Herman the German Friendship Cake & His Friend the MUTANT STRAWBERRY

My Mum received a Herman!

Herman is a sourdough starter. You feed him for several days, until he's ready to raise a moist and delicious cake for you. 

But not just for you. Oh no. You see, you divide your ready-to-bake Herman into 4 and send 3 parts on to your friends!

(Easier said than done. Have you got multiple friends who will accept a bubbling pot of yeasty goo from you?)

Anyway, there are millions of Herman variations out there to keep you occupied should you decide to be greedy (or lonely) and keep Herman all to yourself. Or give 2 away, keep 1 to recultivate, bake 1, et voila! Infinite Herman?

Anyway, I went for a chocolate Herman with white chocolate chips and strawberries. But not just any strawberries...

I couldn't believe my good fortune. A mutant strawberry! Surely that must be good luck?

He didn't get chopped up and baked in a cake. He got nommed and lived happily ever after.

Yeah, he's dead.

And sadly, Herman is now dead too. Mum kept him alive for a while, intending to make a carrot cake out of him, but the regular feeding of ingredients he required became too much. But we can make our own little Herman's out of those piles of yeast we have in the cupboard! Herman shall rise again when we need him.

There's no point in me putting a Herman recipe on here when, really, the place to go for all your Herman-ing needs is here! Herman central! Herman-ville!

The one I made, as I sort of said, was a variation of the raspberry and chocolate cake, as after an unfortunate accident which led to the raspberries somehow going mouldy overnight in the back of my Dad's van, strawberries had to step up to the bowl. I also chose white chocolate chips instead of plain. You can find millions of recipes on this page, within the Herman website.

It was a bit too moist. I loved it; the yeasty flavour is incomparable and delicious, almost beery. In a good way. Mum's was less moist, with nuts and chocolate chips, and better for being a little less gooey. However, Herman actually improves with a few days rest! He cuts better. I swear the beery yeasty flavour increased too, but I may have been imagining that...

So whether you've received a Herman, or want to set a Herman on his journey, Herman cakes are the way to go!