THE GOOD SAMARITAN COFFEECAKE (from Herman)
By Gloria Pitzer, as seen in… Gloria Pitzer’s Make Alike Recipes (Secret RecipesTM, St. Clair, MI; Oct. 1991, p. 12).
WHEN YOU GIVE away a cup of “Herman” [traditionally] a note must accompany it, reading: “This is Herman. Treat him with love and keep him warm and away from drafts. Within 3 days of receiving this portion of his secret [bread and] cake starter, please add to him a smooth mixture of 1 cup each – water, flour, and sugar. Let him stand in a non-metallic container, with a loose-fitting lid for 6 hours before using him in the following recipe…
See also… Herman, The Sourdough Starter and Thin Vanilla Glaze/Icing
INGREDIENTS:
FOR BATTTER –
1 cup Herman, The Sourdough Starter
1½ tsp baking powder
3 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla
½ cup buttermilk
¼-lb butter, melted
¼ tsp salt
1 tsp orange extract
1 cup chopped walnuts
½ tsp baking soda
1 cup sugar
2 cups flour
Dash nutmeg
1 cup raisins
[FOR TOPPING & GARNISH –
1 recipe Thin Vanilla Glaze/Icing, prepared
½ cup Sweet Orange Marmalade
½ cup shredded coconut
1 fresh orange, sliced thin]
INSTRUCTIONS:
Beat [batter] ingredients together, as listed; beating well with each addition and 6 minutes on medium speed with the last addition. Divide batter between two 9-inch, greased, foil, cake pans placed on a cookie sheet positioned on center rack of oven. Bake at 350°F for 30 to 35 minutes or until browned.
Pierce each cake, with the tines of a fork (or use a toothpick), in 20 to 30 places and drizzle at once with Thin Vanilla Glaze/Icing, spreading each then with a thin layer of Sweet Orange Marmalade, slightly warmed in a small pan to pouring consistency.
Sprinkle tops with shredded coconut and place thin slices of fresh orange in the center of each cake, for garnish. Keep one cake for yourself. Wrap one in foil and take to a friend, along with a cup of “Herman” and instructions for adding to it and making [their] own. They freeze well, to be used within 6 months. Makes two 9-inch cakes.
See also…
