Crepe Cake Recipe

Crepe cake on a serving plate with one slice cut out. It is garnished with fresh berries and powdered sugar. A bowl of berries and a vase of fresh flowers are on the side.

Crepe Cake is sure to impress your friends and family! A velvety cream cheese and whipped cream filling is spread between layers of paper-thin, tender crepes and topped with powdered sugar and berries.

Course Dessert

Cuisine French

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 15

Chill time 1

Total Time 1 45

Servings servings

Calories 539kcal

Author John Kanell

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