FROM PETITE PATISSERIE by Cheryl Wakerhauser
7 LAYER “CAKE”
DIFFICULTY:
Birthday cakes for French Chihuahuas.
Crêpes are easy to make and can be filled with a variety of things. Instead of filling our crêpes, we will
layer them, over and over, with chocolate pastry cream, and spike them with orange liqueur. Cut circles
out of them with a round pastry cutter and you have mini layer cakes!
For this recipe you will need a 3-centimeter (1.2-in) round pastry cutter that is at least the same height
as its diameter, and a nonstick skillet measuring 20 centimeters (8 in) on the bottom. If you do not have
a nonstick skillet it is recommended to rub the pan with a stick of butter before cooking each crêpe and
note the cooking time in the pan may vary.
YIELD: 24 mini layer cakes
CRÊPES
250 g whole milk
3g orange zest, finely zested with a Microplane
37 g unsalted butter, room temperature
75 g eggs
125 g pastry flour
20 g sugar
2g salt
20 g Cointreau or Grand Marnier orange liqueur
In a small sauce pan, bring the milk and orange zest to a simmer. Remove from the heat, add the butter
and stir until melted. Pour the mixture into a small, narrow container such as a 1-liter (1-qt) plastic deli
container or liquid measuring cup. Add the remaining ingredients and blend with an immersion blender
until combined. Refrigerate the batter for a minimum of 1.5 hours, maximum 2 days.
Blend the cold batter with an immersion blender for 10 seconds to make it more fluid and easier to work
with. Place 2 half sheet pans lined with parchment next to the stove.
Heat a 20-centimeter (8-in) nonstick skillet over medium heat until hot, about 1.5 minutes. Pour 65
grams (¼ cup) of the batter directly into the center of the skillet while it is flat. Immediately tilt the
skillet and let the batter come just to the edge of the flat surface, before turning it in a circular motion
to coat the entire bottom of the skillet without going up the sides. Cook until the top of the crêpe is
barely wet and the edges are just starting to brown, about 10 seconds. Use a rubber spatula to lift up
the edge and use your fingers to flip it over. Continue to cook the other side until set and you are able to
lift the crêpe out of the pan, about another 10 seconds. Your first side will always be browner than the
second because the pan heats up between crêpes. Transfer the crêpe to the sheet pan to cool. Continue
to cook until you have 7 crêpes. If one doesn’t work out well (usually the first!) you should have enough
batter to make one extra crêpe. Spread the crêpes over the sheet pans as you go, even hanging over the
edge of the pans, to cool completely. Stack the cooled crêpes with parchment in between each one. If
not using immediately, wrap the stack in plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator.
CHOCOLATE PASTRY CREAM
190 g whole milk
40 g egg yolks
50 g sugar
15 g cornstarch
12 g unsalted butter, room temperature
85 g dark chocolate, coarsely chopped
Prepare a pastry cream in the microwave: Place the milk, egg yolks, sugar, cornstarch and butter into a
1-liter (1-qt) plastic deli container or other narrow container of similar size, such as a liquid measuring
cup. Blend the ingredients with an immersion blender (it is fine if the butter remains in chunks) and then
place the container in the microwave. Cook on high until the pastry cream looks curdled on top and
jiggles when you shake the container, about 2 minutes. (If you are using a glass container, check the
cream at 1.5 minutes). Blend the cream again with the immersion blender until smooth, making sure to
scrape the sides and bottom of the container as you mix. The hot pastry cream will have the consistency
of a thick soup and coat the back of a spoon. If it does not, place it back in the microwave for 30 more
seconds and blend again. The pastry cream will continue to thicken as it cools. Stir in the chocolate and
let sit 1 minute to melt before blending again. Place a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the
cream and refrigerate.
CARAMELIZED PISTACHIOS
50 g pistachios
50 g sugar
12 g water
Line a half sheet pan with a silicone baking mat. Chop the pistachios by hand into tiny pieces, slightly
smaller than the size of a lentil.
In a small saucepan, combine the sugar and water. Heat the sugar until it reaches 240°F (116°C). Add the
pistachio pieces and stir with a wooden spoon to coat. Continue to cook over medium heat, slowly
stirring. The sugar will seize up and crystalize. When that happens, remove the saucepan from the heat
and break up the pistachio pieces with the spoon. Return to the heat, stirring constantly. The sugar will
melt and then start to caramelize. The pieces will begin to look brown but that is the caramel forming,
not the nuts burning. Once the nuts are fragrant and covered in a deep brown caramel, remove from the
heat and pour the nuts onto the silicone mat. Spread out into a single layer and allow to cool.
ASSEMBLY
24 whole, shelled pistachios
Gold luster dust, as desired
Transfer the cold pastry cream to a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on
medium-high until smooth, about 30 seconds.
Place 1 crêpe on a half sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Spread 40 grams of pastry cream evenly
over the entire surface of the crepe. Top with a second crêpe and spread another 40 grams of cream
over the surface. Continue to layer until you have 6 layers of cream and 7 layers of crêpes. Spread a
thinner layer of 25 grams of pastry cream over the top. Freeze completely. If the center is not initially
frozen the layers will not cut as evenly.
Remove the crêpes from the freezer and allow them to soften just enough so you can barely cut through
them with a pastry cutter, about 20 minutes at room temperature. Using a 3-centimeter (1.2-in) round
pastry cutter of at least the same height, cut a circle out of the crêpe layer cake, pushing the cutter all
the way through the bottom crêpe and using your finger to push the layers up and through the top of
the cutter. It helps to use a hard, sturdy secondary object to push the cutter down, such as a coffee mug.
Continue cutting circles, as close together as possible so there is little to no waste, until you have 24
total. Break up the caramelized pistachio pieces with your fingers or using the bottom of the coffee mug
and push them onto the top layer of cream to cover the surface. Brush the whole pistachios with a damp
pastry brush dipped in gold luster dust. Place a gold pistachio on top of each mini layer cake.
SERVING AND STORAGE
Allow to thaw in the refrigerator and serve, chilled, then same day. Once assembled, the crêpes can be
covered in plastic wrap and stored in the freezer, before or after cutting, until desired.
