Recipes | Pumpkin Mille Crepe Cake

2017-11-25T19:55:00.000-08:00

Hey y’all,

Here’s a wildly experimental dish I recently pulled together for a friendsgiving event. Tasked with bringing dessert, I was feeling a little ho-hummed out with the prospect of a traditional pumpkin pie. Luckily, the friends I was preparing for are well-accustomed to my fanciful cooking ideas, and I’m happy to report this one was a resounding success. This is a fall-forward take on a decadent French classic: the mille crepe cake. What I love about it is how simple it is—it’s an unfussy, no-bake confection that both hits the spot and brings a touch of elegance to any potluck, bake-off, or solo Netflix session.

A note on automation: I did everything here by hand, but feel free to use an electric mixer, if you have one, for the batter and whipped cream (just take care not to overwhip). The machines will come for us all one day, so we may as well learn to coexist with them.

Ingredients

Makes approximately 16 crepes

For the batter:

2 cups all-purpose flour

4 eggs

1 can pumpkin puree

1 cup milk (I used whole, but whatever you have in the fridge works)

1 cup water

½ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (you can buy this in the spice aisle, or you can use the individual ingredients: cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, allspice)

1 teaspoon cinnamon

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

¼ cup melted butter

For the whipped cream:

For best results, stick mixing bowl and whisk in the fridge for an hour prior

1 cup cold heavy whipping cream

2 tablespoons confectioner’s sugar

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

Make the Crepes

No turning back.

1. You’ll want to make the crepes first so they can get a head start at cooling. In a large bowl, blend the flour and eggs. Add in the pumpkin puree to create a sticky dough. Then gradually add the cup of milk, followed by the cup of water. Don’t worry: crepe batter is meant to be extremely runny. Finally, add in the salt, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, vanilla extract, and melted butter. The butter will resist at first, but mix until smooth.

2. From here on out, patience is the name of the game. Heat a very lighted oiled frying pan over medium-low heat. Transfer approximately a cup’s worth of batter into a liquid measuring cup—one with a spout. Pour about ¼ cup of batter onto the pan for each crepe. In the meantime, keep the remaining batter cool in the fridge.

Taste test: the great thing about this recipe is that it can be modulated to taste while you’re preparing it—you’re not beholden to the ingredients list. At this point, feel free to taste a spare crepe. Needs more cinnamon? Take this opportunity to mix an additional ½ teaspoon into the remaining batter. If you like your desserts sweeter, add some granulated sugar. If it’s too sweet already, dilute it with a bit more milk. Just remember that the whipped cream will add layers of sweetness as well.

3. Cook each crepe about two minutes, or until the edges begin to brown lightly. Shake the pan slightly to loosen the crepe. Slide a spatula under (note: if the spatula gets stuck, gently remove it and give the crepe another few seconds to cook. Trying to force the spatula will cause the crepe to tear). Flip and cook the other side briefly—no more than a few seconds—and slide out onto a plate to cool.

4. Repeat process, remembering to chill the batter in between, until all crepes are made. Try to separate the crepes a little, or lay them on a few separate plates, to encourage them to cool faster.

Whip it Good

Workout for the week,
basically.

1. While the crepes continue to cool, now’s a good time to start the whipped cream. As mentioned above, you can fast-track the whipping process by first chilling the whisk and bowl, but don’t worry if you’ve forgotten and you’re here now. Pour the heavy cream, sugar and vanilla into a bowl.

2. Begin whisking as vigorously as you can. Switch arms every so often for an even workout. Keep whisking until the bubbles disappear and the cream begins trailing behind the whisk. Go for another minute or so until soft peaks form when you pull out the whisk.

Assemble the Cake

1. By now, your crepes should be cool or close to it. It’s important not to use crepes that are still warm just yet, as they’ll melt the cream. Lay the first crepe on a cake plate or stand (pro tip: because it’s what’s on the outside that counts when it comes to desserts, set aside the prettiest crepe to save for the top layer). Using a spatula, cover it with a thin layer of whipped cream (about ¼ cup). Cover with the next crepe and repeat until you’ve used all the whipped cream. The number of crepes used will vary from cake to cake, but for me, this got me to about 15 layers. Chill in the fridge for at least an hour before serving.

2. When ready to eat, remove from the fridge and set out for a little before eating (20-30 minutes should do). If the mood strikes, dust with a little confectioner’s sugar. Slice like a cake and enjoy!

Eager to hear how yours turned out or any modifications you made—let me know in the comments!

Homesteady out.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
In this case, my stomach was the beholder.

home.steady