Crepe Cake combines everything cherished about traditional crepes, transforming them into a distinctive and alluring dessert. Imagine layers of delicate crepes, each one spread with creamy whipped cream frosting, stacked high to create a visually striking centerpiece for your table.
Using classic French techniques and accessible ingredients, this dessert is perfect for those moments when you want to offer something special without hours in the kitchen. Fresh berries and a gentle dusting of powdered sugar complete the dish, for a dessert that's as beautiful as it is delicious.
Jump to:
Ingredients You Need to Make Crepe Cake
For the Crepes:
- Eggs: Use large or extra-large eggs.
- Whole Milk: Use fresh whole milk for best flavor.
- Water: Ideally filtered water.
- Butter: Unsalted butter is recommended. If using salted butter, omit the added salt.
- Flour: Use standard all-purpose flour.
- Granulated Sugar: Use regular white granulated sugar or superfine sugar.
- Kosher Salt
- Avocado Oil: Or other neutral oil, like canola or vegetable oil, for a mild taste.
For the Frosting:
- Heavy Whipping Cream: Be sure that it's cold for best results.
- Mascarpone Cheese: Choose a quality brand, like American-made BelGioioso, or something imported from Italy. If you use a low-quality mascarpone cheese, you could end up with a grainy texture or uneven consistency in your frosting.
- Powdered Sugar: Sifted to ensure a smooth frosting.
- Vanilla Extract: Real vanilla extract provides a richer flavor.
Optional Toppings:
- Fresh Berries: Blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, or a combination adds a fresh and colorful touch.
- Powdered Sugar: For dusting the cake.
Why Use Stabilized Frosting?
Using Stabilized Whipped Cream Frosting for this cake is key to maintaining the cake's texture and appearance. The simple addition of mascarpone cheese helps it hold its shape and consistency much longer than regular whipped cream, ensuring that the layers of the cake remain intact and the frosting doesn't weep or become runny. This is especially valuable for a crepe cake recipe with many delicate layers like this one, as it helps preserve the structure and presentation, even if it's made a few hours ahead of serving.
Recipe Tips
- Watch the Heat: Keep an eye on the pan’s temperature when making the crepes. Too hot and they'll cook too quickly; too cool and they won’t brown nicely.
- Chill the Batter: Allow the crepe batter to rest in the fridge for at least an hour. This helps the flour to fully absorb the liquid.
- Use Cold Ingredients and Tools for Frosting: Chill heavy whipping cream, mascarpone, and tools like a stainless steel bowl. Cold ingredients and tools help create a frosting that holds its shape better and is less likely to become runny or collapse.
- Fresh Berries for Topping: Opt for fresh and vibrant-looking berries for the topping. They add a beautiful color contrast and fresh flavor to the cake.
- Serving Presentation: Slice the cake carefully with a thin, sharp knife for clean wedges, and serve cold.
How to Store
Store any leftover cake covered in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. If you have leftover crepe batter or frosting, they will last up to 2 days in the refrigerator as well. If freezing extra crepes, stack them with parchment paper between each crepe (to be safe - I've had luck stacking them with nothing in between), and store in an airtight container in the freezer.
More Delicious French Desserts
How to Make Crepe Cake
To Make the Crepes: Blend eggs, milk, water, butter, flour, sugar, and salt until smooth, then chill for an hour. Heat a medium-sized pan and lightly oil it. Pour a small amount of batter into the pan, spreading it thinly. Cook briefly until lightly golden, then flip and cook the other side. Repeat with remaining batter, allowing crepes to cool before assembling the cake. You'll make about 20 crepes; extras can be frozen or enjoyed separately.
To Make the Whipped Cream Frosting: Whip heavy cream, mascarpone, sugar, and vanilla extract in a mixer until stiff peaks form. Cover and chill until needed.
To Assemble Crepe Cake: Layer crepes on a serving plate, spreading whipped cream frosting between each; cover and refrigerate unused frosting for finishing the cake. Leave the top crepe unfrosted and refrigerate the assembled cake for at least 2 hours. Before serving, decorate the top with reserved frosting, fresh berries, and a dusting of powdered sugar. Slice carefully with a thin, sharp knife and serve.
Crepe Cake
Ingredients
For the Crepes:
- 4 large eggs
- 2 cups whole milk
- ½ cup water
- 4 tablespoons melted butter
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
- avocado oil or other neutral oil, for coating pan (see recipe note #1)
For the Frosting:
- 3 cups heavy whipping cream cold
- 1 ½ cups mascarpone cheese cold
- 1 ½ cups powdered sugar sifted
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
For the Topping
- 1 cup fresh berries blueberries, raspberries, strawberries or a combination
- powdered sugar for dusting cake, optional
Instructions
To Make the Crepes
- In a blender combine eggs, milk, water, melted butter, flour, sugar and salt; blend until smooth (10-20 seconds). Refrigerate for at least 1 hour. (Recipe note #2)
- When ready to cook crepes, place a plate near cooktop and heat an 8-inch carbon steel or nonstick skillet over medium heat until hot. Brush a thin layer of oil on bottom of pan. Scoop or pour 3-4 tablespoons (scant ¼ cup) of batter into center of pan; tilt and swirl pan to spread batter in a thin, even layer. Cook 40 to 60 seconds, until top looks dry and bottom is lightly golden brown. (Or up to 2 minutes for a deep golden brown.) Flip with thin spatula and cook 20 to 30 seconds more or until lightly golden brown. Transfer to clean surface to cool. Repeat with remaining batter. Cover crepes lightly to cool to room temperature before assembling cake. (Or let cool then stack with parchment paper between; cover tightly and refrigerate up to 1 day in advance of assembling cake.) You'll have 20+ crepes - freeze any extra's or enjoy them as a cook's treat!
To Make the Frosting
- Add heavy cream, mascarpone, sugar and vanilla extract to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the wire whip attachment (or in a large mixing bowl using a handheld mixer), whip on high until stiff peaks form, 2 to 3 minutes. Refrigerate until ready to use (up to 2 days in advance).
To Assemble Crepe Cake
- Place one crepe on a cake platter or flat serving plate. Scoop ~3 tablespoons of frosting into the center and spread in an even layer all the way to the edges. Repeat with remaining crepes, leaving the top crepe unfrosted. (Reserve enough frosting - refrigerated in an airtight container - to finish the cake just before serving.) Lightly cover cake with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to overnight.
- Just before serving, spread desired amount of reserved frosting over the center of the cake top in decorative swirls and arrange fresh berries on top. Finish the cake with a dusting of powdered sugar. (Add a small scoop of powdered sugar to a fine mesh strainer and tap the side lightly over the cake top.) Carefully slice cake into wedges, starting at the center, with a thin, sharp knife; serve.
Notes
- Oil is a convenient alternative to butter when making crepes as butter has a tendency to burn. If you want to use butter, I recommend clarifying it first so it has a higher smoke point. See this post on how to clarify butter.
- Refrigerating crepe batter allows the flour to absorb the liquid. Leftover batter will last up to 2 days in the refrigerator.
- You may have leftover frosting (better too much than not enough!). Store it covered in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
- Store leftover cake, covered in the refrigerator, for up to 2 days.
I'm a huge fan of crepes and crepe cakes, so this beautiful bad guy is right up my alley 🙂 Loving its richness and lightness at the same time.
aww...thanks so much, Ben!