This crepe cake, also known as mille crepe cake, is the perfect cake for summer because you don’t have to turn on your oven! Crêpe cakes are so impressive and yet so simple to make. Simply make a batch of paper-thin crepes and stack them with a thin layer of sweet whipped cream filling between each one.
A super easy decoration of powdered sugar with fresh berries is more than enough to adorn a crepe cake, but you can also spread a layer of lemon curd or chocolate ganache on top. You can even add them to the filling! I have more details for you below. For more cake recipes, try my Chantilly cake, tres leches cake, or angel food cake next!
Ingredients
Here are the key ingredients for crepe cake. Find the full recipe below!
Eggs — large eggs add flavor and richness and bind the crêpe batter.
Milk — I use whole milk to add extra richness to the homemade crepes, but you can use any dairy or nondairy milk you’d like.
Butter and salt — salt content in salted butter can vary a lot among different brands. Instead, use melted unsalted butter and add a little salt.
Sugar — you only need a small amount of granulated sugar to sweeten the crepes, as the filling provides much more sweetness. The sugar also helps the crepes brown.
Vanilla — vanilla is a key flavor component for the crepes, so use a high-quality vanilla extract.
Filling — for the luscious crepe cake filling, you will whip together cream cheese, mascarpone cheese, powdered sugar, and heavy cream. Unlike most frostings, for this recipe, you want to start with cold ingredients, so there’s no need to bring them to room temperature before starting.
Crepe Cake Recipe
Equipment
- 9-inch nonstick skillet (or 10-inch nonstick skillet that tapers at the bottom to be 9-inches).
- Blender or large bowl
- Pastry brush
- Stand mixer- paddle and whisk
Ingredients
For the Crepes:
- 6 large eggs
- 2 cups all-purpose flour (240g)
- 1½ cups whole milk (360mL)
- 1 cup water (240mL)
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter melted plus more for cooking
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
For the Filling:
- 8 ounces cream cheese (226g)
- 4 ounces mascarpone cheese (113g)
- 1½ cups powdered sugar (180g)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 3 cups cold heavy cream (720mL)
To Assemble:
- Powdered sugar
- Berries
Instructions
For the Crepes:
- Combine the eggs, flour, milk, water, melted butter, sugar, vanilla extract, and salt in a large mixing bowl or blender canister. Whisk well, or blend for about 30 seconds on low speed, until the batter is smooth. Cover and chill the batter for at least 1 hour or up to 4 hours.
- Heat a 9-inch nonstick skillet (or 10-inch nonstick skillet that measures 9 inches at the base) over medium heat. Brush the skillet lightly with butter.
- Pour a scant ¼ cup of batter into the skillet and immediately rotate the pan to coat the bottom evenly, being careful not to let the batter go up the sides. Cook the crepe until lightly browned in spots on the bottom, 1 to 1½ minutes. (The first few crepes may take longer to cook than the last few crepes. Adjust the stove temperature and cook time as needed.)
- Carefully flip the crepe and cook until lightly golden in spots on the second side, 20 to 30 seconds. Transfer the crepe to a cooling rack to cool completely. (The crepes cool quickly. Once completely cool, you can stack them right on top of each other).
- Repeat the process with the remaining batter, brushing the pan very lightly with more melted butter as needed. (With a good nonstick skillet, you might only need to brush with butter for the first crepe). Stack the crepes neatly and trim any crispy or uneven edges with kitchen shears. You will make 20 and 30 crepes, depending on the size of your skillet.
For the Filling:
- In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the cold cream cheese and mascarpone on medium speed for about 1 minute until combined. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and add the confectioners’ sugar, vanilla, and salt. Beat on low speed for about 15 seconds until combined, then increase to medium speed and beat for about 1 minute until smooth. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl.
- Add all of the cold cream at once, then mix on low for about 30 seconds until the mixture is creamy and well combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and increase the speed to medium and beat until fluffy, stiff peaks form, 1 to 1½ minutes.
For the Assembly:
- Place 1 crepe on a serving or dinner plate. Top with ¼ cup of the filling and spread almost to the edges of the crepe. Repeat with the crepes and filling, ending with a crepe as the final layer. (You may have some extra of either one.)
- Dust the top with powdered sugar and serve with assorted berries.
Notes
- Use a spatula with a thin edge to flip the crepes. Since crepes are fairly delicate, a thicker or studier spatula may break them. I like to use a flexible spatula or fish spatula. If you don’t have either, try lifting up the edge with an offset spatula before sliding a larger one underneath to flip it.
- I used 24 crepes for my cake! Depending on the size of your skillet, you may have more or fewer layers. Just build the cake layers until one or the other runs out. If you have extra filling, pile up the remaining on top of the cake! Any extra crepes can be enjoyed as a delicious snack or breakfast.
- Use cold ingredients for the filling. Using cold cheeses and heavy cream helps create a more stable filling that won’t run between the crepes. A sturdier filling will also help prevent the crepes from sliding.
