Ingredients
Ingredients for the Herman starter mix: | |
---|---|
5oz plain flour | Half a pint of warm milk |
8oz castor sugar | 2 fl oz lukewarm water |
1 packet of active dry yeast | |
To feed Herman you will need: | |
10oz plain flour | 16fl oz of warm milk |
1lb castor sugar |
Method
- Dissolve the yeast in warm water for 10 minutes and stir.
- Add the flour and sugar then mix thoroughly.
- Slowly stir in the warm milk.
- Cover the bowl in a clean cloth.
- Leave in a cool dry place for 24 hours
- You MUST NOT put Herman in the fridge or he will die. If he stops bubbling, he’s dead!
Now proceed from day one of the 10 day cycle as follows:
- Day 1: Put me in a large mixing bowl and cover loosely with a tea towel.
- Day 2 and 3: Stir well
- Day 4: Herman is hungry. Add 5oz of plain flour, 8oz of caster sugar and 8fl oz of warm milk. Stir well.
- Day 5, 6, 7 and 8: Stir well
- Day 9: Add the same as day 4 and stir well. Divide into 4 equal portions, putting 3 portions into separate containers that you can pass on to friends.
- Day 10: Now you are ready to make the cake. Stir well and add the following:
To make the Cake
- 1 cup of sugar (8oz or 225g)
- 2 cups plain flour (10oz or 300g)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2/3 (two thirds) cup of cooking oil (5.3oz or 160ml)
- 2 eggs
- 2 tsp. vanilla essence
- 2 cooking apples cut into chunks
- 1 cup raisins (7oz or 200g)
- 2 heaped tsp. cinnamon
- 2 heaped tsp. baking powder
Optional:
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup melted butter
- Grease a 9 inch by 13 inch tray bake tin.
- Mix well and pour the mixture into the tin.
- Sprinkle with the Demerara sugar over the cake and pour over the melted butter.
- Bake for 45 minutes at 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4.
- Test the middle with a clean knife; you may need to cover in tin foil and bake for a further 20 minutes to make sure your Herman is cooked properly in the middle.
Once cooled, deliver a slice of the cake to three friends along with a pot of Herman and a copy of the instructions. And so the cake goes on.
I am told the cake freezes well but I can’t confirm this as it all got eaten by my Official Taster. It’s scrummy.