Lady M's Mille Crêpe Cake
During this time last year, I was in Hong Kong with my father and one day, after his meeting, he brought me a slice of Lady M’s signature mille crêpe cake. This deliciously “thousand” layered dessert is actually made up of twenty thin crepes with a spread of cream in between each. The texture is so unique, a perfect marriage of fluffy and bite, that to this day, I remain nostalgic about it. Obviously, Lady M guards the how-to for this cake, so I decided to make a crêpe cake with a special twist. The beautiful purple hue was achieved by incorporating ube (purple yam) powder, but I also considered using matcha or black sesame powder for both their flavor and coloring. Crêpes are one of those essential foods that any home chef should master and there is no better excuse to practice than with this standout cake.
For the crêpes, you will need:
1 and 3/4 cup of whole milk
2 tablespoons of sugar
2 tablespoons of melted unsalted butter
3 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon of baking powder
1 cup of all purpose flour
3 tablespoons of ube powder (you can order this online, but I found it in a Chinese grocery store)
vegetable oil
1. Combine the wet ingredients: On low heat, combine the milk and sugar until dissolved and the milk is warm. I actually recently learned that sugar is considered a wet ingredient when baking cookies with my friend, Danica! In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs together and slowly incorporate the milk mixture so that you do not scramble the eggs accidentally.
2. Combine the dry ingredients: Using a strainer, sift the flour, baking powder, and sweet potato flour into a large bowl.
3. Combine the wet + dry ingredients: In three parts, sift all the dry ingredients into the wet ingredient bowl, thoroughly incorporating the dry into the wet before adding more. To ensure no lumps, strain the completely combined crêpe batter into a new bowl and refrigerate for an hour.
4. Using a medium sized frying pan, heat on low to ensure an evenly hot surface and wipe the surface of the pan with a couple drops of oil + paper towel
5. Using a ladle, pour batter in the center of the pan and try to cover the surface of the pan. You are trying to create a thin crêpe layer evenly (which takes patience), but you cannot take too long since the batter will begin cooking. This will take practice!
6. Once the sides begin to crisp, use a spatula (or your fingers) to flip the crêpe
7. Cool the crêpe layers between sheets of paper towel or parchment paper.
For the filling, you will need:
1 + 1/2 cups of heavy whipping cream
2 tablespoons of sugar
While the crêpe layers are cooling, using a hand mixer to beat the whipping cream in a large bowl on low, gradually raising the speed and adding the sugar in increments. Do so until you achieve peaks.
The rest is pretty self explanatory: put a layer down and apply a thin layer of cream. On the top of the cake, I dusted more ube powder for that added punch of color, but you can also use confectioner’s sugar for a frosted look! I love this cake for its sophistication, color, and craftsmanship - enjoy!
