Grandma’s Ribbon Cake

My grandmother always made her batter from scratch, but I use cake mix
these days for mine. I remember this as being the BEST part of Christmas.
This cake is dense, sweet and very rich. As kids, we only got thin slices
of it. It’s a bit of work – but well worth it.

Two cookie sheets

Preheat oven to 350 or to setting indicated on cake mix package.

Grease and flour the BACKSIDE of your cookie sheet. Pour 1/4 cup of batter
on the back and spread evenly to a thin layer. Put in oven and check after
five minutes. Cake should be slightly brown on the edges. While cake is
baking grease and flour the BACKSIDE of the second cookie sheet.

When cake is done remove from oven and let cool a few minutes on the sheet.
Pour 1/4 cup on the BACKSIDE of the second cookie sheet, and spread as
before. Pop this one in the oven and bake like the first.

While the second one is baking, spread a large piece of foil on the
countertop. Remove the first baked layer, and place it on the foil. Spread
the layer with 1/8 – 1/4 cup sour cream and 3 – 4 tablespoons of jam or
jelly. (Depending on how much sweets you like!) It’s OK if it’s goopy or a
little runny.

Using a dish towel or paper towels, wipe the crumbs and excess oil/flour
from the first cookie sheet. (My grandma calls for washing the sheets
completely between baking – but I found that just wipeing them seems to do
ok.) Grease and flour the BACKSIDE again.

When the second cake layer is done, remove from oven and let cool a few
minutes, while you prepare the third layer as above. Place the second layer
on top of the first – and spread sour cream and a different type of
jam/jelly as above.

Continue baking the layers, and stacking them with the sour cream/jam/jelly
spread until the cake batter is use up. Always bake the layers on the
BACKSIDE of the cookie sheet, and remember to wipe, grease and flour the
sheets before each new layer.

When you are done, the stack will look a little raggedy, and probably
lop-sided. Don’t worry about it! It will be beautiful!

Now – here’s the fun part. Wrap the finished cake stack in the foil. Wrap
several more layers around it – making sure that it is securely sealed all
the way around. Place on the floor in a cool room and set 5 heavy books on
the stack. Nice big ones – like the Dictionary.

Leave overnight. In the morning, remove the books and take the flattened
stack back to the kitchen to unwrap. Trim off the brittle brown edges. (My
grandmother always made her’s perfectly square.) Frost the cake with your
favorite cream cheese icing.

** – the only jelly that I found that doesn’t work too well is the green
mint jelly – it overpowers the other flavors in the cake.