Chew on This | Crepe Cake with Vanilla Pastry Cream and Strawberries

When I was young we had a beautiful Irish Setter named Kassie. She was an incredibly smart and loving dog. And quite the wanderer. Before my parents fenced in our backyard, you would let her out and she would take off for a swim in one of the two lakes in the neighborhood. Often times she would choose to swim in the larger lake that had an overgrown island in the middle of it. This little island was the home of many Canada geese, and I'm sure Kassie was an unwelcomed visitor.  

Being a field dog, one with an inherent hunting instinct, you would think that she was causing all kinds of torture and maddness on that island. No, not exactly. As far as we know, she never chased, caught, or killed any goose on that fine island. However, one spring she did do something suspect. She brought home goose eggs. 

How, you ask? Well, she swam her hairy red body across the lake to the island. She very gingerly picked up an egg from a nest (you know, after frightening the geese away). She carefully held that egg in her mouth and swam back across the lake. She ran down the road, up the hill, onto the front porch, and precisely placed the egg on the top step. And…surprise!!…when Mimi opened the front door to let Kassie in, a perfect, intact egg was presented to her. 

Done once, and this would be considered an amazing feat. Kassie did this 6 times. Six times that pup place a perfect egg on the door stoop for Mimi to discover. We did our best to keep them warm so that they would hatch, unfortunately to no avail. We were all sad about that, though I think Kassie was the most disappointed that none of the eggs hatched. So much so, she never brought another egg home.

Kassie, she was an incredilbe dog. Lots of stories to share about this one - she packed a lot of adventure into our lives! 

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Here's our recipe:

This crepe cake is a fun dessert twist that everyone will love! It takes just a little preparation to get the components made, but comes together quickly when assembling. And is devoured in moments!

Crepe Cake with Vanilla Pastry Cream and Strawberries

Pastry Cream: 

2 C milk

6 egg yolks

1 C sugar

6 T flour

2 T butter

1/4 t salt

2 t vanilla

In a sauce pan, heat milk until steaming but NOT boiling. While milk is heating, beat egg yolks and sugar in a small bowl. Add flour to the egg mixture and beat until smooth. 

Continue beating (or whisking) the egg mixture while slowly adding in 2/3 C of  hot milk to the egg mixture (you're tempering your egg yolks so they don't curdle). Pour the entire mixture back into the sauce pan and place over medium heat. Continue beating/whisking the mixture until it thickens and comes to a simmer. Stir with a wooden spoon or heat-proof spatula for an additional 2-3 minutes, carefully scraping down the sides and bottom of the pan to prevent scorching.

Remove pastry cream from the heat and add in your butter, salt, and vanilla. Stir until butter is melted and pastry cream is smooth. Transfer to a clean bowl, place plastic wrap right on the surface of the pastry cream to prevent a skin forming, and chill thoroughly before using. 

Crepes: (using a 7" skillet, I was able to make about 20 crepes)

1 1/4 C milk

2 T melted butter

3 eggs

2 T fresh lemon juice

1 1/2 C flour

1/4 t salt

2 t lemon zest

Put all ingredients into a blender in the order listed. Cover and process until smooth. Scrape down the sides of the blender several times during your processing to ensure all ingredients are incorporated completely. 

To make your crepes, pour approximately 2-3 T crepe batter into the warm (medium to medium-high heat), 7" buttered skillet. Quickly rotate the skillet to move the batter all around, forming a very thin 'pancake' on the bottom of the pan. When the edges pull away from the side of the pan it's time to flip. Take a knife or spatula and gently lift crepe up to loosen it. Flip it over and let the other side get a moment of heat. When finished, stack cooked crepes with waxed paper or paper towel between layers. If not using the crepes right away, place them into a plastic ziploc bag and refrigerate/freeze until you're ready to use. Bring crepes to room temperature before using.

Assmeble Cake:

2 C strawberries, hulled and sliced

To assemble the crepe cake, place one crepe into the center of a small round platter. Spoon a heaping tablespoon, or more, of pastry cream onto the crepe and smooth to the edges. Continue alternating between crepe and pastry cream until you reach your desired cake height. Chill the cake in the refrigerator until you are ready to serve. Cover the top of the crepe cake with your sliced strawberries, cut and serve. Enjoy!!