Holy crepe, take a look at those layers! Making a crepe cake has been on my list for a long time now, and due to a special request I was finally able to check it off. I’m a big fan of the Lady M cakes, and their classic vanilla flavor is still my favorite, so I stuck as closely as I could to the original. Full disclosure, this dessert was one of the more difficult recipes I’ve tackled so far – the crepes themselves are pretty fickle, and at one point you have to literally push the pastry cream through a fine mesh sieve. Still, the final product was pretty darn delicious and beautiful to look at – crepe cakes are already so delicate and impressive that I decorated with just a sprinkle of powdered sugar and raspberries. Definitely one of the most decadent desserts I’ve ever made – and one of the tastiest!
Crepe Cake
Ingredients
Crepe Batter
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 6 large eggs
- 6 tbsp unsalted butter
- 7 tbsp granulated sugar
- 3 cups whole milk
- 1/4 tsp salt
Cream Filling
- 2 cups whole milk
- 6 large egg yolks
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 3 1/2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1/3 cup cornstarch, sifted
- 1 whole vanilla bean, halved lengthwise and scraped out
Cooking and Assembly
- unsalted butter
- powdered sugar
- 1/3 cup fresh raspberries
- 1 tbsp granulated sugar
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream
Instructions
- You can make the batter and cream filling the day of, but I HIGHLY recommend making it the day before. It will spread out the work you need to do, and the flavors will turn out better.
- To make the batter, brown the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat, making sure not to burn it. Once browned, set it aside. In a second pan, heat the milk over medium heat until steaming and then allow it to cool for 10 minutes.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together the eggs, flour, sugar, and salt on medium-low speed. Once fully mixed, slowly stream in both the milk and the browned butter. Mix until fully incorporated, and make sure to scrape down the sides with a rubber spatula if necessary. Once mixed, pour the batter into a container with a spout (I used a juice pitcher) and refrigerate overnight.
- To make the cream filling, put the milk and vanilla bean with scrapings in a medium saucepan and boil, then remove from heat and set aside for 10 minutes, and remove the bean. For the next step, you will need one large bowl full of ice, and a smaller bowl (that can still hold all the cream filling) that can rest inside the larger bowl.
- In another medium saucepan, whisk together the egg yolks, sugar, and cornstarch. Slowly whisk in the hot milk, and then place the pan over high heat until boiling, making sure to whisk the entire time. As soon as it's boiling, remove from the heat and press the cream through a fine-meshed sieve into the smaller bowl you set aside earlier. Place the bowl into the ice bath and whisk constantly until the temperature of the cream reaches 140°F. Stir in the butter until fully melted and everything is mixed together well. Once the cream filling is cool, cover it with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
Assembly
- Take out the batter from the refrigerator and bring it to room temperature before cooking the crepes. Use either a 9-inch nonstick pan or a crepe pan over medium heat. Lightly grease the pan with butter, and then pour ~3-4 tablespoons of batter onto the pan and quickly swirl the pan around to evenly coat. This will take some practice, so anticipate some sacrificial crepes that wont end up in your final cake.
- Cook the crepes for ~1 minute, just until it starts to brown. Carefully flip the crepe with a thin spatula, and cook on the other side very briefly, no more than 10-15 seconds. Remove the crepe and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper to cool. Repeat the process for the rest of the batter.
- Whip the heavy cream with the sugar to very soft peaks. Fold the whipped cream into the cream filling until completely homogenous.
- Once the crepes are all cooked and cooled, on a cake stand or plate, lay the first crepe down. Carefully cover the crepe completely with a layer of cream filling, ~1/4 cup. I used an offset spatula to help with this part. Repeat with the rest of the crepes until the cake is complete. Be careful to check as you go along that you're keeping the top even, it can be easy to add more cream to the middle than the edges, which will result in a very domed cake.
- Once done, chill the cake for at least 2 hours in the fridge. Before serving, remove from the fridge ~30 minutes before. Dust generously with powdered sugar and top with raspberries.
- Enjoy!