Nutrition
How To Make A Crepe Cake
1. Blend the eggs, all-purpose flour, milk, water, melted butter, sugar, vanilla extract, and salt for about 30 seconds on low speed to make a smooth batter. Cover and chill the batter.
2. Once the batter is ready, heat a 9-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat. Brush the non-stick pan with butter using a pastry brush.
3. Pour ¼ cup of batter into the skillet and swirl the pan immediately so the bottom is coated with batter. Cook the crepe until lightly browned on the bottom.
4. Flip the crepe with a thin spatula and cook until lightly browned on the opposite side. Transfer it to a wire rack to cool completely.
5. Repeat with the rest of the batter. Stack the crepes and trim any edges with kitchen shears for a neater look, if desired. Set the cooked crepes aside while you work on the filling.
6. Make the filling in a large bowl by beating the cold cream cheese and mascarpone cheese on medium speed, then scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl. Add the confectioners’ sugar, vanilla extract, and salt. Beat the mixture on low speed until combined, then beat on medium speed until smooth.
7. Add the cold heavy cream and mix on low. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, increase the hand mixer speed to medium, and beat until stiff peaks form.
8. To assemble the crêpe cake, place a crepe on a serving plate. Spread ¼ cup of the velvety filling almost to the edges of the crepe using an offset spatula. Add another crepe layer on top. Repeat, creating layers of crepe and filling, until either the crepes or filling runs out. End with a crepe on top. Dust with powdered sugar and serve with mixed berries.
Tips for Cooking The Crepes
- Use a skillet with a smaller base: I prefer to use a skillet that has a 9-inch diameter cooking surface at the base. (This will likely be a 10-inch skillet if your sides slope or angle in at all.) A frying pan that is 8 inches in diameter at the base will also work. However, you may need to add slightly less batter to the pan for each crepe (about 3 tablespoons instead of ¼ cup), and it will yield a few more crepes.
- Use a measuring scoop to portion the batter: This ensures that all the crepes are the same size. To have enough batter to coat the bottom of a 9-inch skillet, each crepe should use a scant ¼ cup. Fill a ¼ cup measuring scoop until it’s just barely full.
- Immediately fill any gaps in the crepe with more batter: While swirling the crepe batter to cover the bottom of the pan, if any small holes remain, quickly drizzle a small amount of batter to fill them. Don’t worry if the crepes are a little bit bumpy! It’s all getting covered with whipped filling.
- Adjust stove temperature: The first crepe or first few crepes may take longer to cook than the rest of them. Adjust the stove temperature and cook time as needed. Look for a light golden brown color before flipping the crepes.
Can I Make The Layers In Advance?
You can make the crepes up to 24 hours in advance. Wrap the stack tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. Make the cream filling when you’re ready to assemble the crepe cake.
Decorating Ideas
- Liberally dust the top with powdered sugar and decorate with an assortment of fresh strawberries, blueberries, raspberries or blackberries.
- If you have extra filling, you can spread it in a thick layer on top or put it in a piping bag to pipe decoratively over the top. Do this before decorating with fruit.
- Spread zingy lemon curd or rich chocolate ganache over the top of the crepe cake.
How To Store
Store the crepe cake in the refrigerator in an airtight container or loosely covered with plastic wrap. While it will keep for around 2 days, I do find that the crepes can become soggy from the filling. So I recommend eating it as soon as possible.
Pro Tips For Making This Recipe
- Weigh the flour. For the most accurate measurement, use a kitchen scale to weigh the flour. If you don’t have one, fluff it in its container, spoon it into your measuring cup, and level off the top with a knife.
- Let the batter rest. Like I do in my classic crepe recipe, chill the batter in the fridge before cooking the crepes. This allows the flour to hydrate completely for a more tender crepe that is never rubbery!
- Use a blender for the best batter. A blender ensures your batter is perfectly smooth. If you don’t have one, you can use an immersion blender. Or whisk it together by hand. Just be sure it is smooth and well combined before letting it rest.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! For a fruity twist, fold lemon curd, raspberry jam, or other fruit jams into the filling. If you’re a chocolate lover, add chocolate ganache to the filling. Whichever option you choose, add ⅓ cup to ½ cup of it to the filling and fold it in before assembling the cake.
Yes. Since the texture of the filling and crepes may be softer after thawing, I don’t recommend freezing the whole cake unsliced. Instead, slice it before freezing. This also allows you to grab a slice or two at a time when you feel like enjoying some! To freeze, wrap slices tightly in plastic wrap and store in a freezer-safe container for up to 2 months. Thaw for a few hours in the refrigerator before serving.
Because there are so many layers of frosting, I don’t recommend using a classic cake frosting like buttercream, which will make crepe cake far too sweet. If you want to try something different, I’d suggest the filling from my tiramisu!
If you’ve tried this crepe cake recipe, then don’t forget to rate it and let me know how you got on in the comments below. I love hearing from you!
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