Ingredients

How to make it

  • When you receive your first cup of starter from your "friend", you should receive the instructions on keeping it alive and well.
  • It involves a ten day process before you can make the delicious bread/cake varieties.
  • Double bag the starter, because if the first bag leaks, you have a mess.
  • Just mush burp the bag for five days.
  • On the sixth day, add 1 cup each of flour, sugar and milk. Mush it up.
  • Mush and burp until day 10.
  • Pour into large non-metallic bowl and add one cup each of flour, sugar and milk. Mix well using only a wooden spoon.
  • Never use metal bowl or spoon and don't refrigerate.
  • Divide the batter into one cup portions in heavy duty one gallon bags and give away two. Keep one for yourself to start the process again, if you are planning on baking a lot and have time to kill.
  • Preheat your oven to 325 degrees:
  • Generously butter two 9 x 5 loaf pans. Sugar coat the pans.
  • To the remaining cup of starter, add the flour, b.powder, baking soda and salt that has been sifted together.
  • Add the sugar, three beaten eggs, milk and oil. Mix well.
  • Now the fun begins, pick your favorites:
  • #1: 1 box of instant vanilla pudding, 1 cup of chopped pecans, two teaspoons of cinnamon, 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
  • #2: 1 box of instant lemon pudding, 1 cup of frozen blueberries,
  • two teaspoons of orange zest, 1/2 tsp of orange extract.
  • #3: 1 box of instant butterscotch pudding, 1 cup of chopped walnuts, 1 teaspoon of ginger, 1 tsp of rum extract
  • #4: 1 box of instant lemon pudding, 1 tsp of lemon extract, one and half tsp of poppy seeds, 1 tsp of grated lemon rind
  • #5: 1 box of instant pistachio pudding, 1/2 cup of chocolate chips,
  • 1/2 cup of chopped pistachio meats, 1/8 tsp of almond extract and 1/8 tsp of vanilla extract
  • #6: 1 box of instant white chocolate pudding, 1 cup of dried cranberries, 1 tsp of vanilla extract
  • #7: 1 box of instant fudge chocolate pudding, 1 cup of white chocolate chips, 1 tsp of instant espresso powder
  • #8: 1 box of milk chocolate pudding, 1/2 cup of slivered almonds
  • 1/2 cup of butterscotch chips, 1/4 tsp of almond extract
  • #9: 1 box of banana pudding, 1 cup of chopped pecans, 1 tsp of cinnamon, one teaspoon of vanilla extract
  • and so on............
  • Beat well and pour into prepared pans.
  • Bake for one hour.
  • Let the bread cool completely in the pan for at least one half hour before you even think of removing it from the pan. They are moist and tender and if warm they tend to fall apart if not cooled enough before removing to a rack to finish cooling.
  • Once completely cool, wrap and label in foil, then bag and freeze.
  • The gift that keeps on giving.....I have found that if I only use 1/2 of the flour, sugar and milk on day six, and on day ten, I'm not overwhelmed with starter and people don't start avoiding me in the hallway at work. Most people are most appreciative of the finished product over the bag of starter mix. It's up to you, my dears.
  • Original recipe found in Ann Hodgman's "One Bite Won't Kill You"
  • Her original called for the vanilla pudding cinnamon nut mix. We just took it from there and created our favorite flavors.

Reviews & Comments 7

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    " It was excellent "
    ahmed1 ate it and said...
    OMG!! How did I miss this one.Thanks for sending it NYM...
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    " It was excellent "
    rml ate it and said...
    Too funny! This was popular in the Spouse community...I'd go to a meeting and come home with 4 bags of starter. I obsessed over it. It's the grown-up version of Furby. FEED ME!
    "5" Thanks!
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  • noir 17 years ago
    Oh my...yes I remember this :)
    Was this review helpful? Yes Flag
  • krumkake 17 years ago
    Oh yeah, this one DOES take you back, doesn't it?! It was good stuff - but I, too, recall the smell it had. Ok, who's gonna be the first to make the starter?!?!?
    Was this review helpful? Yes Flag
  • organicmama 17 years ago
    Thank you. I have not had a friendship cake in years and everyone I gave it to, wrecked theirs.
    Was this review helpful? Yes Flag
  • notyourmomma 17 years ago
    Precisely why I don't make it until the weather cools down and I can keep it cool! Then I bake and freeze like crazy until the freezer is full and I have instant gifts for unexpected drop-ins over the Holidays.
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  • gingerlea 17 years ago
    I used to keep starter for my sour dough bread until Danny said enough is enough!!!!! He absolutely loved the bread but could not stand the smell of the starter. Living in apartments in the deep south you just can't put it outside. But, man o' man is it ever good!!!!!!!!!!
    Was this review helpful? Yes Flag

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