Chess Roll

I love making this for the Holidays, because of the quantity, and everyone loves it. Sponge cakes rolled into wafer sheets, and tied together with caramel cream! Yum!
Never mind that my husband can down one whole roll in one evening, and not gain an ounce!!! Skeleton! This w/e is a big one for my family, not only because of the Thanksgiving, but also my son and I share a birthday on Saturday!

Chess Roll

You'll need:
Wafer sheets- Oblatne, they’re about 9x13”
For the sponge:
5 eggs
1 ¼ cup sugar
2 1/3 cup flour
1/3 cup milk
1/3 cup oil
2 tsp baking powder
1-2 Tbsp cocoa powder

Preheat oven to 395 F. Mix eggs with sugar, then add oil, combine, then add milk, gradually add flour mixed with baking powder. Divide into two, and in one half add cocoa powder.
Bake both cake mixes in a 9x13” square pan, separately, of course. I usually make 3 rolls, which means I need 6 brown, and 6 yellow stripes of the sponge cakes. So, cut the cooled cakes into 6 stripes each, and trim them, if necessary to get nice, even stripes.

For the caramel cream:
400g /13.5 oz sugar
0.9 l / 30 oz milk
6 Tbsp corn starch
1 stick margarine or butter, about 125g
2 tsp vanilla sugar, or some vanilla extract

Caramelize the sugar (don’t burn it), then add milk, minus one cup, and add vanilla sugar. The other cup of milk you mix with corn starch, and then add to boiling caramel milk. Mix well, and fast, not to get lumps. When it thickens, remove, cool down a little, and while still quite warm, mix in the margarine, or butter.

To assemble:
Take 3 wafer sheets, and spread with warm caramel cream on the sides with larger ridges. Remember to save some cream for filling in between cake stripes. Somewhere in the middle of each wafer sheet start placing the cake stripes, lengthwise, one yellow, one brown, and spread some caramel cream in between, and on top. Then place two on top of those two, just switch the order to get the checkered look. Now roll the wafer around it, and tighten with kitchen towels, or plastic wrap. Chill, and serve!

Tips: I have read that they can also be frozen, and taste just as good as fresh made, when thawed. If you get bigger wafers, they come in different sizes, then you double everything, and bake in a larger pan. Meaning you would make one yellow cake according to directions above, and one brown one.

Wish I could give credit to a particular author, but I have adapted it to my own liking from so many different authors, and since it’s such a traditional cake in the former Yugoslavia, there is no way in knowing who is the originator.

Makes a great gift for Holiday season! You keep some, you give some :)