Friendship Cake

Servings: 2 cups Difficulty: Advanced
A cherished community dessert made with a fermented fruit starter and loaded with tropical flavors.
Friendship Cake recipe image

This classic Friendship Cake is a beloved community dessert that relies on a unique, fermented fruit starter passed from friend to friend. The batter combines golden cake mix and instant vanilla pudding with a moist, tangy fruit mixture containing peaches, pineapple, and maraschino cherries. The result is an incredibly moist, dense cake with a beautiful pink hue and a complex sweet-tart flavor profile. Loaded with optional add-ins like nuts and coconut, it’s perfect for potlucks, church suppers, or family gatherings.

Friendship Cake

Difficulty: Advanced
Servings: 2 cups Calories: 1704.8
Dietary:

Description

This classic Friendship Cake is a beloved community dessert that relies on a unique, fermented fruit starter passed from friend to friend. The batter combines golden cake mix and instant vanilla pudding with a moist, tangy fruit mixture containing peaches, pineapple, and maraschino cherries. The result is an incredibly moist, dense cake with a beautiful pink hue and a complex sweet-tart flavor profile. Loaded with optional add-ins like nuts and coconut, it's perfect for potlucks, church suppers, or family gatherings.

Ingredients

Directions

  1. Pour the Friendship Cake Starter into a clean glass gallon jar.
  2. Add the can of sliced peaches with their juice to the jar, cutting each slice into four pieces.
  3. Add 2 1/2 cups of sugar to the jar and stir well.
  4. Cover the jar loosely with a lid or cloth and keep at room temperature.
  5. Stir the mixture every day for 10 days. Note that not all sugar may dissolve immediately.
  6. On Day 10, add the can of pineapple tidbits with their juice and another 2 1/2 cups of sugar.
  7. Stir well and continue stirring daily for 10 more days. The starter will change color and foam when stirred.
  8. On Day 20, drain the maraschino cherries and cut each cherry in half.
  9. Add the cherries and the remaining 2 1/2 cups of sugar to the jar.
  10. Stir well and continue stirring daily for the final 10 days. The cherries will give the juice a pinkish color.
  11. On Day 31, drain the fruit from the starter into a large bowl, reserving the juice.
  12. Pour the reserved fruit juice into three separate pint jars to share with friends or save for future starters.
  13. Preheat oven to 300°F (150°C). Grease and flour two 9x13 inch cake pans.
  14. In a large bowl, combine the golden cake mixes, instant vanilla pudding mixes, eggs, oil, and half of the drained fruit.
  15. Mix with a spoon just until well combined.
  16. Stir in the raisins, walnuts, pecans, coconut, and the remaining drained fruit.
  17. Pour the batter evenly into the prepared pans.
  18. Bake until a straw inserted in the center comes out clean, approximately 45-50 minutes.

Nutrition Facts

Servings 2 cups


Amount Per Serving
Calories 1704.8kcal
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 5.8g9%
Saturated Fat 1.0g5%
Cholesterol 0.0mg0%
Sodium 18.0mg1%
Total Carbohydrate 404.4g135%
Dietary Fiber 30.1g121%
Sugars 167.4g
Protein 31.4g63%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily value may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

Keywords: friendship cake, starter, peaches, pineapple, cherries, cake mix, pudding, fermented, dessert, potluck, community recipe, moist cake, fruit cake, vanilla pudding, golden cake
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