AMISH CHRISTMAS FRIENDSHIP CAKE

 AMISH CHRISTMAS FRIENDSHIP CAKE from 1993 ( Cornwallis, Nova Scotia) This was something passed around the base, close to Christmas. It can be made plain, or with fruits and nuts and pineapple added  to be more like a fruitcake. By the end of December, I think we all had  enough Amish Friendship cake to go around and then some.

 BASE MIX: 1 cup flour, 1 cup sugar, 1 cup milk at room temperature

 ADDITIONS NEEDED: 1 cup oil or applesauce, 1 cup sugar, 1 tsp vanilla, 3 eggs, salt, 1 1/2 tsp baking powder, 2 cups flour, 1/2 cup milk, 1/2 tsp baking soda, 1 large box instant vanilla pudding, 2 tsp cinnamon.

 EXTRA INGREDIENTS: 1 cup chopped dates, 1 cup chopped nuts, 1 cup drained pineapple, 1 cup raisins or cranberries, 1 cup chopped apples.

 STARTING with DAY 1: stir base daily. Leave on counter. Do NOT refrigerate.

Pine Siskin drying his feathers.

 DAYS 1-4: STIR!

 DAY 5: Put in ziploc bag and add 1 cup flour, 1 cup sugar, and 1 cup milk .

 MIX!

 DAY 6-9: SQUEEZE ziploc bag!

 Day 10: add SAME INGREDIENTS AS ON day 5.

 MIX!

 THEN take out 3 cups of BASE and give to three friends with the written directions.

eagles

 TO REMAINING BATTER: STIR in Additions on  list.
lots of pine Siskins!

BEAT till smooth and fold 

 ADD EXTRA INGREDIENTS. ( the fruit and nuts)

 BAKE in mini loaf pans or bundt pan at 325 for about an hour.

 Be sure to check on cake to be sure it is baking properly.

Pine Siskin

 This freezes well.

discovery passage

 May be iced if you wish, but fine on its own.

 You can even slice it individually and wrap and freeze.

spencer

 If you make one batch, you can even keep the base and use as a starter .

steller jay, crow

 This batter is also good  with more fruit cake additions, such as figs or prunes.

 Can be made into flat bars in cookie sheets.

 Or muffins.

 "As you wander on through life, whatever be your goal, keep your eye upon the doughnut, and not upon the hole. " (Sign in the Mayflower Coffee Shop, Chicago)

 "His house was perfect, whether you liked food, or sleep, or work, or story-telling, or singing, or just sitting and thinking, best, or a pleasant mixture of them all." (Tolkien 1892-1973)