What I've Been Baking: Herman the German Cakes

For the last week or so I've had a visitor in the kitchen.

I've kept him warm, safe and fed him as if he was one of my own.

Now the time has come to divide him up and pass him on to a new home or two.

I've been the proud keeper of a Herman sourdough starter. 

German Friendship Cake ‘Herman’

So what you need to know, a Herman is a traditional sourdough cake recipe which has been popular to make for several decades. The mix passes through circles of friends and family so in essence it is a tasty chain letter made of cake.
Day 1 – You get Herman and take the lid off.
Pour him into a large mixing bowl or container capable of holding at least 2 litres and cover loosely with a tea towel or cling film.
Day 2 – Stir well
Day 3 – Stir well
Day 4 Herman is hungry.

Add the following ingredients, stir well and cover again:

115g plain flour
225g granulated sugar
200ml milk

Day 5 – Stir well
Day 6 – Stir well
Day 7 – Stir well
Day 8 – Stir well
Day 9 – Hungry again. Add the same ingredients as day 4. Divide into 4 equal portions and give 3 away to your friends along with these instructions or keep one if you want to start a new cake.
Herman 4 stays with you and is ready to be baked the next day.
Day 10 – Bake your cake

Carrot and Cinnamon Cake

Ingredients

1 portion of Herman
225g plain flour
225g caster sugar
1 heaped teaspoon of cinnamon powder
1 heaped teaspoon of mixed spice powder
2 heaped teaspoons of baking powder
175ml Sunflower oil
2 eggs, lightly beaten
150g carrots, peeled and grated
55g nuts
150g raisins/sultanas, soak in boiling water for 30 minutes prior to making the cake to get them all soft and succulent, then sieve.
2 teaspoons of ginger syrup (or golden syrup with a pinch of ground ginger)

Method:

Sieve the flour into a bowl, add the sugar, spices, baking powder and oil then mix together.

Add the beaten eggs, Herman, carrot, raisins, pine nuts and ginger syrup. Mix thoroughly then pour into a large greased baking tin. I used a silicone ring to bake mine.

Bake for 45 minutes at 175°C. Check if it’s cooked by poking the cake with a skewer, if it comes out clean then the cake is done.

Leave to cool and then cut into slices.

What I've Been Baking... Cherry and Almond Muffins

Office law dictates that when it is a resident's birthday that they must bring cake...

Who am I to defy that law?

So I took these beauties in.

Cherry and Almond Muffins.

Preparation: under 15 min.
Makes: 12
Oven's temperature: Gas Mark 5/200 C
How Long?: 20 m

The Ingredients:

175g (6 oz) soft margarine
175g (6 oz) caster sugar
300g (11 oz) self raising flour
3 eggs
5 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon almond extract
½ teaspoon baking powder
200g tub glacé cherries, roughly chopped

The Method:

1. Place 12 muffin cases into a muffin tray. 
2. Using an electric whisk, beat sugar into the margarine. Add eggs, milk and almond extract, beat again until well combined – it may look a bit odd and curdled. Carry on regardless. 
3. Stir in the flour. 
4. Reserve some cherries for decoration and fold the remainder into the mixture. 
5. Divide mixture evenly between the paper cases, and decorate the tops with remaining cherries. 
6. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 – 25 minutes. 
7. Next time I make these I'm going to drizzle the top with glacé icing for a Bakewell tart type affair.

These are so good.