Dulce De Leche Crepe Cake

In light of Mother's Day being yesterday, I was doing some quality thinking about some of my favorite food experiences that I have had thus far with my mom. One that I recall clearly was before we came to the United States. I grew up in India and we lived there until I was age 6. After that, the first place we lived outside of the country was London, England! Well, while we lived there, we went on vacation to many tourist-y destinations and Paris was one of them! If nothing else there (except the Eiffel Tower, of course), I recall eating THE best crepes EVER!!! I think at that point of time (age 7), I wasn't exactly an adventurous foodie, so during this trip, crepes were my go-to food. My favorite crepes? Nutella! Haha, at least I had good taste right? Anyways, when wandering the streets of Paris, my parents had found a cart where they sold these were sold and we went back there pretty much every evening for the duration of the trip!

Since that time, I have been trying to replicate crepe recipes to make the perfect one ... no such luck yet, BUT the other day, I was browsing through a magazine and stumbled upon this: Dulce De Leche Crepe Cake! What a unique way of layering yummy goodness to make a delightful desert. Take a look at how to make this, below:

What you will need:

For the crepes:

1 1/4 cups whole milk

4 large eggs

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (Dutch-process or natural)

1/4 cup granulated sugar

3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

Unsalted butter, melted, for brushing

For the filling and topping:

2 sticks unsalted butter, softened

2 3/4 cups plus 1 tablespoon confectioners' sugar
1 cup dulce de leche (jarred or canned), plus more for drizzling

1 cup heavy cream

Directions:

Make the crepes: Combine the milk, eggs, flour, cocoa powder, granulated sugar, vanilla and salt in a blender and process until smooth. Refrigerate the batter 30 minutes.

Lightly brush a 10-inch nonstick skillet with melted butter and place over medium heat. Add a scant 1/4 cup of batter and quickly swirl the pan to coat the bottom. Cook until set on top and golden on the bottom, about 30 seconds. Carefully lift the edge of the crepe with a rubber spatula, then flip with your fingers and cook 20 more seconds. Invert the crepe onto a plate. Repeat with the remaining batter to make 14 to 18 crepes, brushing the skillet with more butter as needed. Stack the finished crepes on the plate and let cool completely. (The crepes can be made up to 1 day ahead; let cool, then wrap the stack in plastic wrap and refrigerate.)

Make the filling: Beat the butter in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on medium-high speed until light and fluffy. Add 2 3/4 cups confectioners' sugar in 2 batches, beating until smooth and fluffy. Add the dulce de leche and beat until combined. (The filling can be made up to 1 day ahead; cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate, then beat for a few minutes with a mixer before using.)

Assemble the cake just before serving: Place 1 crepe on a platter or cake stand. Spread with a scant 1/4 cup of the filling, then top with another crepe. Repeat with the remaining filling and crepes, ending with a crepe on top.

Beat the heavy cream and the remaining 1 tablespoon confectioners' sugar in a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment until stiff peaks form. Spread on top of the cake and drizzle with dulce de leche. Serve immediately.

Do you have a favorite crepe recipe? Let me know what it is!

*The picture and recipe featured in this blog post were both taken from the Food Network magazine.