Mille Crepe (ミルクレープ)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •20cm crepe pan, or a 20cm nonstick frying pan
• •Fine-mesh sieve
• •Offset spatula
• •Cake ring or inverted plate for trimming
• •Warm knife for slicing

Instructions

1. 1

   Mix the batter

   Whisk the eggs, granulated sugar, and salt until the sugar begins to dissolve, but don't beat in much air. Sift in the cake flour and whisk to a thick paste. Add the milk little by little, whisking smooth before each addition, then whisk in the cooled butter and vanilla. Starting with a paste prevents dry pockets of flour, which is how you get tender crepes instead of little white knots.

2. 2

   Rest and strain

   Pass the batter through a fine sieve into a clean bowl, cover, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Straining removes the stubborn lumps; resting lets the flour hydrate and the bubbles settle. A rested batter spreads thinly and cooks evenly, which is the first secret of clean layers.

   The batter should be thinner than pancake batter and pour like light cream. If it thickens too much after resting, whisk in milk 1 tablespoon at a time.
3. 3

   Cook the crepes

   Set a 20cm nonstick frying pan over medium-low heat and wipe it with the thinnest film of butter. Pour in about 45ml batter, swirl at once to cover the base, and pour any excess back into the bowl if the layer looks heavy. Cook until the surface turns matte and the edge lifts, about 45 to 60 seconds, then flip and cook the second side for 10 to 15 seconds. Too much heat browns the crepes and makes them stiff; you want pale, supple rounds.

4. 4

   Cool completely

   Stack the crepes on a tray with parchment between every few layers, then let them cool completely. If you have uneven edges, trim the stack with a 19cm ring or an inverted plate as a guide. This is not fuss for its own sake. Even circles make the cake stand straight, and cool crepes keep the cream where it belongs.

5. 5

   Whip the cream

   Whip the cold heavy cream with powdered sugar and vanilla until it holds soft to medium peaks. Stop before it turns stiff and grainy. Soft cream spreads thinly without tearing the crepes, while cream whipped too hard makes thick ridges and pushes the layers out of line.

6. 6

   Layer the cake

   Place one crepe on a flat plate or cake board. Spread a thin, even layer of cream over it, about 2 tablespoons, leaving a narrow edge so the cream doesn't spill out when the next crepe presses down. Continue with crepe and cream until you have about 20 crepes stacked, ending with the neatest crepe on top. Keep your hand light. Pressing hard squeezes out the cream and makes the sides lean.

7. 7

   Chill and slice

   Cover the cake loosely and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or up to overnight. The rest firms the cream and lets the layers settle into one cake rather than a stack of separate crepes. Just before serving, dust lightly with powdered sugar. Slice with a warm knife, wiping the blade clean between cuts, so the striped face stays clean.

Chef Tips

• •Use fresh cream with good dairy flavor. There is so little in this cake that a tired cream has nowhere to hide.
• •A crepe pan is pleasant, but a 20cm nonstick frying pan works cleanly. The important thing is steady medium-low heat and a very thin film of butter, not a shining puddle.
• •Cook one test crepe before you begin in earnest. If it is thick, loosen the batter with a spoonful of milk. If it tears, let the batter rest longer and lower the heat.
• •For the cleanest birthday slice, chill the finished cake overnight. Cold does the quiet work that frosting usually tries to do loudly.

Advance Preparation

• •The crepe batter can rest overnight in the refrigerator. Whisk it gently before cooking, because the flour settles.
• •The crepes can be cooked 1 day ahead, cooled, covered, and refrigerated with parchment between the stack and the top wrapped well.
• •The assembled cake is best after at least 2 hours of chilling and can be made the night before serving.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 205g)