Chocolate Crêpe Cake
Inspired by techniques from King Arthur Baking.
Dozens of thin chocolate crêpes are stacked with a hazelnut pastry cream between every layer, then chilled under gentle pressure until the whole cake sets into clean, ribboned wedges. It's a slow build rather than a bake, so the result is more silky custard than cake crumb.
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Method
- 1
Mix and rest the crêpe batter. Whisk the flour, salt and cocoa together in a bowl, breaking up any cocoa lumps. Whisk in the eggs, milk and melted butter until completely smooth, then pass the batter through a sieve into a clean bowl. Cover and leave to rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.
- 2
Cook the crêpes. Heat a crêpe pan or a 25 cm nonstick frying pan over medium heat. Cook a test crêpe, thinning the batter with a splash more milk if it's too thick to spread easily. Pour in a thin layer of batter for each crêpe, swirling to coat the base, and cook about 30-45 seconds a side until set and lightly spotted. Stack the finished crêpes on a plate to cool; you'll need 18-20 for the cake.
- 3
Make the pastry cream. Set a fine sieve over a bowl. Heat the milk in a medium saucepan over medium heat just until bubbles form around the edge. Meanwhile whisk the sugar, cornflour and salt in a large bowl until free of lumps, then whisk in the egg yolks until pale and thick, about 1 minute. Whisk about half the hot milk into the yolks, then pour everything back into the pan. Whisk constantly over medium heat until thick and bubbles burst in the centre, then keep whisking for 1 more minute; it should read 88-93 °C. Press it through the sieve with a spatula, stir in the vanilla, then the butter a few pieces at a time until melted. Press cling film onto the surface and chill until completely cold, at least 4 hours. Beat until smooth and glossy, 30-60 seconds, just before using.
- 4
Make the hazelnut filling. Warm the chocolate-hazelnut spread in the microwave for about 20 seconds, until soft and almost pourable. Whisk it into the cold pastry cream until completely smooth and lump-free.
- 5
Build the layers. Stack three crêpes on a serving plate and spread with 2 tablespoons of the hazelnut filling. Continue layering a single crêpe with 2 tablespoons of filling, using two or three crêpes together every so often for a sturdier stack.
- 6
Finish and chill. Top with a final layer of three crêpes. Wrap the cake tightly in cling film, pressing gently to keep it compact, and refrigerate for at least 60 minutes, or up to overnight, before slicing into wedges.
Storage
Keep the cake wrapped and refrigerated; it's best eaten within 2 days. Cool leftovers in a shallow container and refrigerate within 2 hours (within 1 hour on a day above 32°C).
Free sugars
26.8 g per serving
53.6 % of the 50 g daily maximum · 107.2 % of the ideal 25 g
Free sugars under 50 g a day, ideally about 25 g, based on WHO free-sugar guidance (not endorsed by WHO). The share shown is the share of one serving. WHO
Equipment
- mixing bowls
- large mixing bowl
- whisk
- fine-mesh sieve
- crêpe pan or 25 cm nonstick frying pan
- medium saucepan
- heatproof spatula
- digital thermometer
- cling film
- serving plate
- chef's knife
Nutrition per serving (estimated values)
| Per serving | Amount |
|---|---|
| Energy | 599 kcal |
| Protein | 12.4 g |
| Carbohydrate | 57.9 g |
| of which sugars | 31.7 g |
| of which free sugars | 26.8 g |
| Fat | 36.1 g |
| of which saturates | 23.8 g |
| Fibre | 3.3 g |
| Salt | 0.72 g |
Protein per 100 kcal
2.1 g High Protein needs ≥ 5 g (20% of energy)
Calculated from USDA FoodData Central ingredient values
