from days gone by when yeast was expensive and hard to source. You made the 'starter' recipe below and by following the instructions you could make this clever naturally occurring yeast, this could then be passed on to others so that they had their own supply. It could be passed back and forth between friends or, in theory, one original Herman could carry on in the same house for years!

Original Herman cake starter

2 cups plain flour
2 cups sugar
2 cups water or milk

Stir ingredients together and place in a plastic bowl and cover with a clean tea towel, this will capture the yeasts that are around locally.

Stir once a day for 20 days.

After 20 days add another cup of flour, sugar, milk and then stir, then 4 days later add the ingredients again and then split into 4. Follow instructions below!

The Instructions - or how to care for Herman

Hi, my name is Herman.

Do not put me in the fridge and make sure that I'm not too hot, I do like to be warm though. Put me in a large bowl so that I can grow, but do not cover me with a lid, just a clean tea towel. I need to breathe. I should also bubble - this shows I'm breathing. If I stop breathing - I'M DEAD!

Day 1: Herman arrives

Day 2 and 3: Stir Herman 2-3 times a day with a wooden spoon

Day 4: Herman is hungry, please feed him with : 200g sugar, 125 g plain flour, 200ml milk. Stir well.

Day 5,6,7,8: Stir 2-3 times a day

Day 9: Herman is hungry again. Please feed him with: 200g sugar, 125 g plain flour, 200ml milk. Stir well.


Divide me into four. Pass me on to three of your friends and keep one part for yourself. You can either start the process of looking after me again or make me into a delicious cake. If you do want to eat me *gulp* then try the following:

Add to the part you have kept:
150g melted butter
3 eggs
250g plain flour
100g brown sugar
4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
2 apples, peeled, cored, grated
100g dried fruit.

Give Herman a good mix and pour him into a large greased tin, or 2 smaller ones. Make sure you only fill to about 3/4 full because Herman will rise and chances are overflow. No-one likes oven cleaning so be warned! Sprinkle the top with brown sugar and bake at 15C, Gas Mark 2 for 1 and a half hours.

Then scoff.