Herman cake facts for kids
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| Type | Cake |
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| Main ingredients | Yeast, Sugar, Flour, Milk |
Herman cake, often just called Herman, is a special kind of cake known as a 'friendship cake'. It's a bit like a chain letter, but with food! You get a special starter mix from a friend, and you grow it over several days. Then, you bake a delicious cake and share parts of the starter with your own friends. This means the Herman cake tradition can keep going and going!
Herman cakes became very popular in the 1970s. The starter mix contains tiny living things called yeast and lactic acid bacteria. These are the same things that help bread rise or make yogurt tangy. They make the starter grow and bubble.
Contents
What is a Herman Starter?
A Herman starter is the special base for your cake. It's a mix of yeast, milk, sugar, flour, and warm water. Unlike many doughs, you don't need to keep the Herman starter in the fridge. It sits right on your kitchen counter!
How to Care for Your Herman Starter
When you have a Herman starter, you need to look after it for ten days before baking.
- Keep the starter in a jar.
- Cover the jar loosely with a tea-towel. This lets the starter "breathe."
- Leave it out on your kitchen counter.
- Stir it every now and then.
You'll notice the starter bubbling a lot. This happens because the yeast in the mix is active. It's eating the sugar and making gas, which creates the bubbles! Because of the yeast, the dough might even smell a bit like beer.
The 10-Day Herman Journey
When you get a Herman starter, it usually comes with instructions for the next ten days. Here's a simple guide:
- Days 1-3: Just let Herman sit on the counter and stir it occasionally.
- Day 4: Add more ingredients like milk, sugar, and flour to your starter. Stir it all together well.
- Days 5-7: Continue to let Herman sit and stir it.
- Day 8: Add more milk, sugar, and flour again, and stir.
- Day 9: Now Herman is ready to be shared! Divide your starter into four or five equal parts. Keep one part for yourself to bake with, and give the other parts to your friends. This is how the "friendship cake" tradition continues!
- Day 10: It's baking day! Your Herman starter is ready to be turned into a delicious cake.
Baking Your Herman Cake
Before you bake your Herman cake, you can add many different ingredients to make it taste amazing. You can make it sweet or savory!
- Sweet Herman: Add things like eggs, cinnamon, apples, chocolate, or cherryies.
- Savory Herman: For a different taste, you could add olives or sun-dried tomatoes.
Once you've added your favorite ingredients, you follow a recipe to bake your Herman cake. It's a fun and tasty way to share with friends and family!
