Mille crepe cake

Instructions

1. Step 1

   Put 250 g eggs, 620 g whole milk, 50 g granulated sugar, a pinch of salt and 50 g melted butter in a bowl and whisk well, then sift in 300 g all-purpose flour and whisk until smooth; finally, strain the batter through a sieve. Straining removes any lumps so the crepes come out perfectly thin and flat. The batter is ready when it's thin and smooth, like diluted condensed milk, and pours in an unbroken stream.

   Mark step 1 as done

2. Step 2

   Cover the bowl tightly and refrigerate for at least 60 minutes. Resting relaxes the gluten, so the crepes are supple and less likely to tear when spread thin. The batter is ready when the surface has no more bubbles and it's slightly thicker than when first mixed.

   Suggested time: about 60 minutes.

   Mark step 2 as done

3. Step 3

   Heat 750 g whole milk. Whisk 125 g egg yolks with 150 g granulated sugar and 60 g cornstarch until pale and fluffy, then slowly pour in the milk, return everything to the pan and stir constantly over medium heat until it boils and thickens. Take the pan off the heat and stir in 40 g unsalted butter and 6 g vanilla extract. The cream is ready when it's thick and glossy and falls from the whisk in heavy dollops.

   Medium heat.

   Mark step 3 as done

4. Step 4

   Spread the pastry cream on a tray, press plastic wrap directly onto the surface and chill for about two hours. The cream has to be completely cold before you mix it with the whipped cream, or the whipped cream will melt. It's ready when it's evenly cold and has set firm.

   Suggested time: about 120 minutes.

   Mark step 4 as done

5. Step 5

   Heat a 20 cm nonstick pan over medium heat, wipe it with a thin film of vegetable oil (to taste), pour in a small ladle of batter and swirl the pan to spread it thin, cook on one side only, then remove; repeat until the batter is used up, making about twenty crepes. Crepes cooked on just one side are softer and stack more evenly. Each crepe is ready when the top is dry, the edges lift slightly and the underside is an even pale golden.

   Medium heat.

   Mark step 5 as done

6. Step 6

   Lay the crepes out flat on trays or parchment paper, without stacking them while hot, and let them cool for about 30 minutes. Hot crepes stacked on top of each other stick together and sweat, which makes the cream layers soggy. They're ready when they're completely cool, soft to the touch and dry on the surface.

   Suggested time: about 30 minutes.

   Mark step 6 as done

7. Step 7

   Whip 300 g very cold whipping cream with 25 g powdered sugar on medium speed for about four minutes. The whipped cream makes the filling lighter and airier than pastry cream alone. The cream is ready when it reaches medium-stiff peaks that stand up but the surface is still smooth, not lumpy.

   Suggested time: about 4 minutes.

   Mark step 7 as done

8. Step 8

   Whisk the cold pastry cream for a few seconds to loosen it, then fold in the whipped cream in two additions with a spatula. Fold gently to keep the whipped cream light. The filling is ready when it's an even creamy yellow, smooth and thick enough to spread without running.

   Mark step 8 as done

9. Step 9

   Place one crepe on a plate, spread a thin layer of cream about 3 mm thick almost to the edge, lay the next crepe on top and repeat until all the crepes are used, saving the prettiest one for the top. Thin, even layers of cream give a cleanly layered slice. The cake is ready when it stands straight, the layers are neat and the sides don't bulge unevenly.

   Mark step 9 as done

10. Step 10

    Wrap the cake loosely in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least four hours. Chilling sets the cream and bonds the layers into one firm cake. It's ready when it feels firm when pressed lightly and the cream no longer slides between the layers.

    Suggested time: about 240 minutes.

    Mark step 10 as done

11. Step 11

    Sift powdered sugar (to taste) over the top of the cake, dip a knife in hot water, wipe it dry and cut the cake into slices, wiping the knife after each cut. A warm knife slices cleanly through the layers without dragging them out of place. The cake is finished when the cut sides are smooth and clearly show alternating layers of crepe and cream.

    Mark step 11 as done