Starter for Friendship Fruitcake
photo by Marg (CaymanDesigns)
- Ready In:
- 720hrs
- Ingredients:
- 5
- Serves:
-
5
ingredients
- 3⁄4 cup canned peach slices in heavy syrup
- 3⁄4 cup canned pineapple chunks in syrup
- 4 ounces red maraschino cherries, drained, halved
- 1 1⁄2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 (1/4 ounce) package active dry yeast
directions
- In a 1-gallon glass jar with a wide mouth and lid, combine the peaches, pineapple, maraschino cherries, sugar and yeast (make sure the yeast is well mixed with syrup).
- Stir mixture two times the first day.
- Stir once a day afterward.
- Do not refrigerate this mixture.
- Keep loosely covered.
- Two weeks after starting the starter, add 1/2 cup peaches and 1/2 cup pineapple with syrup.
- Wait for several days, stirring daily, and drain 2 cups of mixed fruit and use to make cake as directed in the cake recipe.
- Reserve 1 1/2 cups starter juice and leave in glass gallon jar.
- Count this as Day One, and start the process for renewing the starter and making the cake.
- DAY 1: To reserved 1 1/2 cups starter juice (or to starter juice given you by a friend), add 2 1/2 cups sugar and a 2-lb can of peaches with syrup.
- Stir daily.
- Keep loosely covered.
- Do not refrigerate.
- DAY 10: Add 2 1/2 cups granulated sugar, a 2 pound can pineapple chunks with juice.
- Stir daily.
- Keep loosely covered.
- Do not refrigerate.
- DAY 20: Add 2 1/2 cups granulated sugar and 8 to 10 oz drained and halved maraschino cherries.
- Stir daily.
- Keep loosely covered.
- Do not refrigerate.
- DAY 30: Drain fruit, reserving 1 1/2 cups juice for renewing starter.
- Use drained fruit to make 3 cakes (see recipe), give excess starter juice to friends, and start a new batch of fruit (repeat aforementioned process).
- At the end of 30 days, you will have enough excess starter juice to give to about four friends.
- Be sure to keep enough juice (1 1/2 cups) for your own starter.
- At the end of 30 days, there will be enough fruit to use 1 3/4 cups fruit in each cake, which makes the cake better and doesn't waste the fruit.
- The cakes can be frozen.
- It is not necessary to bake all three cakes the same day, but stir the remaining fruit mixture every day until it is used (this fruit mixture can be refrigerated until used).
- The drained fruit can be frozen until you are ready to bake the cakes.
Questions & Replies
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I have been making this cake for a couple of years now. I got this recipe after my granny passed away and the remaining kids would not share the recipe of hers. I have used the same juice that I make my starter with three years ago. (Obviously what I saved From previous batch). I used one last year that set in the fridge for about six months and it turned out perfect. This one is about 8 months old that has been in the fridge (no mold, still smells like alcohol). Can I keep continuing with the same process using the same reserved liquid or do I add more yeast to help it?
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This was my original recipe from about 20 years ago. For each cake: 1 1/2 cup fruit 1 box Duncan Heinz yellow cake mix 1 box butter pecan pudding( they don’t make that any more so I use either butterscotch or vanilla) 2/3 cup Wesson oil 4 eggs 1/4 cup pecans. Mix together with a mixer and pour into a greased and floured bunt pan. Bake for 40-60 minutes at 350°
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Reviews
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leeannr, Thanks again,I am so glad to get this recipe,You have to have the starter recipe or have a start sent to you by a friend,to make this recipe for the friendship cake.and I have lost both starter recipe,and cake recipe.So I was in Heaven when I saw this recipe and the cake recipe.THANKS Darlene
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RECIPE SUBMITTED BY
ciao4293
United States