Herman The German Friendship Cake

by James Pollard

Whilst i was outside cleaning the car my neighbour came over and we got chatting, she said she was baking a cake and wondered if I had a large cake tin she could borrow, after a further conversation it transpired she was making a herman cake, I found this quite interesting as i’d tended and baked a herman back in the 80s but back then it hadn’t turned out very well and all I can remember was a very yeasty, heavy cake with very little flavour (I think it ended up on the bird table).

Two days later there was a knock at the door and there’s my neighbour with a plastic box containing some bubbling sloppy goo so I gave my polite smile with a “Oh what a lovely surprise!” and took it indoors. When in the kitchen I looked at it and thought “Shall I just wash it down the sink?” when I remembered the disaster of my last attempt!!!

But no, I decided I would perservere with the bubbling slop so I carried out the instructions as per the letter (quite an achievement for me). On the day of splitting I passed it on to more neighbours and a colleague who all gave the same polite smile that I gave on day 1!!!!!!!!!!

Baking day……. I decided that I might be a little more adventurous than the grated apple and nutmeg version the recipe suggested so I added the grated apple, orange zest, mixed dried fruit and crushed hazlenuts, then mixed it all up. But I thought it looked a little dry; when deliberating whether to let the mixture down with another egg or perhaps some milk I struck upon the idea of using brandy. The cake took a long time to cook, it was in the oven for about 90 minutes but the smell in the kitchen was heavenly!!!

Once cooled it resulted in a moist cake full of flavour and texture (much nicer than my previous attempt), so when I was offered another starter mix a few months later I accepted it gladly. This time I was more adventurous still and included lemon zest, lime zest, orange zest, coconut, dried banana chips and dried mango and topped it once cooled with pineapple jam and coconut. Yet again this was a very moist cake with interesting flavours and textures. All in all I would recommend anyone to give Herman a go and don’t look too closely at the messy sticky goo in the first instance!!!!!!!! 

I had never heard of Herman before, when I received my mix and although I love trying new recipes and baking, especially banana breads, my first thoughts were, oh heck!  What do I do?  Will it be easy?  I was worried about killing him or the cat eating him (yes my cat does jump onto my kitchen worktops, how can you stop them?).

However, once I got used to my new kitchen friend, I followed the instructions, lovingly stirring him, feeding him when required and I talking to him every day.  I was really surprised how easy it was to look after Herman and couldn’t wait for the day to arrive when I would have a lovely cake to try.

Day 9 soon arrived meaning it was time to divide my Herman up and send him off to my unsuspecting friends.  I gave my 3 chosen friends a copy of the instructions along with Herman and I told them that they must love and care for him as I had and that they must talk to him.  I also told them not to worry, that it was easy, and that they would be rewarded with a wonderful yummy cake at the end of 10 days.

I baked my Herman on day 10 and shared him with my friends who were currently caring for their Herman’s.  We all loved him and I hope one of my friends gives a Herman back to me, so that I can once again have my very own Herman to care for and also to try a different recipe with next time.

by Linda Gray

Today I made a cherry and almond Herman cake; both flavours are my husband’s favourite . I used tin black cherries in stead of apple , I first soaked them in amaretto, I used glacé cherries in place of the sultanas. I also changed the vanilla essence to almond extract.

I topped it with sliced almonds. It has come out well and the almond flavour is good and the cherries give it a nice cherry flavour too and a moist texture. I was at first worried that this would turn out, but I have been so pleased with the result of it. As it was cooling the almond smell was spreading though the kitchen, making its way to me in the conservatory.

It all got too much in the end and I just had to cut a bit off to try. Although at the time it was still warm, “Wow” is all I can say; it tasted so nice. I instantly took a slice over to a friend over the road, she also didn’t wait for it to cool completely. She agreed it was a lovely Herman and now she is debating to do this one on her bake day tomorrow, instead of the apple. I am so hooked on Herman now and can’t wait to try lots more different ways. He now is a permanent member of my household. I have even brought some nice beaded food bowl covers to look good over his bowl.

Bellow is the amounts I used for the cake. I took out the apple and sultans and vanilla essence:

• 1 x tin of black cherries in light syrup
• 1 x tub of natural glacé cherries
• 4 x tablespoons of amaretto liqueur
• 2 x teaspoons of almond extract
• handful of sliced almonds

Cook as a normal Herman.

