What better way to express your affection and kindle friendship than to share a recipe with friends. Not only do you pass them the recipe, but you give them a sample cake the recipe produced, and the starter so they can make their own.

Mix in a four litre (one-gallon) glass jar with a loose fitting lid:
1 ½ cuts starter*
1 - 20 oz. Can of sliced peaches, with juice
2 cups white sugar

Leave at room temperature, and STIR every day for 10 days with a wooden spoon.

On the 10th day, add one 20 oz. Can of crushed pineapple with juice, and 2 cups of sugar. STIR every day for 10 days.

On the 20th day, add two 9 oz. Jars of drained maraschino cherries. You may use half red and half green if you wish. STIR every day for 10 days.

On the 30th day, drain the juice off the fruit. You now have starter juirce for your friends (1 ½ cups each).

Do not refrigerate the starter. It must be used within 3 days.

To the remaining fruit pulp add:
2 cups chopped heartnuts
2 cups raisins and/or
8 oz. Candied peel

Blend in:
1 dry cake mix (the kind with the pudding added)

In a separate large bowl, beat:
16 eggs
1 ½ cups vegetable oil

Add:
3 more cake mixes (the kind with the pudding added)
Beat well and fold into fruit mixture.

Pour mixture into lightly greased baking pans. Decorate the top of the cakes with whole heartnut kernels.

Bake at 325ºF for 50 - 60 minutes. Yields eight 4"x8" loaves.

Freezes well and remains very moist.

*If you don't have a starter, substitute 1 ½ cups apricot brandy. Proceed with the recipe as written above. When you are finished you will have a starter to share with your friends. Give them copies of this recipe so they can make their own and share with their friends as well.