Hi Meg: This sounds like a friendship cake or a frienship bread & there are a wide # of them.. here is what I found from this site alone.

Recipe(tried): Friendship Starter and Friendship Cake From: Susan,Va.
Date: 1998-07-06 15:39:34 To: recipelink.com

The Friendship Cake Starter:

2/3 cup sugar
2/3 cup milk
2/3 cup flour

Mix in plastic or glass container with tight lid. Cover, store at room temperature for 17 days, stirring once a day.
After that, leave undisturbed for 1 day.

Stir again daily for 3 days. Add 1 cup each of sugar, milk, and flour. Stir the next 4 days.

Add another cup of each sugar, milk and flour.

Mix well. Give 1 cup each to 2 friends, use 1 cup to make a cake or use as base for another batch of starter.

The Friendship Cake:
1 cup starter
2/3 cup oil
3 eggs
2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
2 cups chopped (apples, or blueberries, cherries, pineapple, peaches, or any kind of fruit)
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
2 tsp. baking powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 to 1 cup nuts (opt.)

Combine all ingredients until well mixed.Grease and flour a bundt or loaf pan. Pour batter into pan and bake in preheated oven 350 until cake tests done 40 to 50 min.Cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out and continue cooling.