30 DAY FRIENDSHIP CAKE

One of my favorite things to give a friend for Christmas is a friendship cake. I package the cake in a pretty container and the gift includes a jar with two cups of the starter in it and the recipe for the cake written on a nice holiday card.





Last week when I was putting my ideas together for GiBee's Homemade With Love gift idea exchange, I knew I should include this because it's one of my favorite gifts to give. It's a long, rather complicated recipe so I decided to do it in a separate post. If this sounds like something you'd like to do you'll need to start within the next few days. It takes 21 days to make the starter and 30 days to make the cakes. And it's 55 days until Christmas. :-) Next year it will only be a 30-day process since you'll already have your starter.

Boy, do I ever apologize. I should have posted this sooner! But you can still do it. It goes in stages and the first stage is simple. And guess what? I haven't started mine yet either! So I'll be starting mine in the next day or so, too.

Since you don't have the two cups of fruit starter, you'll have to make your own.


FRIENDSHIP CAKE FRUIT STARTER

1 15-ounce can pineapple chunks, drained
1 15-ounce can apricot halves, drained
1 15-ounce can sliced peaches, drained
1 10-ounce jar maraschino cherries, drained
1 1/4 cups brandy
1 1/4 cups sugar

In a large glass jar, combine drained fruit, brandy and sugar. Stir gently with a wooden spoon. Cover and let stand at room temperature for three weeks, stirring (with a wooden spoon) at least twice a week. Drain and reserve the liquid. This liquid is your starter for the 30 Day Friendship Cake.

You will now have 6 cups of brandied fruit which should be kept refrigerated. This fruit is good served over ice cream or pound cake.

If the cakes are not started within three days, fruit starter should be placed in a glass jar (never plastic or metal) and frozen. Always use a wooden spoon to stir.


30 DAY FRIENDSHIP CAKE

LIST OF INGREDIENTS

Day 1
2 cups starter
1 15-ounce can sliced peaches with juice
2 1/2 cups white sugar
Day 10
1 15-ounce can pineapple chunks with juice
1/2 cup white sugar
Day 20
2 10-ounce jars maraschino cherries, drained
2 1/2 cups white sugar

INSTRUCTIONS

Day 1

In a large glass jar or bowl, combine two cups of the starter with one 15-ounce can of sliced peaches and juice. Cut each peach slice into 4 pieces. Add 2 1/2 cups of sugar and stir once a day, with a wooden spoon, for 10 days. Cover mixture with a cloth or loose lid. Let sit on your counter at room temperature. Do not refrigerate. Do not cover tightly. (A pan of water underneath will keep ants out.)

Day 10

Add one 15-ounce can of pineapple chunks and juice. Cut each pineapple chunk in half. Stir in 1/2 cup of sugar. Stir once a day for 10 days. The color should change and the mixture should foam when stirred.

Day 20

Add two 10-ounce jars maraschino cherries, drained. Cut each cherry in half and stir in. Add 2 1/2 cups sugar. Stir once a day for the final 10 days.

Day 30

Drain fruit, reserving the liquid. It's best to strain liquid through cheesecloth. This results in a clear, reddish liquid with no fruit particles floating in it. Divide liquid equally among three glass jars. You now have three starters, one for yourself for your next cake and two for friends. The fruit will be used to make two cakes.


MAKE TWO CAKES (It's best to make the cakes separately.)

the brandied fruit from the starter
2 (18.25 oz.) packages yellow cake mix
2 (3.4 oz.) packages instant vanilla pudding mix
1 1/3 cups vegetable oil
8 eggs
2 cups golden raisins
2 cups chopped walnuts
2 cups flaked coconut

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour (I use Pam baking spray) two bundt pans. (I only have one bundt pan so I bake them separately.)

Combine 1 box of cake mix, 1 box of vanilla pudding mix, 2/3 cup oil and 4 eggs. Stir.

Add 1/2 the drained, reserved brandied fruit from the starter and stir.

Add 1 cup raisins, 1 cup chopped walnuts and 1 cup coconut. Stir until all ingredients are combined. The batter will be stiff.

Pour batter into prepared pan.

Repeat for the second cake.

Bake cakes at 325 degrees for 55 to 60 minutes.


I remember when I received this cake, the starter and the recipe as a Christmas gift, twenty years ago. I had my starter for years and years. I kept it in a jar in the back of the refrigerator - I never froze it - and it was fine, year after year. I finally lost it when we moved. That makes me a little sad because the connection to the friend who gave it to me was broken.

So this year I'll be starting over by making my own starter again, just like you if you decide to do this. I've heard of families where the starter has been continued through generations so this recipe must go back a ways although it's obviously been updated fairly recently to include cake and pudding mixes.

The whole idea of a cake like this really says friendship to me. Everyone I've ever given it to was delighted with it.