Grandma's Ribbon Cake

Directions

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. Two cookie sheets
4. Preheat oven to 350 or possibly to setting indicated on cake mix package.
5. Grease and flour the BACKSIDE of your cookie sheet. Pour 1/4 c. of batter on the back and spread proportionately to a thin layer. Put in oven and check after five min. Cake should be slightly brown on the edges. While cake is baking grease and flour the BACKSIDE of the second cookie sheet.
6. When cake is done remove from oven and let cold a few min on the sheet.
7. Pour 1/4 c. on the BACKSIDE of the second cookie sheet, and spread as before. Pop this one in the oven and bake like the first.
8. 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 c. lowfat sour cream and 3 - 4 Tbsp. of jam or possibly jelly. (Depending on how much sweets you like!) It's OK if it's goopy or possibly a little runny.
9. Using a dish towel or possibly 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 which just wipeing them seems to do ok.) Grease and flour the BACKSIDE again.
10. When the second cake layer is done, remove from oven and let cold a few min, while you prepare the third layer as above. Place the second layer on top of the first - and spread lowfat sour cream and a different type of jam/jelly as above.
11. Continue baking the layers, and stacking them with the lowfat sour cream/jam/jelly spread till 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.
12. When you are done, the stack will look a little raggedy, and probably lop-sided. Do not worry about it! It will be beautiful!
13. Now - here's the fun part. Wrap the finished cake stack in the foil. Wrap several more layers around it - making sure which it is securely sealed all the way around. Place on the floor in a cold room and set 5 heavy books on the stack. Nice big ones - like the Dictionary.
14. 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.
15. ** - the only jelly which I found which doesn't work too well is the green mint jelly - it overpowers the other flavors in the cake.