Friendship Cake And Other Recipes

Friendship Cake And Other Recipes by Mark Sohn I answered the phone and heard a woman's voice, "This is Edith Roberts." Years ago I had worked with her late husband, Leonard Roberts, at Pikeville College. I said that it was wonderful to hear her voice and Edith went on. "Mark, I was wondering, if the snow clears, can I bring you a cup of starter for an Amish Friendship Cake?" I said yes and after attending her regular Sunday service at the Pikevile First Presbyterian Church, Edith came to our house. It was a beautiful, snow-melting, winter Sunday. Edith had her Friendship Cake, the recipe, and the starter. Fascinated, I wanted to start baking. But first I had to let the starter grow. About Starters: Talking with Robert Moore at Shelby Gap, Kentucky, I learned that some people are afraid of starters. "That starter juice—I don't see how people can eat that stuff," Bob said. "I'd be afraid of it." To learn about starters, I looked in Bernard Clayton's The Complete Book of Breads, and talked to my Dad. A starter is a leavening agent that can be used in breads or light cakes. It is a bubbly, aromatic, and growing mass of bacteria. Starters can be prepared from water, yeast, and flour; they can be grown from other starters; or they can be made from other sources of bacteria such as milk, brandy, or mashed potatoes. If the starter is kept at room temperature, the bacteria "drinks ' water, "eats flour, and grows. While starters can be frozen, they may need a pinch of yeast to help them grow when defrosted. A fresh starter smells sweet and yeasty. If the bacteria dies, it will sour, smell foul, and should be discarded. While it is easy to grow the starter called for in this recipe, non-yeast starters are more difficult. They may require a specific PH and temperature range and should be left to the experienced cook or food scientist. 47 While it takes ten days to grow the starter, when it is ready simply mix and bake the cake. Then give a cup of the starter to two friends. Better yet, invite about 1 2 friends (the cake serves 12) to enjoy the cake with you and then share the starter. Edith Roberts' first cup of starter came from Betty (wife of John G.) Ratliff of Mare Creek. If you call me (606-437-6467), I will give you a cup. I'm keeping it in the freezer. Starter 2 cups sugar, 2 cups flour 2 cups milk. Mix the flour, sugar, and milk and let it grow at room temperature for 5 days. Put it in a jar with a loose lid and stir or shake it each day. Smell it each day; it should smell sweet. On the fifth day add 1 cup of flour, 1 cup of milk, and 1 cup of sugar. Cover and let it grow at room temperature for five more days, stirring once a day. On the tenth day, add and mix in 1 cup of flour, 1 cup of sugar, and 1 cup of milk. Stir it in and take out three 1-cup containers of starter. Give two cups to friends and keep one cup for yourself. Amish Friendship Cake 1 cup starter 2/3 cup oil 3 eggs 1 cup applesauce 2 cups flour 1 cup sugar 1/2 teaspoon salt 2 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1 cup raisins. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x13-inch pan. Place all the remaining starter in a large mixing bowl and add oil, eggs, and applesauce. Stir together flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and cinnamon. Separate the raisins and add them (adding them to the flour keeps them from going to the bottom of the cake). Stir this into the wet ingredients, mix well and pour into the baking pan. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. 48 It will soon be the Christmas holiday season and you may need a break from heavy cooking. Poultry is in...