Hope you enjoy,

Linda Gray

by Hazel

I first met with ‘Herman’ in the 1980’s, when my children where young and good friend gave me the starter. (Oh yes, I know that ages me….)  I was given instructions that had been typed on a type-writer (remember them?) and then copied on the very strange paper that we had to use (it had a special surface) on what was then a very new gadget. But that was preferable to having to use ‘onion skin’ carbon paper ~ a nightmare when one made a mistake! Especially if there were several copies on which to rub out the offending letters without messing up the word.  I digress……

The instructions that came with ‘Herman’ then differed slightly from those on the website, but the ‘goo’ was the same. And so began my relationship with ‘Herman’.

Having a family to cook for and masses of friends to pass it on to was a distinct advantage.  On baking day the house was filled with this amazing yeasty spicy smell, and the somewhat complicated recipe produced a delicious cake (see below). I found that it kept well, if I could hide some of it, and the flavours even improved with keeping a day or so.

The instructions directed that one keep one portion for the next cake, and so every 10 days I obediently baked my ‘Herman’ cake, which was duly devoured by family, friends and visitors.  This went for many months, until in the end my long-suffering family pleaded with me to desist.  ‘Pleeease make some other type of cake Mum!’ they begged, and so somewhat sadly I used my last batch and gave all the other portions away.

However it was becoming very difficult to find friends who wanted it.  I had given away so many, and they in turn were giving it away….. We had a true glut of ‘Herman’!

And so ended my relationship with him….. or so I thought! (Incidentally, I have always thought it should have had a feminine name, what with the constant reproduction and all, not to mention always working!  What do you think?? Hermionie? Heidi? Germanica? Just a thought….)

The years passed packed with many events, and then last week, on the 13^th July 2012, my neighbour knocked with a friendship gift, and to my utter amazement ‘Herman’ had reappeared in my life ~ but morphed into a different form!  A reincarnation!!! The instructions had changed a bit too.  I can’t wait to try it.  (Maybe you would like to try the 1980’s version….see what you think!)

To my delight I found that this new recipe includes apple.  I love apple cake!  But sadly now my family are gone ~ my husband is deceased and my children are leading their own lives.  So how will I fare with only me to eat the new ‘Herman’ cake?

Apparently it can be frozen.  But how will it be after freezing? Will it have lost some of its appeal, flavour and texture?  I could always give a slab of it away to each friend I give a starter to I suppose.  Get them hooked that way.  And now I have visited the website I find that there are loads of recipes to try.  Carrot and orange.  Mmmm.  So I may get back into cake baking in earnest!  God help my waistline……….

Day 1             When you receive the mix, feed with the following:

1 teacup of milk

1 teacup of unbleached or white plain flour

1 teacup of unbleached or white sugar

Mix well and place in a 1 litre container with a lid that seals (I used an icecream container)

Place in the FRIDGE (shock horror!) in warmest zone

Each day remove and stir, sealing and returning to the fridge, until Day 5 ~ Today ‘Herman needs feeding again.  Mix in the ingredients above and return to the fridge.

Continue stirring each day as before until:

Day 10           BAKING DAY!!!  Stir mixture well and then remove 2 cups to pass on, and one cup to keep.  Feed the one you keep as for Day 1 above and place in container in the fridge.

RECIPE for cake:   To the remaining mix add the following:

2 beaten eggs

1 cup sugar, Demerara or soft brown

1 cup dried fruit of choice

2 cups wholemeal flour

2/3 cup cooking oil or melted butter

2 teasp baking powder

2 teasp mixed spice

½ teasp of salt

½ teasp of bicarb of soda

Mix well and pour into a greased and lined roasting tin. Before baking add topping:

TOPPING:

1 tablespoon mixed spice

½ cup brown sugar

1 tablesp white flour

½ cup melted butter or marg ( approx 50g/2oz)

Mix well and pour up and down the surface of the mix, and swirl with a fork.

Bake at gas 4, 350F/180C for 40-60 mins until firm in centre and tester comes out clean.

GLAZE while still hot with the following mix:

¼ cup melted butter or marg

1/8 cup of milk

½ cup brown sugar

Boil this for 3 mins to caramelize (time it!) Smooth over the cake, leaving to cool in the tin.

Cut into squares to serve.  Delicious! Eat and enjoy!!!

DON’T FORGET TO PASS ON TWO PORTIONS TO YOUR FRIENDS

with the instructions