Chef John's Strawberry Crepe Cake

Using this simple 'crepe cake' technique, you can turn any of your favorite cake fillings into visually stunning, multi-layered masterpieces. By the way, I say this is simple, not fast, as it does take some time to make and stack all those crepes, but once you get rolling, it goes pretty quickly. Use the ingredient amounts only as a guide, as crepe sizes and filling amounts will vary. Dust with powdered sugar and garnish with fresh strawberries.

• Preparation Time: 30 mins
• Cooking Time: 60 mins
• Total Time: 1 hr 30 mins
• Calories: 466 Calories

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons white sugar
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons water
• 3 tablespoons white sugar
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 ½ cups heavy cream
• 2 ½ tablespoons vegetable oil
• 5 large eggs
• ¾ cup mascarpone cheese
• 4 tablespoons butter, or as needed
• 3 ¼ cups whole milk
• 1 (10 ounce) jar strawberry jam

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Pour eggs, flour, sugar, salt, oil, milk, and vanilla extract into a blender. Blend, starting on low speed and finishing on high, until combined. Refrigerate batter for at least 30 minutes.

Step 2

Scoop strawberry jam into a saucepan. Rinse out jar with water and pour into the saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and stir. Simmer for 1 minute, remove from heat, and stir. Let cool to room temperature.

Step 3

Brush some butter over a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Pour in 1/4 cup batter; tilt pan to coat evenly. Cook until crepes bubble and brown, about 1 1/2 minutes per side. Transfer to a baking sheet. Repeat with remaining batter, buttering the pan between crepes. Let cool completely before stacking, at least 15 minutes.

Step 4

Combine mascarpone cheese, cream, sugar, and vanilla extract in a bowl. Whisk together until stiff peaks form.

Step 5

Lay a crepe onto a large plate. Spoon on 2 or 3 tablespoons of the cream mixture, spreading it almost to the edge. Swirl in some strawberry jam. Transfer finished crepe onto a flat serving plate. Repeat with remaining crepes, cream, and jam. Center each crepe over the previous one in a stack. Gently press on a final plain crepe to finish.

Step 6

Refrigerate until completely chilled before cutting and serving.