This Chocolate Crêpe Cake with Bourbon is a Southern take on the classic French Gâteau Mille Crêpes. This step-by-step tutorial will walk you through making this easy no-bake cake!
Guys, I love crêpes.
I'm crêpe-crazed.
Savory crêpes, sweet crêpes, and breakfast crêpes.
La vie en crêpe!!!
Well, my friends, there's one crêpe recipe that shines above the rest.
Maybe you've been waiting for it. Maybe you've dreamed about it. (Or is that just me?) What is it? It is, of course-- the Crêpe Cake!
Crêpe cakes are the pinnacle of all crêpes-- the crowning glory of crêpe-dom. This crêpe cake uses twenty 5" crêpes, and is filled with fluffy, BOURBON whipped cream.
What is a Crêpe? What is a Crêpe Cake?
First of all, a crêpe is an ultra-thin, delicate French pancake. You can eat them alone, you can smear Nutella inside them, and you can even make-- you guessed it-- a crêpe cake!
A crêpe cake is simply a stack of crêpes with filling in between each layer.
Technically, you can use any filling you prefer, but a light, fluffy filling is the easiest to work with. I'd also avoid fillings that are overly sweet, because layers and layers of a sickly sweet filling can become overwhelming.
Are Crêpe Cakes Hard To Make? Is there an Easy Way to Make Crêpes?
These pretty layered cakes look a little bit... intimidating. I'm here to assure you-- the trickiest part is making the crêpes. And even that isn't very tricky-- it just takes a little practice.
Once you mix the crêpe batter, let it rest for about 30 minutes. Next, get a pan really hot. (Nonstick pans will be the easiest to use-- I used a small omelette pan for my cake.) Spray the pan with cooking spray, or brush it with oil.
To pour the batter into the pan, you can either "free-style" it, or use a scoop. I like to use a small ice cream scoop to keep my crêpes more uniform.
Next, I like to hold the scoop with the batter in one hand, and the pan in the other.
Raise the pan OFF the burner, pour the batter in it, and swirl to coat the whole bottom of the pan. Set it back on the burner.
Heat the crêpe for about 90 seconds, flip it, and then after about 5 seconds, pick the pan up and flip the crêpe onto a cooling rack.
Repeat until all the batter is gone. Don't worry if you mess a few up, there should be enough batter for a few mess-ups. If you happen to make them all perfectly-- well, then you can just eat the bonus crêpes!
How to Assemble a Crêpe Cake
While the chocolate crêpes cool, use an electric hand mixer to beat some heavy whipping cream, a little sugar, and some bourbon together into a delectable whipped cream.
Then, smear about 1.5 tablespoons of whipped cream on top of a crêpe, top with another crêpe, and repeat until you have a stack of 20.
If your cake is starting to form a dome, push down from the top using a spatula OR the palm of your hand.
Finally, chill the cake for at least 2 hours to harden the whipped cream. Dust your cake with a little cocoa powder, and then use your sharpest knife to cut it into 4 or 6 slices, and top with a dollop of whipped cream or fruit. Serve this very fancy, no-bake cake chilled, and bon appetit!
Want more CRÊPE CAKE recipe ideas? Try these:
- French Crêpe Recipe: Julia's Crêpes
- Crêpe Cake with Rose Water Cream from Striped Spatula
- Strawberry Crêpe Cake from Contemplating Sweets
Want more NO-BAKE DESSERTS? Try these:
Chocolate Crêpe Cake with Bourbon
Ingredients
Chocolate Crêpes:
- ¾ cup flour
- ¼ cup cocoa powder
- ⅔ cup cold milk
- ⅔ cup cold water
- 3 eggs
- 3 tablespoons melted butter
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 ounce bourbon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Bourbon Chocolate Crêpe Cake:
- ¾ cup heavy whipping cream
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 ounce bourbon
- extra whipped cream, fruit to top (optional)
Instructions
Make Chocolate Crêpes:
- Whisk together all ingredients for crêpes.
- Allow crêpe batter to rest in the fridge for 20-30 minutes.
- Preheat small crêpe-pan or nonstick pan on high heat, and brush with oil or butter. Quick Tip: Try to make sure you're using a pan that is as close to 5" across as possible-- I use a small omelette pan.
