Recipe for "sourdough-cake"

NAME

     SOURDOUGH-CAKE - A 10-day Sourdough cake
     This is known as the friendship cake-it's a bit like a chain
     letter  in that you have to find a set of friends to pass on
     the starter to.
     During preparation put the starter into a  very  large  bowl
     (it foams up), and cover with a lid or withcling film.

INGREDIENTS (Starter and one cake)

     200 ml    cake starter
          STARTER FOOD
     250 ml    normal milk
     200 g     self-raising flour
     190 g     sugar
          CAKE
     200 g     self-raising flour
     190 g     sugar
     170 ml    oil
     10 ml     cinnamon and vanilla
     2         eggs
     75 g      raisins
     60 g      nuts (or other fruits)
     450 g     pineapple chunks, drained (one can)

PROCEDURE (STARTER)

          (Day 1)
               Blend the "starter feed" together, and  then  hand
               mix  in  the starter. I find it easiest to mix the
               flour and sugar together dry, add the milk to  the
               starter,  and  then slowly add the flour and sugar
               to  the  liquid.   The  starter  should  never  be
               beaten  with  a blender or refrigerated.  Pour the
               mixture into a large bowl, cover  with  cling-film
               or a damp towel, and leave to brew.
          (Day 2)
               Thoroughly mix the sourdough, then leave  to  brew
               again.
          (Day 5)
               As day 1
          (Day 6)
               As day 2
          (Day 10)
               Print off three copies of this recipe.   Here  now
               is  why  this is called a friendship cake.  Take 3
               cups of Sourdough mixture, and give them away with
               copies  of the recipe as starters to your friends.
               Then proceed with the baking.

PROCEDURE (MAKING THE CAKE)

          (1)  Blend all ingredients  thoroughly  with  remaining
               starter.
          (2)  Pre-heat oven to 175 deg. C (English gas mark 4)
          (3)  Pour mixture into a well-greased baking tin.
          (4)  Bake for 13/4 hours (less in a fan oven), cool.

NOTES

     If you don't get cake starter from a friend, you  can  prob-
     ably buy it in a baking supply store.
     Vary the spices to taste. The cake is quite pleasant if  you
     forget them.

RATING

     Difficulty: easy.  Time: 10 days brewing starter, 30 minutes
     preparing  cake,  2  hours  baking  and cooling.  Precision:
     measure the ingredients.

CONTRIBUTOR

     Andrew Macpherson
     STC Telecommunications, Harlow Technical Center, England
     andrew@tcom.stc.co.uk