A crêpe cake or mille crêpes is as its name states, a cake made with crêpes, something similar to a mille-feuille but using crêpes instead of puff pastry. You need to make a lot of them to pile them up and then spread in between any cream, icing or whipped cream.
It is actually a dessert quite easy to do, you just need some time and patience to make the 20-25 crêpes. Yes you read correctly, in order to achieve that size and height you see in the pictures you'll need to make around that amount. Of course you can always choose to make less.
In addition, there is a variety of coffee bean of the arabica type named mocha that reminds the shape and color of the cocoa bean. That's where it is believed the association cocoa-coffee comes from, wich afterwards will end up creating the coffee mocha we know nowadays, a chocolate flavoured coffee.
I find so interesting learning the origin of things... you never go to sleep without having learn something new...
To make the cream or frosting I wanted to avoid using icing sugar since you need quite a lot and it is still refined sugar so now I started making my own using organic brown sugar. I use Thermomix to grind it, it is done in a few seconds. It will still be sugar and calories but at leat it will be a bit healthier and I can assure you, it is also nicer. You'll also see how the walnuts add a yummy and crunchy touch to this cake.
Oh and I'll tell you a little tip...once you've sliced it , warm it up for a minute before serving, it is scrumptious!! :D
So here's the recipe for this mocha and walnut crêpe cake (gluten and lactose free).
MOCHA AND WALNUT CRÊPE CAKE RECIPE
INGREDIENTS :
FOR THE CRÊPES: (20-25 medium size)
· 4 eggs + 2 yolks, at room temperature
· 2 cups rice milk (or any other)
· 2 cups flour (I use gluten free)
· 1/4 cup brown sugar
· 1/2 tsp. salt
· 1 tsp. vanilla paste
· 4 tbsp. lactose free butter, melted + a bit more for greasing the pan
FOR THE CREAM/ FROSTING :
· 450 gr. brown sugar (previously grinded)
· 3 tbsp. butter at room temperature
· 2 tbsp. instant coffee
· 4 tbsp. (60 ml) rice or other milk
· 3 tbsp. pure cocoa powder
· 100 gr. walnuts, chopped
METHOD :
1. First we make the crêpe batter. In a bowl we mix the eggs, the milk, vanilla and butter and then we add the flour, sifted. Use an electric mixer to achieve a uniform cream.
2. Strain the batter to avoid any lumps.
3. In a medium pan greased with the butter, add some batter and spin it with a round movement to cover the whole pan. You can use a ladle to calculate the same amount of batter each time. When the crêpe looks golden turn it over and when it is golden remove it and reserve.
4. We continue doing the same thing with all the batter and reserving the crêpes to allow to cool down.
5. Once done we make the mocha frosting. Put in a bowl the butter, the cocoa, instant coffee, sifted brown sugar and the milk. We also use the electric blender this time and whisk at medium speed to achieve a creamy and uniform cream that it easy to spread. Keep in the fridge.
6. Chop the walnuts and set aside.
7. When the crêpes have cooled completely we can start setting the cake.
8. In a plate we start piling the crêpes one by one spreading some frosting and sprinkling some walnuts on each one. Keep doing that until you make the last one and can cover it all up woth the rest of frosting. Sprinkle some more walnuts and that's it!
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