Recipe: Herman Sourdough Starter and Herman Cake

HERMAN SOURDOUGH STARTER

5 cups all purpose flour
1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
1 envelope active dry yeast
3 cups milk

Mix 2 cups flour, 2 cups lukewarm water , 1/4 cup sugar and yeast in plastic or glass container. Let stand overnight, loosely covered, in a warm place. The next day refrigerate, loosely covered. Stir every day for 5 days. On the fifth day, add to the mixture 1 cup flour, 1 cup milk and 1/2 cup sugar. Stir well and return to the refrigerator, loosely covered. continue stirring daily for 5 more days, making a total of 10 days.

On the 10th day the starter is ready to be used in the Herman cake recipe. If you don't wish to bake on the 10th day, stir 1 tsp. sugar into the whole amount of starter.Stir another teaspoon of sugar into the whole amount of starter every 10 days. This will keep it alive and well fed for several weeks until you are ready to use it.

Once you have removed 2 cupfuls of starter to make the Herman cake, do not stir sugar into the remainder of starter. Instead remove and reserve 1 cupful of starter for yourself. Then give each of your friends 1 cupful of the remaining starter, along with the following instructions:

A. Put the 1 cup starter into a crock: stir in 1 cup flour 1 cup milk, and 1/2 cup sugar. Stir this all together well and let it sit in the refrigerator for 5 days, stirring it every day.

B. On the fifth day, add another cup flour, another cup milk and another 1/2 cup sugar. Let sit another 5 days, stirring each day.

C. On the 10th day either bake a Herman cake or stir 1 teaspoon of sugar into starter. (Don't wait too long to bake and be generous with giving the stuff way since starter multiplies like the Thing From Outer Space and will soon take over your refrigerator.)

HERMAN CAKE

2 cups Herman starter
2 eggs
2 cups flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. baking powder
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 cup sugar
2/3 cup oil
1/2 tsp. salt
1-2 cups of any dried, canned, frozen or fresh fruit
FOR THE CINNAMON TOPPING:
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp. flour
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 cup margarine
Brown sugar glaze:
3 tbsp. butter
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup milk

1. Stir Herman starter with eggs, flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, sugar, oil, salt, and fruit. Spread batter in greased 9 x 13 inch cake pan.

2. for topping, cream brown sugar with flour, cinnamon and butter. Sprinkle topping over batter. Bake 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until golden brown.

3. Meanwhile, for brown sugar glaze, boil butter, brown sugar and milk in a small saucepan for 5 minutes. Pour glaze over hot Herman coffeecake as soon as it is removed from oven. Cool and serve.