France Mille Crêpe (Thousand Crepe Cake)
Decadent and rich, the mille crêpe is a classic French dessert that never fails to impress guests. The name of this cake translates to “one thousand crepes,” and the only key to the dish is trying to stack the crepes as high as gravity will allow. Perfecting the art of crepe making is paramount to successfully constructing this cake, but the skill is well worth the effort to master, if only for the light-as-air texture that makes this dessert something truly special.
Recipe Servings: 10
Prep Time
1 minute
+ 3 hours resting
+ 3 hours resting
Cook Time
50 minutes
Total Time
3 hours 51 minutes
Vegetarian
Vegan
Gluten Free
Dairy Free
Kosher
Halal
Ingredients
- 2 cups (440 g) unsalted butter at room temperature (plus extra as needed for greasing), divided
- 4 1/3 cups (550 g) all-purpose flour
- 1½ cups (315 g) golden caster sugar
- 1 tsp (5 ml) salt
- 15 large eggs
- 40 fl oz (1.2 L) milk
- 1 orange, zested
- 2½ cups (500 g) finely ground hazelnuts
- ¾ cup (150 g) golden caster sugar
- 32 oz (900 g) dark chocolate, chopped
- 2 cups (500 ml) heavy cream
- 2 tsp (10 ml) salt
- 1 2/3 cup (400 ml) heavy cream
- 3 Tbsp (45 g) unsalted butter, softened
- 16 oz (400 g) dark chocolate, chopped
- Toasted or candied hazelnuts, as needed for garnish (optional)
- Candied orange peel, as needed for garnish (optional)
Directions
- Melt 1 cup (220 g) butter in a saucepan and cook until it just begins to brown. Set aside.
- Sift together flour, caster sugar, and salt in a mixing bowl.
- Whisk together milk, orange zest, and eggs in a separate bowl.
- Make a well in the dry ingredients, pour the milk mixture into the middle, and mix to combine.
- Add melted butter slowly to the batter and gently fold it in.
- Chill batter for at least 3 hours.
- Grease a small skillet with butter and set it over medium heat.
- Remove skillet from heat and pour in about 3 tablespoons (45 ml) of the crepe batter.
- Tilt skillet and swirl batter to evenly coat the base of the pan.
- Reduce heat and return skillet to the stove.
- Cook crepe for 30 seconds, until the edges turn golden.
- Flip and cook for 30 seconds.
- Transfer crepe to a plate to cool.
- Repeat process using the remaining batter, which should make about 30 crepes.
- Mix together ground hazelnuts and caster sugar in a small bowl to form a smooth paste.
- Melt chocolate and whisk with the remaining 1 cup (220 g) butter until combined.
- Pour in heavy cream and season the mixture with salt before combining it with the hazelnut paste.
- Set aside to cool.
- Place one crepe in the center of a cake stand or serving platter.
- Spread hazelnut filling over the crepe, coating it evenly.
- Layer another crepe on top of the hazelnut paste and repeat the process until all of the crepes and filling are used.
- Chill cake in refrigerator to set.
- Heat heavy cream and butter in a small saucepan set over medium heat, stirring frequently until combined.
- Place chocolate in a heatproof bowl and pour the hot cream mixture over it, stirring until the mixture forms a smooth ganache without any lumps.
- Spread ganache over the top of the cake and smooth it out to the edges. Any remaining ganache should be used to glaze the sides of the cake.
- Arrange hazelnuts and orange peel on top of the cake as desired, if using.
For Cake and Filling:
For Glaze and Decoration:
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