Recipe for the 40+ layer cake

[scientist0724]

I got a lot of requests for the recipe, so here it is with some tips. Happy cooking!

-Just remember to spend a really long day or two days making this cake and don't make it during the summer--it will fall apart on you.

-Keep the kitchen or whatever room you plan on making this cake in cool.

-Expect the first couple of crepes to be sacrificial ones--they don't come out right. It takes at least a couple crepes to get the feel of the batter, temperature, and practice getting the 2 tablespoons of batter to cover the pan.

-Use a non-stick pan. You will still need to brush the pan with butter so ensure no sticking and it helps "crisp" the crepe.

-Handy tip--when buttering the bottom of the pan, melt about half a stick of butter and brush the melted butter with a pastry brush (cook's secret).

CREPE CAKE

# 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces, plus melted for pan
# 8 ounces semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
# 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
# 1/3 cup sugar
# 1/2 teaspoon salt
# 2 1/2 cups whole milk, room temperature
# 6 large eggs, room temperature
# 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
# Hazelnut Filling
# Chocolate Glaze

1. Bring 1/4 cup water to a rolling boil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Add butter, 1 piece at a time, whisking to combine after each addition. Remove from heat; stir in chocolate until completely melted. Set aside.

2. Whisk together flour, sugar, and salt in a medium bowl. Whisk together milk, eggs, and vanilla in another medium bowl. Gradually add milk mixture to flour mixture, whisking until smooth. Add chocolate-butter mixture, whisking until smooth. Pour through a fine sieve into an airtight container; discard lumps. Refrigerate at least 2 hours or up to overnight.

3. Lightly coat an 8-inch crepe pan or nonstick skillet with melted butter. Heat over medium heat until just starting to smoke. Remove pan from heat; pour about 2 tablespoons batter into pan, swirling to cover bottom. Reduce heat to medium-low; return pan to heat. Cook, flipping once, until edges are golden and center is dry, about 30 seconds per side.

4. Slide crepe onto a plate. Repeat process with remaining batter, coating pan with butter as needed. Crepes can be refrigerated, covered, up to 1 day.

5. Place a crepe on a wire rack set over a rimmed baking sheet. Spread with about 3 tablespoons hazelnut filling. Top with another crepe. Continue layering with hazelnut filling and crepes, using about 32 crepes and ending with a crepe on top. Refrigerate until firm, about 15 minutes.

6. Spoon 1/2 cup glaze on top of the cake, spreading to edges. Spread remaining glaze around sides of cake, coating completely. Refrigerate until glaze is firm and set, about 20 minutes. Cake can be refrigerated up to 3 days.



#Hazelnut Filling
# 2/3 cup heavy cream
# 6 large egg whites
# 1 2/3 cups sugar
# 1 3/4 cups (3 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into pieces, softened
# 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
# 1/3 cup hazelnut cream (the kind you use to add to your coffee)
# Pinch of salt

1. Put cream into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment; beat on medium-high speed until soft peaks form, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl. Refrigerate 1 hour.

2. Whisk egg whites and sugar in the clean bowl of mixer set over a pan of simmering water until sugar has dissolved and mixture registers 160 degrees. 2 to 3 minutes.

3. Attach bowl to mixer fitted with the clean whisk attachment; beat on high speed until slightly cooled and stiff (but not dry) peaks form, about 5 minutes.

4. Fit mixer with paddle attachment. With mixer on medium-low speed, add butter, several pieces at a time, mixing well after each addition (meringue will deflate slightly as butter is added). Add vanilla, hazelnut cream, and salt; mix until mixture comes together, 3 to 5 minutes. Fold in whipped cream with a rubber spatula. Use immediately.

#Chocolate Glaze
# 1 1/4 cups heavy cream
# 1 tablespoon light corn syrup
# Pinch of salt
#10 ounces semisweet chocolate, finely chopped

1. Bring cream, corn syrup, and salt to a boil in a medium-heavy saucepan over medium-high heat. Remove from heat. Add chocolate; swirl pan to cover completely with cream. Let stand about 5 minutes. Stir until smooth. Let cool completely.

[Ghazanfar Ghori]

Man that cake was the bomb!
I had so much of it - couldn't stop myself! My ears are still ringing from the sugar high!

[fredyk]

Chef Eric (Cooking Avec Eric-PBS) did a demo of crepes Suzette, and said crepes by themselves are sorta nothing. But are better a la Suzette or ala Mille-Fleur. Very filling and delicious. I don't know if crepes really work for me, but the cake was a pleasant surprise-light, sweet, creamy.

[Aaron]

I don't know if I'd call that cake light. I would call it delicious though. I had two pieces, one large one at the end of the meeting for "dinner."

[Jim Miller]

My wife Sue spent the last two days working on this for our daughter's upcoming birthday. It is quite an effort to put all this together but it came out nice!

Thanks to Arlene for making this possible!

Jim

[scientist0724]

You're quite welcome Jim!

Arlene