Lemon Crepe Cake

Don't get put off by the length of this recipe. This cake is not hard to make at all! The trick is to split up the processes over a day or two. I find it best to do some of the work the night before, and finishing off the rest the day it is to be served. If you have a whole day to set aside, you could possible just whip it out all in one - but take into consideration the time needed to refrigerate the different components. I promise you it is well worth it! More time is spent letting things set in the fridge, than actually cooking up the components. I love this recipe because the crepe layers not only look beautiful, but add a really nice texture that compliments the lemon curd mousse.

Recipe from Martha Stewart

Ingredients:

Crepes

3/4 cup plain flour

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/4 cups whole milk, room temperature

3 large eggs, room temperature

1/2 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, melted

Lemon curd mousse filling

1 teaspoon unflavoured gelatin

1 tablespoon cold water

4 large eggs plus 6 egg yolks

1 cup sugar

1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest (~2 lemons), plus 3/4 cup fresh meyer lemon juice (~5-6 lemons)

1/4 cup heavy cream

Method:

Day 1

Making the Crepe batter

1. Sift the flour into a bowl. Whisk in sugar and salt.

2. Whisk together milk, eggs and vanilla in a separate bowl.

3. Slowly pour milk mixture into the flour mixture, whisking until smooth. Whisk in butter. 

4. Pour through a fine sieve into an airtight container. Refrigerate at least 2 hours or overnight.

Making the lemon curd mousse 

1. Sprinkle gelatin over water, let stand until softened - about 5 minutes.

2. Whisk together the eggs and yolks in a heavy small saucepan. Whisk in the sugar, lemon zest and lemon juice. Cook, whisking constantly, over medium-low heat until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon ~8-10 minutes.

3. Remove pan from heat, add gelatin, stirring constantly until the gelatin is fully dissolved. Add butter, a few pieces at each time, stirring until smooth. 

4. Strain through a sieve into a bowl, pressing through the mixture with a spatula. Put some cling wrap directly onto the surface of the curd and refrigerate for atleast 2 hours or overnight.

Day 2 

Finishing the lemon curd mousse

1. Gently fold in whipped cream. Refrigerate for 1 hour.

Cooking the Crepes 

1. Place a little bit of butter onto a non stick crepe pan, over medium heat. Use a paper towel to grease the top of the pan. Pour about 2 tablespoons of batter into the center of the pan. Swirl to cover the bottom. Flip the crepe when the edges are a nice golden brown. Cook until the center is dry and a nice even brown on both sides.

2. Slide crepe onto a flat baking paper/board. Repeat with remaining batter, trying your best to keep the crepes the same size. Make sure that you cool your crepes completely flat, using your hands to flatten down if necessary. This will ensure a flat even cake when assembling together. 

Assembling the cake

1. Place 1 crepe on a flat serving dish. Spread about 1/4 cup of the lemon curd mousse onto the crepe. Place a second crepe on top. Continue layering the mousse and crepes, ending with a crepe on top. Refrigerate until firm for about an hour.