Crêpe Cake

Method

To make the cream filling (part 1):

1. In a saucepan, add 1 egg, the sugar and the vanilla extract. Stir to combine. Then add the corn starch. Stir to combine again. Finally, add 250ml milk and mix it all together well.

2. Cook the mixture on a medium heat while stirring continuously. Eventually, the mixture will become like a smooth gelatinous custard. At this point, transfer the mixture to a bowl, cover with cling film and put to one side to cool.

To make the crêpe mixture:

3. In a saucepan add 50ml water, 50ml of milk, 40g of butter, and a generous pinch of salt.

4. Cook the mixture on a medium heat, stirring continuously. Once the butter has fully melted, add 60g plain flour and mix well.

5. Keep cooking and stirring the mixture until it becomes like a soft dough. This should take 1-2 minutes. Once the mixture is golden and stops looking greasy, take it off the heat and transfer to a mixing bowl to cool for a minute or two.

6. Use a spoon or silicone spatula to spread out the dough a bit in the bowl. Then add the remaining eggs, one at a time, mixing the egg fully into the dough before adding the next. Keep mixing until the dough until it has become a smooth and thick batter.

To make the crêpe layers:

7. Pre-heat the oven to 200C (180C Fan)

If you have doubled the ingredients to make a larger cake, divide the crêpe mixture in half and repeat the following step for each half of the mixture, using two baking trays instead of one.

8. Fully cover a large baking tray in baking parchment. Then proceed to spread the crêpe mixture across the parchment, edge-to-edge, to the best of your abilities. The layer needs to be thin and even, and there must be no gaps.

9. Put the tray(s) into the oven and bake for 10-15 minutes. The crêpe should start to crisp at the edges but should not be dried out.

10. Remove the crêpe from the tray and place onto a flat cutting surface.

11. Once all the layers have been baked, use your hands to gently flatten any creases or uneven sections of the layers. It doesn't have to be perfect, but do your best.

12. Align the layers on top of one another as neatly as possible. Then, using a sharp knife, trim the uneven edges of the layers such that you end up with a very neat looking rectangle.

13. Use the knife to cut the layers exactly in half. Your two layers will have now become four equal-sized layers. Repeat this process until you are happy with both the number of layers, and the size of each layer. Eight layers is reasonable. Once happy, put the layers to one side.

To make the cream filling (part 2):

At this point, the cream mixture made in the first part ought to be room-temperature.

14. Beat 80g of room-temperature butter in a large mixing bowl until light and creamy.

15. Gradually add a large spoonful of the cream mixture from the first part to the butter. After adding each bit, use a whisk to fully mix the two together. An electric whisk works wonders here. By the time you've finished, you should end up with the most deliciously light and creamy filling. To finish up, use a spoon or spatula to smooth the mixture.

To construct the cake:

It is easiest to construct the cake directly on the plate or board you wish to present it on.

16. On the plate or board you are using, place one of the crêpe layers to form the base. Then spread a spoonful or two of the vanilla filling on top of the layer, keeping in mind that you will need enough of the filling to go between each of your layers as well as the sides of the cake. For structural integrity, it is better for the cream layers to be on the thin side.

17. Next, align another crêpe layer on top as neatly as possible. Add the cream filling on top as before. Continue repeating this process until you reach the final crêpe layer. Do not put cream on top of the final layer.

18. Using a silicone spatula or spoon, use the leftover cream to fill and smooth the sides of the cake.

19. Then, using a silicone spatula, spoon or your hands, carefully cover the sides of the cake with the toasted almond flakes. Sticking them to the cream.

20. Finally, put in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours to allow the cream filling to stabilise.

When ready to serve, ensure you use a very sharp knife to cut the cake to preserve the visual appeal of the inner layers.