- Holding pan just off heat, add 2 TB batter and swirl to coat pan. Place back on heat and cook for about 90 seconds, until the bottom of the crêpe is golden and slides off the pan easily. Flip and cook the other side for 5-10 seconds. Move crêpe to a wire rack or plate to cool, and repeat with remaining batter.
- Note: If not using immediately, stack with wax paper in between crêpes, and refrigerate for up to 2 days, or freeze for up to 3-4 months in an airtight container. Don't skip the wax paper-- the crêpes will stick together.
Making Bourbon Whipped Cream:
- While making crêpes, put a glass or metal bowl in the freezer to chill.
- Remove bowl from freezer, and add cream, sugar, and bourbon. Use a hand mixer to whip cream into stiff peaks.
Assemble Cake:
- Begin assembling cake-- Place one crêpe in center of a plate, and add about 1 ½ TB whipped cream to the crêpe. There should be enough cream to cover the crêpe, but not so much that it will ooze out the side. Leave about a ½ inch border along the edge of the crêpe. Top with another crêpe, and repeat.
- While layering, push down on the top of cake periodically to keep it from forming a dome. Finish cake with 20th crêpe.
- Allow cake to set in the fridge at least 2 hours, or freezer 1 hour.
- Optional: Serve cake with more whipped cream and/or fruit.
- Use a VERY sharp knife to cut.
- Cake can be stored up to 1 day in the fridge, or several weeks in an airtight container in the freezer. If freezing, allow to thaw in fridge before serving.
Dannii @ Hungry Healthy Happy
I love crepes and it reminds me of being a kid! Chocolate is always the best flavour of course!
champagne-tastes
Haha yes! Of course!
Catherine
I've never made a crepe cake but they're so beautiful. This sounds and looks like a true delight!
champagne-tastes
Aw thanks! They're delicious for sure!
Kylee from Kylee Cooks
Ohhhhhh... YES!!! I've eaten a crepe cake, but never made one. Yours looks fantastic, I can't wait to give it a try!
champagne-tastes
Oh it's so easy! Once you get the crepes made its super fast!
Mackenzie @ Food Above Gold
I would totally be that person hoarding it in the kitchen for herself. I would probably also be found sneaking out of bed to eat it at 1 am.
champagne-tastes
Haha.. it's an amazing midnight snack!!!
champagne-tastes
Haha.. its lighter than Nutella anyway! (I said it was delicious, I didn't say it was low-fat lol). And sure thing- you come on over and I'll share 😉
Amy
Okay, I definitely want to try this! It sounds so doable! And we love crepes!
Marlee
I love crepes! I love eating them and making them. But I have never tried making a crepe cake! This looks great!
Gloria @ Homemade & Yummy
Well hubby loves to drink bourbon, and I love to cook with it. This looks like a fun dessert idea for our next dinner party. I would even serve it at brunch too. You can never go wrong with the chocolate and bourbon flavour combination.
Caroline @ Pinch Me, I'm Eating!
That bourbon whipped cream is everything I need in life.
Julia
I'm Russian. We have a WHOLE WEEK dedicated to crepes when everyone eats pretty much crepes only. haha. Yet, I've never made a Crepe Cake before. Yours looks absolutely delicious! I'm not much of a hard liquor drinker but I love adding splashes of flavourful alcohol to desserts, so that bourbon whipped cream is calling my name!
champagne-tastes
Oh then you should DEFINITELY make a crepe cake! It's so much easier than it looks like it is- you'll love it!!
Amanda
I TOTALLY share your love of crepes, and am feeling incredibly deprived that this crepe cake (WITH BOURBON) is not on my plate right now. I have all of the ingredients on hand, too, so you know what's going to be happening in my kitchen! This would be so perfect for a party...or a party of one with leftovers. 😉 YUM!
champagne-tastes
Haha.. my vote is the party of one 😛 Enjoy!!!
Evonne
I don’t have any bourbon , anything can replace this ?
Sarah Trenalone
Yup! You can leave it out entirely and it won't hurt a thing, or you can swap it for another unflavored whiskey or a liqueur. If you swap it, let me know what you tried and how you liked it! I've used amaretto before and it's delicious 🙂
Nickole
Simple and easy to make. And it taste delicious too 😊
Sarah Trenalone
Yay!! I’m glad you loved it. Thanks for letting me know!