Thirty-Day Friendship Cake

Recipe View Day One: In a large glass jar or bowl, combine the starter with the strained juice from the can of peaches. Dice the peach slices into quarters and add them to the mixture. Incorporate 2 1/2 cups of sugar. Cover loosely with a clean dish towel and let it sit at room temperature for 10 days, stirring once each day. (Total time: 10 days)

Recipe View Day Ten: Strain the juice from the can of pineapple chunks into the starter mixture. Halve the pineapple chunks and add them as well. Stir in 1/2 cup of sugar until dissolved. Cover loosely and let sit at room temperature for another 10 days, stirring daily. Expect the color to change and the mixture to become foamy upon stirring. (Total time: 10 days)

Recipe View Day Twenty: Halve each maraschino cherry and add them to the starter mixture. Stir in the remaining 2 1/2 cups of sugar until well combined. Allow the mixture to sit, loosely covered, at room temperature for the final 10 days, stirring daily. The color will gradually turn a soft pink from the cherries. (Total time: 10 days)

Recipe View Day Thirty: Drain the liquid from the fruit mixture. Divide the drained liquid into three glass or ceramic pint jars – one for your future baking endeavors and two to gift to friends. Set aside the fruit mixture. (Total time: 15 minutes)

Recipe View Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Generously grease and flour two 9x13-inch baking dishes. (Total time: 15 minutes)

Recipe View In a large bowl, beat together one box of cake mix, 4 eggs, 2/3 cup of oil, and one package of instant pudding until thoroughly combined. Gently fold in half of the reserved fruit mixture. Stir in 1 cup of raisins, 1 cup of nuts, and 1 cup of coconut until evenly distributed. The batter will be quite stiff. Pour the batter into one of the prepared baking dishes. Repeat this step for the second cake. (Total time: 30 minutes)

Recipe View Bake the cakes in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, approximately 55 to 65 minutes. (Total time: 55-65 minutes)