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Chocolate Crepe Cake with Custard
Instructions
First, prepare the chocolate crepes. Gather all the necessary ingredients on a clean work surface according to the recipe list. Having everything measured and ready before you start the actual cooking makes the multi-step recipe much easier to manage in practice.
Mix and sift the dry ingredients (the flour and the cocoa powder) together through a fine-mesh sieve into a deep mixing bowl. Sifting at this early stage adds extra air to the dry ingredients and helps prevent any lumps in the finished batter.
The sifting action fills the flour with oxygen and breaks up any lumps in the cocoa powder, which produces a noticeably smoother batter. Cocoa powder lumps especially easily and benefits enormously from the brief sifting step.
In a separate mixing container, whisk the eggs, salt and sugar together until completely smooth and the sugar has dissolved into the egg base. The properly mixed wet ingredients form the foundation of the crepe batter.
Add half of the milk (the milk should be properly warm) to the egg mixture, then add the dry flour-cocoa mixture in two stages. Combining the dry ingredients with a small amount of liquid first lets them blend into the proper homogeneous consistency without forming any lumps. In the final stage, pour in the remaining warm milk and the vegetable oil.
The chocolate batter for the crepes is now ready. The properly mixed batter should look like a smooth thin liquid resembling thick chocolate milk in colour and consistency.
Bake the crepes one at a time at a temperature slightly below medium for about two minutes per side, until the crepe is almost completely cooked through on the bottom side.
Flip each crepe and cook on the second side for just a few seconds, since the second side needs only a brief warming to finish properly. Stack the cooked crepes on a plate ready for assembly.
The finished crepes are now ready for the assembly step. The recipe yields a total of 14 individual chocolate crepes from the batter quantity given above.
Now prepare the custard cream. Gather all the necessary custard ingredients on a clean work surface ready for the brief cooking step that follows.
Mix the eggs with the sugar and salt in a deep mixing bowl, then add the cornstarch and whisk until completely smooth and uniform throughout the mixture.
Heat the milk to a properly hot state in a separate saucepan, then pour it in a thin steady stream into the egg-cornstarch mixture while mixing vigorously. The slow addition prevents the eggs from scrambling on contact with the hot milk.
Transfer the resulting mixture to a heavy-bottomed saucepan and place it on the stove to heat, continuing to stir vigorously with a whisk throughout. The custard will thicken very quickly. Remove the saucepan from the heat as soon as it reaches the proper thick consistency and let it cool to room temperature. To make the custard properly creamy, add about 50 grams of soft butter and stir into the custard mixture.
Cover the cooled custard with plastic wrap pressed directly onto the surface to prevent a skin from forming during further cooling and resting.
For assembling the cake, the crepes and the custard are both ready. Take three more bananas for the filling layers between the crepes.
Cut the bananas into medium-sized round pieces of about 1 centimetre thick. The slightly thick slices hold their shape better than thin pieces during the long resting time in the refrigerator.
Line a springform cake pan or a deep round dish with plastic wrap or a clean plastic bag. The lining helps with clean unmoulding once the cake has set firmly in the refrigerator overnight.
Line the bottom of the form with crepes, arranging them so that half of each crepe sits inside the centre of the form while the other half hangs out over the edge. Use an additional crepe to cover the bottom of the form completely.
Cover the bottom and sides of the form with a generous layer of custard cream. Take one crepe, cover it with custard, lay out a row of sliced bananas down the centre, and roll it up tightly. Repeat this rolling process with all the remaining crepes for a properly consistent finished cake.
Place the prepared crepe rolls in the form, spread with more custard between each layer, and form a second layer of rolls on top of the first.
Cover the top of the cake with a final layer of custard and seal it with the edges of the crepes that hang over the form sides. The chocolate crepe cake with custard is now ready. Cover with plastic wrap, place a small plate on top, and refrigerate for 6-8 hours.
After the long resting time, take the cake out of the refrigerator and place it on a serving plate, decorating as you wish. Brew a fragrant pot of tea and invite everyone to the table. The cake looks particularly beautiful when cut to reveal the spiral structure inside. Bon appetit!
Tips
- 1
Sift the cocoa powder thoroughly with the flour, since cocoa lumps especially easily and would otherwise produce dark spots in the finished crepes. Use a fine-mesh sieve held over the mixing bowl and tap gently to push all the dry ingredients through. The brief sifting step adds air to the flour and helps produce noticeably lighter more tender crepes than unsifted dry ingredients would.
- 2
Use properly ripe bananas with brown speckles on the skin for the deepest most pronounced banana flavour in the finished cake. To pair this beautifully tender crepe cake with another classic homemade dessert from the same culinary tradition, try our richly indulgent cake Natasha classic recipe from Soviet times as a more traditional layered alternative.
- 3
Cool the custard completely before assembling the cake, since hot custard would melt the bananas and ruin the proper texture. Cover the cooling custard with cling film pressed directly onto the surface to prevent a skin from forming during cooling. The cooled custard should still be soft enough to spread easily but cool enough to handle without burning your fingers during the assembly step.
- 4
Allow the assembled cake to rest the full 6-8 hours in the refrigerator for the firmest most stable finished structure. For another beautifully indulgent crepe-style dessert recipe to add to your celebration menu, try our beautifully tender eclairs with custard cream at home as a smaller individual-portion alternative.
FAQ
Can I use other fruits instead of bananas? +
Absolutely. Strawberries, raspberries, peaches, mango, pineapple or even canned cherries all work as substitutes for bananas in this crepe cake with broadly similar results. Each fruit brings its own slightly different flavour profile and colour to the finished cake. Soft berries work particularly well sliced or whole, while firmer fruits should be cut into thin slices for easier rolling. Drain canned fruits thoroughly before using to prevent excess juice from making the cake unpleasantly soggy.
How long does this cake keep? +
Store the assembled cake covered tightly with cling film in the refrigerator for up to four full days for best results. The flavours actually improve significantly during the first day or two as the custard, crepes and bananas continue to merge into a beautifully harmonious whole. Avoid freezing the assembled cake, since the texture of the bananas suffers significantly during defrosting and the whole carefully constructed dessert turns into an unappetising soupy mess.
Can I make this cake without cocoa? +
Yes, simply omit the cocoa from the crepe batter and add an extra tablespoon of flour to compensate for the missing dry mass. The resulting plain vanilla crepes work just as well in the cake and produce a properly delicious result with a different visual appearance. You can also flavour the plain crepes with vanilla extract, lemon zest, orange zest or even a splash of rum for endless variations on the basic recipe to suit different occasions.
What can I serve with this cake? +
The chocolate crepe cake pairs brilliantly with a warm pot of fragrant tea, properly strong coffee, hot chocolate, or even a small glass of dessert wine for special celebrations. Fresh berries, whipped cream, vanilla ice cream or even a drizzle of caramel sauce all complement the cake beautifully if you want extra accompaniments on the dessert plate. A small bowl of cherries on the side adds a beautifully tart contrast that cuts through the richness of the custard cream perfectly.
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