Crêpe Cake (French Gâteau de Crêpes)

This delicate crêpe cake - Gâteau de Crêpe or Mille Crêpe - makes a decadent dessert, or a brilliant alternative to birthday cake. Thin French crêpes are layered up with vanilla-tainted pastry cream to make an extravagant, elegant cake that will wow your dinner table.

Crêpe Batter:
6 Tbsp. butter
3 cups milk
6 eggs
1½ cups all-purpose flour, unbleached
7 Tbsp. sugar
1 pinch sea salt

Vanilla Pastry Cream:
2 cups milk
1 vanilla bean, halved and scraped
6 egg yolks
½ cup sugar
⅓ cup cornstarch, sifted
3½ Tbsp. butter

Assembly:
vegetable oil
2 cups heavy cream
1 Tbsp. sugar
3 Tbsp. Kirsch
confectioners' sugar

Make the Crêpe Batter:
The day before, make the crêpe batter and the pastry cream.

In a small pan, cook the butter until brown like hazelnuts. Set aside. In another small pan, heat the milk until steaming; allow to cool for 10 minutes.

In a mixer on medium-low speed, beat together the eggs, flour, sugar and salt. Slowly add the hot milk and browned butter. Pour into a container with a spout, cover and refrigerate overnight.

Make the Pastry Cream:
Bring the milk with the vanilla bean (and scrapings) to a boil, then set aside for 10 minutes; remove bean. Fill a large bowl with ice and set aside a small bowl that can hold the finished pastry cream and be placed in this ice bath.

In a medium heavy-bottomed pan, whisk together the egg yolks, sugar and cornstarch. Gradually whisk in the hot milk, then place pan over high heat and bring to a boil, whisking vigorously for 1-2 minutes. Press the pastry cream through a fine-meshed sieve into the small bowl. Set the bowl in the ice bath and stir until the temperature reaches 140°F on an instant-read thermometer. Stir in the butter. When completely cool, cover and refrigerate.

Assemble the Cake the Next Day:
Bring the batter to room temperature. Place a nonstick or seasoned 9" crêpe pan over medium heat.

Swab the surface with the oil, then add about 3 Tbsp. batter and swirl to cover the surface.

Cook until the bottom just begins to brown, about 1 minute, then carefully lift an edge and flip the crêpe with your fingers. Cook on the other side for no longer than 5 seconds. Flip the crêpe onto a baking sheet lined with parchment. Repeat until you have 20 perfect crêpes.

Pass the pastry cream through a sieve once more. Whip the heavy cream with the Tbsp. sugar and the Kirsch. It won't hold peaks. Fold it into the pastry cream.

Lay 1 crêpe on a cake plate. Using an icing spatula, completely cover with a thin layer of pastry cream (about ¼ cup). Cover with a crêpe and repeat to make a stack of 20, with the best-looking crêpe on top. Chill for at least 2 hours. Set out for 30 minutes before serving.

If you have a blowtorch for crème brûlée, sprinkle the top crêpe with 2 Tbsp. sugar and caramelize with the torch; otherwise, dust with confectioners' sugar.

Slice the same way you would a cake.

Makes 10 servings.