French Mille Crepe Cake Inspired by Lady M

I always want to make this famous Lady M signature Mille Crêpes Cake, which is claimed to be this best cake in New York. Well I haven't had a chance to go New York to try this cake but luckily I found couple of the recipe showing how to make it. Now after I finish all of my exam and have more free time on time, so I decide to make this cake for Mother’s Day as my mum don’t like cake being too sweet.  

This cake is a classic French Cake, which the name is translated as “thousand crepe cake” and sure it does look like there are thousand layers because you will eventually lose count of how many layer in the cake. It wasn’t too hard to make but it does need a lot of effort and practice to be perfect, I pretty much screwed up my first crepe but then luckily I did alright for the rest, since I only has an 10 inch flat pan at home, so I couldn’t make the 20 layer cake as Lady M but manager to make 18 (not include the first one I screwed up). If you happen to make crepe often, I don't think it will be too hard to make, the only thing is it will going to take about 2 hours stand in front of stove and make the crepe and then assembly them. 

But after all, even though I’m not able to make it as thin and neat as the Lady M one but I really enjoy making this cake as it feel good when your crepe turn out perfectly. And Assembly it is also fun to do as I have never assembly a cake layer by layer, this cake is perfect for those who doesn't own an oven at home but can still enjoying the fun of making cake. This cake might look a little bit simple but it taste light, delicious and has great texture.

I’m sure I will make this cake again later as it is so yummy and also would really want to try the authentic Lady M Mille Crêpes Cake in the future. And my mum suggest I should add some fruit inside so there will be more flavor to enjoy…umm sound like a brilliant idea isn’t it. So always listen to what your mum said, Happy Mother’s Day everyone.

Mille Crêpes Cake 

(Makes 1 10-inch cake)

For the crêpe batter

85g or 6 tablespoons butter

3 cups milk

6 eggs

1 1/2 cups plain flour

6 tablespoons sugar

A pinch salt

Sift the flour and combined sugar, salt and set aside.

Bring the milk until shimmering and then remove from heat and set aside.

Melt the butter in the pot until it turn to light brown color, remove from heat and set aside to cool slightly. 

 

(Some butter might end up have lot of white foam on top after cooked, don’t worry just get rid of the white foam.)

Mix the eggs flours, sugar and salt at a low speed.

Slowly add in the melted butter and milk and mix until all combined.

Put in an airtight container and refrigerate overnight.

For the vanilla pastry crème

1 cups milk

1 vanilla bean, halved and scraped

3 egg yolks

50g sugar

1 ½ tablespoon cornstarch, sifted

25g butter

Scraped the vanilla bean seed out and put into milk. Bring the milk into shimmering and remove from the heat, coved and sit for 10 minutes let the vanilla flavor infused.

Sift he cornstarch and mix with sugar.

Mix with egg yolk and whisk lightly until all sugar dissolved and combined.

Slowly pour the milk in the egg mixture and keep stirring.

Filter the mixture and disregard any lump.

Put the mixture back into pot on medium heat.

Keep stirring until the mixture thickens and not liquid like.

Transfer the pastry crème into a bowl and quickly mix with the butter until all combined.

Refrigerate for overnight.

For the Pastry Crème filling

2 cups heavy cream

2 tablespoon icing sugar

 

Whip the cream with icing sugar until it become firm peaks or hold firmly to the whisk.

Fold in 1/3 of the cream into the pastry crème until all cream is fold in.

Making Crepe

Use a flat pan and turn on medium heat.

Lightly spray some oil and use brush to evenly brush around the pan.

Use a big spoon (I use Soup Serving Spoon) pour the crepe batter on the pan and quickly turn the pan in clockwise until the batter spread out evenly.

Cook about 1 minute or until the bottom of the crepe is lightly browned, turn the crepe around and continue to cook for another 30 seconds. (I use my finger and chopstick to turn the crepe, or you can transfer the crepe into a plate first and then flip it back to the pan.)

Prepared 2 different plates, one plate is for the crepe to cool down and the other one you can stock up the cooled crepe, coved with baking paper to avoid dry out.

Continue until all the crepe batter finish. This recipe should be able to make 20 crepes if you are using an 8-inch pan.

Assembly

First choose your perfect crepe and set it aside as your top one.

Place 1 crepe on the plate, spoon approximately 2 tablespoon of pastry crème filling in the middle and spread evenly on the crepe.

Repeat the previous step until you reach the last crepe.

Refrigerate for 2 hours and let the pastry crème become firm.

Bon Appetite.