Is the recipe you mean by the base? It's from the University of Illinois Extension. How to Make a Friendship Cake Starter There are a least a hundred versions of the starter and the resulting bread or cake recipe going around. There is one with fruit, one with nuts, one made with whole wheat flour and raisins and the list goes on and on. Here is one method for starting the starter. Friendship Cake Starter Recipe 1 package active dry yeast 3 cups warm water (105° to 115°F), divided 2 cups all purpose flour, sifted 2 tablespoons sugar Starter food Dissolve yeast in 1/2 cup warm water, stirring well; let stand 5 minutes or until bubbly. Combine remaining water, flour and sugar in a medium size, non-metallic bowl; mix well. Add dissolved yeast and stir well. Cover loosely with plastic wrap or cheesecloth and let stand in a warm place (80°-85°F) three days, stirring 2-3 times daily. Place fermented mixture in refrigerator at this point. Stir daily and use within 11 days. Always bring starter to room temperature before using in cake recipe. Allow to set in a warm place for one hour or longer before using. Stir well, then measure amount needed for recipe. Or on day 10 divide the mixture. Measure two to three cups starter for recipe. Divide remaining starter into one cup portions. Place in plastic or glass containers, loosely cover with plastic wrap. Keep one cup for yourself and give one cup each to friends along with the "Nurturing Your Starter" instructions and cake recipe. Nurturing Your Starter Starter Food--Your starter should have a sweet yeasty smell. If at any time you notice signs of spoilage toss the starter and begin again. Do not add milk, cream, or eggs to starter or it may produce harmful bacteria. Day #1 -- The day your receive your 1 cup of starter, stir the mixture with a wooden spoon, let it sit on a counter, loosely covered with crumpled plastic wrap or wax paper for one day. Do not refrigerate at this point. Use a nonmetallic container. Day #2, 3, 4 -- Refrigerate, stir the mixture each day, keep loosely covered. Day #5 -- Transfer starter to a larger glass or ceramic jar or bowl. Add the following "starter food." 1 cup water 1 cup flour 1 cup sugar Stir to mix, cover loosely and return batter to the refrigerator. Mixture will expand. Your container should not be more than half full. Refrigerate the starter at this point. Day #6, 7, 8, 9 -- Stir only and keep refrigerated, loosely covered. Day # 10 -- You may need to transfer the batter to an even larger container. Add more starter food and stir. Allow starter to sit at room temperature for one hour. Remove 3 cup for three friends, and measure 3 cups for the following recipe. Note: If you keep a cup for yourself, start over, beginning with Day #1. Fruit & Nuts Friendship Cake 1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda 1 cup sugar 2 cups all purpose flour 2/3 cup vegetable oil 2 teaspoons baking powder 1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 cup chopped apples 3 cups starter 1 cup raisins or chopped nuts 1 egg plus 2 egg whites Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl, set aside. In another large bowl mix starter, egg and whites, sugar, oil and vanilla. Add flour mixture, apples and raisins or nuts. Pour into a greased and floured tube pan or 9 x 11 loaf pan. Bake at 350°F for 50 to 60 minutes. Cool, dust with powdered sugar. Note: Any combination of fruit and nuts can be used as long as the total equals 2 cups. Try crushed, drained pineapples, dates, pecans, or almonds.

Sorry I didn't see you post earlier. Hope this helps you out. Sally Red Velvet Cake 1/2 cup shortening 1 1/2 cups white sugar 2 eggs 2 tablespoons cocoa 4 tablespoons red food coloring 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 cup buttermilk 2 1/2 cups sifted all purpose flour 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda 1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar Grease two 8 inch round pans Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream shortening and 1 1/2 cups sugar well. Add eggs and beat well. Make a paste of cocoa and red food coloring. Add to creamed mixture. Mix salt, 1-teaspoon vanilla and buttermilk together. Add alternately the flour with the milk mixture to the creamed mixture. Mix soda and vinegar; Fold into cake batter, don't beat or stir now. Bake for 35-40 minutes. Icing 5 tablespoons all purpose flour 1-cup milk 1 cup white sugar 1 cup butter 1 teaspoon vanilla extract Cook 5 tablespoons flour and milk over low heat until thick, stirring constantly. Let cool thoroughly! While cooling, cream 1 cup sugar, 1-cup butter and 1-teaspoon vanilla. Beat this well until light and fluffy. Add to flour mixture and beat until spreading consistency. Ice cooled cake.

Oil is typically not used in a white cake, they require a solid fat - shortening/butter/coconut oil, or a combination of solid fats (some recipes will include half shortening and half butter - the butter contributes flavor). CAKE 101 - Cakes are classified according to whether or not they contain fat. The majority of cakes are either shortened or unshortened; a third category is chiffon cakes. Shortened cakes are also called butter or conventional cakes and use a solid fat. Examples of shortened cakes include the standard plain white, yellow, chocolate, spice, Bundt, pound cakes, and fruit cakes. The solid fat is combined with the sugar (creamed) until it's light and fluffy and the cake is leavened with chemical leavening. The solid fat contributes to tenderness, volume, moistness, and flavor. Oil coats the flour proteins which prevents them from adhearing to water. This reduces gluten formation and leaves more moisture in the batter. An example of this is a tea bread or quick bread. The addition of a liquid fat (which can be a melted solid fat or a vegetable oil) will result in a heavy and compact cake (think banana bread or pumpkin bread which are quick breads, not cakes). Unshortened cakes, also known as sponge or foam cakes (include angel food), use no fat, but get their volume from beaten egg whites. Chiffon Cakes are a hybrid of shortened and unshortened cakes. The fat, usually from vegetable oil and egg yolks, is combined with foamed egg whites, cake flour, and leavening agents. Common examples include lemon or chocolate chiffon cakes. One of the best white cake recipes is from Betty Crocker - SILVER WHITE CAKE, but it's made with shortening, and you can find the recipe on-line or in all the older Betty Crocker cookbooks (Betty Crocker's Picture Cook Book). If you find a white cake that uses liquid vegetable oil, it's an anomaly, or includes a commercial mix. -Grainlady

I know nothing, at all, about baking cakes..or any kind of baking, for that matter. However, I do know a good tasting cake when I taste it! ;) I have no idea why, but the best ever light, white cake I've ever had was a birthday cake from, of all places, a Chinese bakery in China Town, in Boston. I don't know what they do differently....but I've been told that Chinese Bakery's, anywhere, make these marvelous cakes. They are covered with a fabulous whipped cream frosting with, equally, fabulous fresh fruit. Really, it was like eating a slice of heaven. Totally, unlike anything I've ever had. Maybe you could research these cakes? I was shocked that CB even sold birthday cakes, let alone, such fabulous tasting confections. Silly