Chef John's Strawberry Crepe Cake

4.7
(17)
10 Reviews
12 Photos

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.

By
John Mitzewich
Chef John
John Mitzewich
John Mitzewich — aka Chef John — has produced more than 1,500 cooking videos for Allrecipes. He's the actor, director, and screenwriter whose hands and voice confidently walk you through techniques.
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Updated on August 11, 2024
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Prep Time:
30 mins
Cook Time:
1 hr
Additional Time:
45 mins
Total Time:
2 hrs 15 mins
Servings:
12
Yield:
1 20-layer crepe cake
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Ingredients

Original recipe (1X) yields 12 servings

For the Crepes:

  • 5 large eggs

  • 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour

  • 2 tablespoons white sugar

  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt

  • 2 ½ tablespoons vegetable oil

  • 3 ¼ cups whole milk

  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

  • 4 tablespoons butter, or as needed

For the Fruit Mixture:

  • 1 (10 ounce) jar strawberry jam

  • 2 tablespoons water

For the Cream Filling:

  • ¾ cup mascarpone cheese

  • 1 ½ cups heavy cream

  • 3 tablespoons white sugar

  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

  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.

  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.

  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.

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

  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.

  6. Refrigerate until completely chilled before cutting and serving.

Chef's Notes

I was going for a very light dessert here, in both taste and texture, but this technique really shines if you use a more traditional cake filling like buttercream. Since that gets nice and firm when chilled, you'll get even more gorgeously defined layers.

I probably could've just folded the strawberry jam into the whipped cream mixture to save time when assembling. I thought it would be nice to have streaks of fruit in the cream, but once sliced, it really wasn't that noticeable. Of course fresh fruit would also work, just be aware of the extra moisture that might add.

30 home cooks made it!

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

466 Calories
29g Fat
45g Carbs
9g Protein
Nutrition Facts
Servings Per Recipe 12
Calories 466
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 29g 37%
Saturated Fat 15g 76%
Cholesterol 153mg 51%
Sodium 182mg 8%
Total Carbohydrate 45g 16%
Dietary Fiber 1g 3%
Total Sugars 23g
Protein 9g 18%
Vitamin C 0mg 0%
Calcium 130mg 10%
Iron 2mg 9%
Potassium 174mg 4%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.

(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.