Recipe: Mille Crepe Cake

My Masterpiece

This was my challenge last weekend... Beautiful right....and taste heavenly too... I did a post on this cake here and here. So, now to share this awesome recipe... So easy, I got it from What's Cooking America. Go ahead and try it!

Crepe Batter:

6 tablespoons butter

3 cups milk

6 eggs

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

7 tablespoons granulated sugar

Pinch salt

NOTE: Prepare the crepe batter either several hours or one day in advance.

In a small pan, melt the butter until lightly browned; remove from heat and set aside.

In a separate, small pan, warm the milk until steaming; remove from heat and set aside to allow to cool slightly. 

In a large bowl using your electric mixer at a low speed, mix together the eggs, flour, sugar, and salt. Slowly add in the warm milk and browned butter. Pour the batter into a tightly-sealed container to refrigerate for several hours or overnight.

Pastry Creme Filling:

1 egg

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1 cup milk

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 teaspoon hot water

2 tablespoons heavy cream, whipped

In a small bowl, add egg, flour, sugar, and cornstarch; beat until smooth.

In a saucepan over low heat, bring milk almost to a boil (simmer). Immediately remove from heat and slowly whisk the milk into the egg mixture. Return all ingredients to the saucepan, while constantly stirring, for about 5 minutes, until thickened and comes to a boil. Remove from the heat. Add vanilla extract and hot water; stir until dissolved into the mixture. Set aside to cool until firm.

When the Pastry Creme has cooled, fold in the whipped cream. Refrigerate mixture until thick (best if refrigerated overnight).

Assembly of 20-Layer Crepe Cake:

Crepe Batter

Pastry Creme Filling

2 cups heavy cream

1 tablespoon granulated sugar

Powdered (confectioners') sugar

To prepare and cook the crepes, remove the Crepe Batter from the refrigerator and bring to room temperature. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Using a nonstick or lightly-oiled crepe pan over medium-low heat. Evenly distribute approximately 3 tablespoons Crepe Batter; swirl to cover the surface of the pan. Cook approximately 1 minute or just until the bottom of the crepe becomes lightly browned. Using your clean fingers, gently and carefully turn the crepe over and continue cooking for a few minutes longer.. Cook on the other side of the crepe for no longer than 5 seconds. Remove the cooked crepe onto a prepared baking sheet (do not stack the crepes on top of each other). Repeat this process until you have 20 perfect crepes. NOTE: You might need to prepare a few practice crepes in the beginning.

Remove the Pastry Creme Filling from the refrigerator. Whip the 2 cups of heavy cream with the 1 tablespoon sugar. Gently fold the whipped cream into the chilled and thickened Pastry Creme Filling.

Place one (1) prepared crepe on a large cake plate. With a small spatula or wide blade knife, completely cover the crepe with a thin layer of the pastry cream mixture (approximately 1/4 cup). Cover with another dry crepe and repeat covering with the pastry creme until you have reached 20 layers. The 20th crepe will be the last or top layer.

Refrigerate the prepared cake for a minimum of 2 hours. Allow to stand at room temperature for 15 to 30 minutes before serving. Dust with powdered (confectioners' sugar).

When ready to serve, slice into individual servings. Garnish the plate with fresh berries.

Kiwi Pavlova

I have been wanting to eat this particular dessert for such a long time! Kept seeing it made on the Asian Food Channel (AFC) and it seemed so easy to do....

Pavlova is a dessert named after the Russian ballet dancer - Anna Pavlova. A cake made out of meringue with a crispy crust and soft light inner... it is like a marshmallow!!! Just simply divine...

I got this receipe from the Earthbound Farm but I have modified it to make it my own :)

Here we go:

Ingredients

Meringues:
4 large egg whites at room temperature
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Sugared Almonds (the receipe was for Pistachios):
1 tablespoon butter
1 cup almond nuts (diced)
2 tablespoons sugar

Whipped Cream:
1 cup heavy (whipping) cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons sugar

To top it:
5 kiwifruits, peeled and sliced
(any fruits that is sweet and sour can be used too)
Honey

Directions

Preheat to 350 degrees F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

Place the egg whites in the bowl and beat on high speed until the whites to form soft peaks. Gradually add the sugar and beat until the mixture is thick and very creamy, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the cornstarch and vanilla and beat another minute on medium speed.

Place the meringue mixture on the prepared baking sheet. Make a shallow well in the center of the meringue with a small ladle or soup spoon. Transfer the baking sheet to the oven and reduce the heat to 250 degrees F.

Bake until the meringue dry on the exterior but remain soft in the center, 40 to 50 minutes. Place the baking sheet on a wire rack and allow meringue to cool completely.

For the sugared almonds, melt the butter in a large nonstick pan. Add the almonds and cook over medium heat until the nuts are hot and begin to turn golden brown, about 5 minutes. Raise the heat to medium-high and sprinkle the nuts with the sugar. Stir until the sugar melts and the nuts appear shiny, 5 to 10 minutes. Watch carefully! The nuts can burn very quickly during this step. Spread the nuts on a piece of aluminum foil and let them cool completely. Store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

Place the cream in a cold bowl and whip until it starts to thicken. Add the vanilla and sugar, and continue beating until the cream is stiff.

To serve, place a meringue shell on a plate. Spoon a dollop of whipped cream in the indentation and top with some of the kiwi slices. Sprinkle with candied almonds and drizzle the honey around the base of the each shell. Serve immediately.

I added 1 passion fruit and a banana to the topping....

Yums!