Friendship Fruit Cake & Starter Recipe

Yield: 4-5 Starters & 2 Large Cakes

Author: Mandy Rivers |

 South Your Mouth A tried-and-true family recipe for Friendship Fruit Cakes and fruit cake Starter.

                                        INGREDIENTS:

 Friendship Fruit Cake Starter

1 20-oz. can pineapple chunks, drained

1 16-oz. can apricots, drained

1 16-oz. can sliced peaches, drained and cut into chunks

1 10-oz. jar maraschino cherries, drained

1 1/4 cups brandy 1 1/4 cups sugar Friendship Fruit Cakes

1 pint

Friendship Fruit Cake Starter



1 16-oz. can sliced peaches, with liquid – do not drain

1 20-oz. can pineapple tidbits, with liquid – do not drain

2 10-oz. jars maraschino cherries, drained and halved

6 cups sugar, divided 8 eggs, beaten

1 1/3 cups vegetable oil 2 boxes yellow cake mix

2 small boxes instant vanilla pudding

2 cups chopped pecans or walnuts

2 cups sweetened flaked coconut (optional)

2 cups raisins (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS:

Friendship Fruit Cake Starter

1. Combine all ingredients in a large glass jar and stir well. Cover with a LOOSE-FITTING LID (nothing air-tight) and let stand at room temperature for three weeks. Stir mixture 2-3 times each week. *You can either set the lid askew or cover with a kitchen towel or cheesecloth but DO NOT seal it with a tight lid or it may burst.

2. Drain fruit, reserving liquid (Starter). Serve fruit over pound cake or ice cream or anything else that suits your fancy. Pour reserved liquid into a pint-sized jar and give to a friend with the recipe for the Friendship Fruit Cake or use it yourself to make the cake and more starter.

Friendship Fruit Cakes

1. Day One: Pour Starter into a large glass jar. Cut peaches into chunks then add peaches and liquid from the can into jar. Add 2 cups sugar and stir well. Cover jar with a clean kitchen towel or paper towels and secure with a rubber band (do not use a lid as the mixture needs air to ferment). Stir mixture once each day for 10 days.

2. Day Ten: Add pineapple tidbits, with liquid to the jar. Add 2 cups sugar, stir well and cover. Stir mixture once each day for 10 more days.

3. Day Twenty: Add drained and halved cherries to the jar. Add 2 cups sugar, stir well and cover. Stir mixture once each day for 10 more days.

4. Day Thirty – Time to Bake! Grease and flour 4 small (8-inch, 6-cup) or 2 regular (10-inch, 12- cup) bundt pans. Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

5. Drain fruit, reserving liquid to be given away as Starter (should yield 3-4 pints of liquid).

6. Combine eggs and oil in a large bowl and mix well. Add cake mixes and pudding mixes and stir until combined (small lumps are OK). Stir in fruit, nuts, coconut and raisins.

7. Divide batter evenly into pans.

Bake at 325 degrees until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean (40-50 minutes for small, 60-90 minutes for large).

Remove cakes from oven and cool in pans. Invert cakes onto serving plates.

Store cakes in an air-tight container or cover with plastic wrap. Freeze for up to three months.