Herman Friendship Cake

Nov 3, 2026 · By VanillaGoods

Baking Cakes cupcakes Vanilla: Extract Medium

A cinnamon-apple cake built on Herman, a sweet batter starter that is fed over ten days and shared with friends. Each cycle makes one cake and enough starter to give away. Makes 12 squares in about 1 hr 15 min.

Prep 30 min

Cook 45 min

Total 1 hr 15 min

Yield 12 squares

Ingredients

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squares

1 cup (120 g)all-purpose flour, for the starter, day 1
½ cup (100 g)sugar, for the starter, day 1
1 cup (240 ml)warm milk
¼ oz (7 g)instant yeast
1 cup (120 g)all-purpose flour, for the feedings, days 4 and 9 (each)
½ cup (100 g)sugar, for the feedings, days 4 and 9 (each)
1 cup (240 ml)milk
8 ½ oz (240 g)herman starter, one cup
2 ⅓ cups (300 g)all-purpose flour, for the cake, day 10
1 cup (200 g)sugar, for the cake, day 10
2 tsp (8 g)baking powder
2 ½ tsp (6 g)ground cinnamon, for the cake, day 10
½ tsp (3 g)fine salt
⅔ cup (160 ml)neutral oil
2 (100 g)eggs
2 tsp (10 ml)vanilla extract
7 oz (200 g)apples, peeled, finely chopped
¾ cup (100 g)raisins
2 ½ tbsp (30 g)sugar, for the topping
1 ¼ tsp (3 g)ground cinnamon, for the topping

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Instructions

Day 1: stir the day 1 flour, sugar, warm milk and yeast in a large bowl (not metal) until smooth. Cover loosely with a towel.
Days 2, 3, 5, 6, 7 and 8: stir well once a day. Keep it out of direct heat; if your kitchen is warmer than 75 F (24 C), refrigerate between stirs.
Day 4 and day 9: stir in one feeding of flour, sugar and milk.
Day 9 or 10: divide the starter into four equal portions. Give three to friends with these instructions and keep one (about 1 cup) for yourself.
Day 10: heat the oven to 350 F (175 C) and grease a 9 x 13 inch (23 x 33 cm) pan.
Beat the cup of starter with the oil, eggs and vanilla. Stir in the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and salt, then fold in the apples and raisins.
Scrape into the pan, level, and sprinkle with the topping.
Bake 40 to 45 minutes until golden and a skewer comes out clean. Cool in the pan.

Tips

Use a non-reactive bowl and a loose cover; never a sealed jar, because the starter produces gas.
Discard the starter if it smells sharp or rotten, or shows pink, orange or fuzzy mold.
Keep the starter cool; cooler weather slows fermentation.
The starter contains milk and sits for days. Do not leave it in warm conditions: USDA advises perishable food not stay in the 40 to 140 F danger zone beyond 2 hours, so refrigerate between stirs in a warm kitchen and discard it if it smells off or shows mold.

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Recipe FAQ

How long does it take to make herman friendship cake?

Plan on 30 minutes of prep and 45 minutes of cooking. The recipe makes 12 squares.

How should I store herman friendship cake?

Keep the baked cake covered at room temperature up to 3 days, or freeze up to 2 months.

Can I make herman friendship cake ahead?

It is at its best the day it is made; prepare it a few hours before serving.

Can I use a different form of vanilla?

Yes. This recipe uses 2 tsp vanilla extract (10 ml). Each teaspoon of pure vanilla extract can be swapped for 1 teaspoon of vanilla bean paste, the seeds of half a vanilla bean, or 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla powder. Paste and seeds add the classic dark specks.

Serve it with tea.

Estimated · per serving

Nutrition

Per serving = 1 of 12 servings this recipe makes.

491 Calories / serving

21.2g Fat

68.5g Carbs

7.5g Protein

34.6g Sugar

Whole recipe (12 servings): ~5892 cal · 254g fat · 822g carbs · 90g protein · 415g sugar

Estimated values per serving, calculated from standard ingredient data. Not verified Nutrition Facts; actual values vary with brands, measurements, and preparation.