What’d You Do Last Weekend?

Best brunch item ever? Maybe, but why don't you try them yourself and decide?

Gateau de Crepes

Posted by jenny on 07/16/2010

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I've only had this once, but the memory of it is like a dream. A cold night in New York, walking the Upper East Side with my best friend Tanarra - searching for a bakery whose name I was unsure of. I'd heard of this cake before - layers of crepes separated by vanilla pastry cream, and I heard this place had them. I think we got the last piece that night.

I made the components of this cake and had planned on spending some time assembling it when disaster stuck at a recent BBQ. It was record-breaking hot outside, and I couldn't get my ice cream to come together. I cooled it, churned it, still froze it - and after 7 - 8 hours, it was still slush. I had to think quick - and I decided to assemble this cake in a pinch.

Knowing what I know now, here's what I would do differently next time:

If it's too hot for ice cream, it's lousy weather to try to stack stuff on pastry cream.
Don't try this without a ring mold or it will get all sloppy looking.
Don't rush when you're assembling this puppy.
Chill it as you stack and fill. It will be much more forgiving when you brulee the top.

Gateau de Crepes

25 - 30 crepes (recipe follows)
2 c pastry cream (recipe follows)
Granulated sugar

Starting with a crepe on the bottom, spread pastry cream all over the crepe.
Stack crepes and pastry cream in alternating layers until you have around 25 layers.
Refrigerate to allow the stack to firm up.
Note: Given the weight of the layers and the ambient temperature, you
may have to refrigerate the stack more often than just at the end.
Sprinkle the top crepe with granulated sugar and use a blowtorch to brulee the top until crispy.
Return the cake to the refrigerator to chill the top layer.
Cut and serve!

Crepes (the layers)
2 c AP flour
pinch salt
6 eggs
2 c milk
4 T melted unsalted butter
butter for frying

Combine all of the ingredients (except the butter for frying) and let them rest overnight.
Set up 2 pans on 2 burners, each at the same temperature (just below medium). This will allow you to work faster.
Use a pastry brush to butter the pans very lightly.
Coat the bottom of the pan with the batter (swirl it around to coat it evenly) and let it cook until the top is set, about 30 seconds.
Flip the crepe into another pan to cook the other side of the crepe.
When the other side is well cooked, flip it out of the pan onto a plate and cover with parchment or wax paper.
Repeat steps 4 - 6 until all of the batter is used. You should be able to manage a crepe in each pan, assembly-line fashion, after you get the flipping rhythm down.

Makes 25 - 30 crepes.

Pastry Cream
2 eggs
3 T cornstarch
2 c half and half
1/2 c sugar
vanilla bean, split
pinch salt
1 T unsalted butter

Whisk together the eggs and cornstarch.
Slowly add 1/4 c of the half and half to the eggs.
In a heavy saucepan, rub the vanilla bean into the sugar.
Pour the remaining half and half into the saucepan and add the salt.
Bring the mixture to a full boil.
Whisk 2 T of the sugar mixture into the egg mixture and strain for lumps.
Bring the sugar mixture back to a boil.
Add the egg mixture to the saucepan (all at once) and whisk rapidly. Make sure to get the bottom corners of the pan.
It will thicken; remove from the heat and whisk in the butter.
Remove the custard from the pan and immediately cover with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming.
Cool to room temperature and then refrigerate.