Nutelle Crepe Cake

13 hours 10 mins Prep Time

45 mins Cook Time

Written By

Robin Winship

Decadence at its finest, a crepe cake or gâteau mille crêpes is a French cake composed of several thinly stacked crepes (mille meaning thousand), layered between pastry cream or your filling of choice, in this case, a Nutella buttercream filling. Forgo your traditional birthday cake in favour of this indulgent showstopper that is bound to leave anyone that sets eyes on it in awe. Yes, it is just that good.

Ingredients

Crepes

3 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
6 3/4 cups heavy cream
8 large eggs, beaten
3 1/2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste (optional)
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 stick unsalted butter, for cooking the crepes

Nutella Filling

1 pound unsalted butter, room temperature
1 3/4 cups powdered sugar
1 3/4 cups Nutella
1/3 cup heavy cream, room temperature
Cocoa powder, for dusting top of cake
Raw hazelnuts (for garnish)

Directions

Crepe Batter

4 Steps

Step 1

Sift flour, sugar and salt into a large bowl. Create a well in the centre and add the cream, vanilla paste and beaten eggs.
Step 2

Slowly start whisking flour from edges into the centre of the well until very smooth. If there are lumps, can pass through a fine-mesh strainer. You can also use a blender, food processor or stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment to mix the batter.
Step 3

The batter should be thin and easy to pour (should be thinner than pancake batter); can adjust by adding more heavy cream.
Step 4

Once lump-free, add melted butter, mix and cover bowl and keep in fridge overnight.

Cooking Crepes

6 Steps

Step 1

Cut 35 squares from parchment paper (to separate the crepes from one another while you stack them).
Step 2

Heat a large frying pan or crepe pan over medium heat. Grease pan with butter, butter should froth up (make sure pan is coated evenly).
Step 3

Using 1/4 cup scoop or ladle, pour batter into centre of pan and lift pan up, swirling around clockwise until batter is evenly dispersed.
Step 4

Return to stove and let cook until edges start to fray and lift up and turn golden brown (1 minute). Carefully, using a rubber spatula and working around the edges, lift the crepe and gently flip it over. Cook on the second side for 45 seconds or until cooked through and golden brown. Remove onto a plate.
Step 5

Continue this process, stacking crepe and parchment paper, one on top of the other on the plate, until the batter is all used up. You should have anywhere between 29-40 crepes depending on how much batter you use for each crepe.
Step 6

Cover your stacked crepe plate with plastic wrap and let cool in fridge for 1 hour.

Nutella Filling

4 Steps

Step 1

While crepes are cooling, make your Nutella filling.
Step 2

In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy (2 minutes).
Step 3

Add powdered sugar to bowl and beat on low speed and then increase to medium. Beat for 2 minutes (scraping down sides of the bowl when necessary).
Step 4

Add Nutella and beat until thoroughly combined. Add heavy cream and beat until filling is light in colour, fluffy and easily spreadable (2-3 minutes).

Assembly

5 Steps

Step 1

Remove crepes from the fridge, they should be completely cool. You can trim the edges with scissors so they are even but I prefer a bit more of a rustic look to my crepe cake.
Step 2

Starting with one crepe on the bottom, spread 2-3 heaping tablespoons of your Nutella filling (depending on how big your crepes are) with an offset spatula or back of a spoon, leaving a slight border uncovered.
Step 3

Repeat this process until the last 7 crepes. For this last top section, spread filling to the very edge of the crepes.
Step 4

Once you have laid the final crepe on top of the filling, dust with cocoa powder, dollop any leftover filling on top and sprinkle with chopped hazelnuts.
Step 5

Let cake rest in the fridge for at least 3 hours so it can set.