Recipes

[RetRN]

Not familiar with this cake. Sounds like it was pretty popular at one time.

[Danky]

Even though it sounds really interesting, I don't think I could get myself to ingest canned fruit that has been sitting on a counter for three weeks...

a psychological thing.

[KatieB]

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@KatieB wrote:

Boy, this brought back a good memory for me.  We used to pass around the Herman starter at work - didn't want to throw any of it away.....  This made the best bread I've ever tasted in my life.  It was like eating cake.  It tasted sort of like the Kings Hawaiian bread - kind of sweet....  And, the the sweets you could make with it were the best...  I remember making cinnamon rolls with it...  Wish I had some of the starter how....

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A followup to my original post...    None of the recipes I've made or tasted using the Herman starter had any fruit in it.  It's altogether different from the posted recipe using fruit....

[deepwaterdotter]

@KatieB  My mistake, I posted the recipe for "Friendship Cake" that another poster mentioned.  I don't know if I know of a recipe for the "Herman" starter, but I will check my collection.

[CoffeeNut]

This was hugely popular back in the early 80's when I lived in Kansas.  My great aunt gave starters to a lot of family members.  The fad lasted about 6 months because it became too much work to keep "feeding herman" and we all started gaining weight from eating all the stuff we baked from it. 

[tends2dogs]

I remember the Herman Cake starter being passed around back in the 80's.  It kind of grossed me out, taking this hunk of dough, not sure where all it had been and then baking with it. 

It kind of reminds me of Stone Soup that some churches make for luncheons.  Everyone from the congregation brings "leftovers" and it is added to a big pot and made into soup.  I could never make myself eat it.  My mom, on the other hand, thought it was delicious. 

I guess I am too much of a germphobe. ;(