When I want to make something I know my husband will love, I always turn to desserts. With Valentine's Day right around the corner, I hope this post will motivate you to make something beautiful for your special someone. This Crepe Cake is made up of multiple layers of crepes, one stacked on top of another, with pastry cream between each layer. The result is a very untraditional cake with delicate leafy layers and a rich decadent filling. Isn't is absolutely gorgeous?! I couldn't stop taking pictures.
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Multiple layers of crepes covered in delicious
pastry cream, topped with fresh raspberries. |
Making this cake does require an investment of time, but all of the components can be made in advance so you can break it up into several smaller steps. Even though the end product looks elaborate and impressive, the assembly is easy.
The first time I made pastry cream was for a Boston Creme Pie pancake recipe. For only a few ingredients, I couldn't believe how delicious it was. Pastry Cream is basically vanilla custard and once you know the recipe you can utilize it for any number of applications - on its own, with mixed berries, in doughnuts, or even as frosting. This version isn't overly sweet which is why I like it so much. The vanilla flavor comes through and it is all about the rich texture of the cream.
You should make the pastry cream for this cake the day before, so it has time to set up. I made a double batch of the recipe (as listed below) to ensure I had enough for all the layers.
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Ingredients for the pastry cream are all
ready to come together. |
In a heavy bottom saucepan, heat the half-and-half, whole milk and vanilla over medium heat until it simmers. Turn off the heat immediately, and set it aside to cool a bit for 10 minutes. In a large bowl whisk together the eggs yolks and granulated sugar and then add the cornstarch. Mix well until everything comes together. Take about 1/4 cup of the heated milk mixture and add it to the bowl with the egg and sugar mixture and whisk to mix. Be sure and stir quickly after adding the milk so you don't scramble the eggs with the hot milk mixture. Then just keep adding the milk mixture a little at a time and mixing until you have both of them fully combined.
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When you run your finger down the center and
the line remains you know its ready. |
Pour the mixture back into the saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly. Once it reaches a boil it will start to thicken up. You can tell it is thick enough by coating the back of a wooden spoon and running your finger down the center. If its ready, the line will remain there and not run together. Turn off the heat and stir in the butter. Let the custard cool a bit and then pour it into a bowl that you can place in the fridge. You need to cover it with plastic wrap, pressing it down on top of the pastry cream to make sure it doesn't form a skin on top. Chill it at least 2 hours or overnight if possible.
To make the crepe batter, mix all the ingredients together in a blender. You will need to scrape down the sides a few times to make sure all the flour gets incorporated. Chill the batter for an hour in the fridge.
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After the crepe is flipped, you let it cook for another
minute. You don't want a lot of color or browning. |
To make the crepes, heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat. You will not need to use any type of butter or oil if you are using a nonstick pan. It will take trial and error with your first few crepes, but don't get discouraged. Similar to pancakes, once the pan gets warmed up it will be easier. Once the skillet is hot, pour in some batter - - I used a 1/2 c. measuring cup and filled it just a little over half way (for an 8 inch skillet). Immediately tilt the skillet and distribute the batter evenly over the surface, being sure to cover the entire bottom of the pan. You want the crepes to be an even consistency.
When the edges start to dry slightly, after about a minute, flip the crepe and let it cook for another 30 seconds to a minute on the other side. I used a metal fish spatula to just get under the edge and not tear the crepe. Even though they are easy to tear, the crepes are otherwise very forgiving. If you flip them over and they get tangled up in the pan, just gently unfold them and let them finish cooking. It's ok if you tear some of them because you are going to be stacking them and covering them in pastry cream. At least 5 of mine had tears in the center and the cake still turned out beautifully. Keep repeating the process until you use up all your batter.
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Use an offset spatula or knife to spread the pastry
cream over the first crepe, and then repeat the process. |
As you cook them, stack them on a sheet tray covered with aluminum foil. You don't need to put anything in between them, but I covered them with a paper towel to keep the edges from drying out too much. The batter should make between 25-30 crepes if you are using an 8 inch skillet. Once you have them made, set them aside and let them cool completely.
To assemble the cake, place one crepe on the cake stand or plate you are going to serve the cake on and top it with 1/4 cup of the chilled pastry cream. Spread the cream out to the edges. Repeat with all of the remaining crepes and pastry cream. Be sure and take a step back after every few layers to make sure it is staying level and straight. You don't want to go to all the trouble of making the crepes and pastry cream only to end up with a leaning tower of lopsided crepes! Oh, and pick out one of your "prettiest" crepes to use as the top layer since that won't get covered in pastry cream.
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I arranged the raspberries on top in a circle when I first started
decorating it. This was taken before powdered sugar was sprinkled on top. |
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I decided to make it more Valentine's Day appropriate with
a heart and some powdered sugar. You can decorate it however you want! |
Once you have the cake fully assembled you need to chill it for at least an hour before you can cut into it. That will allow the pastry cream to set up and become firm. You can top the cake with fresh raspberries or other berries or shaved chocolate….it's really up to you. You can see from the pictures that I played around with what I wanted it to look like, starting with just a circle of berries before I decided to get cutesy and make a heart. A sprinkle of powdered sugar on top and it is done!
Happy Valentine's Day! -xoxo-
Pastry Cream
1/3 Cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 Tbsp Cornstarch
1 Cup Whole Milk
1 Cup Half and Half
1 Vanilla bean or 1 Tbsp Vanilla Paste
3 Large Egg Yolks
1 Tbsp Butter
Crepes
2 Cups Whole Milk
3/4 Cups water
4 Large Eggs
6 Tbsp butter, melted
3 Tbsp granulated sugar
2 tsp Vanilla paste or extract
1/4 tsp kosher salt
2 Cups Flour
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A peek inside shows off the layers of pillowy crepes and creamy pastry cream.
The edges of the crepes are a little crispy which adds texture. |
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