German tree cake

Traditionally, thin layers of batter are brushed onto a rotisserie, creating an effect that resembles the rings of a tree trunk. It fascinates me mostly because I grew up eating the Indonesian version of this grilled, not baked, layer cake. Its true origins are unknown, except that this method of making cakes was already practised in Ancient Greece, and it is speculated that the Germans inherited it from their Roman conquerors. If only recipes could talk…