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Crepe cake with maple buttercream on a cake stand, served with whipped cream and blueberries in syrup.
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Crêpe Cake with Maple Buttercream

With 15 layers of tender, buttery crêpes, and an absolutely dreamy maple meringue buttercream this crêpe cake makes a big impression. This recipe covers all the common questions and pitfalls, so leave the awe to your guests; you can tackle this showstopping dessert with confidence. 
Total Time2 hours 30 minutes
Course: Dessert
Servings: 8

Ingredients

For Crêpes

  • 2 cups (10 oz) All Purpose Flour
  • 2 teaspoons Sugar
  • 2 teaspoons Baking Powder
  • ½ teaspoon Salt
  • 2 Eggs
  • 2½ cups Whole Milk
  • 4 tablespoons Unsalted Butter, melted, plus more for cooking crêpes

For Maple Buttercream

  • 180 grams Egg Whites, from 5–6 large eggs
  • ¼ teaspoon Cream of Tartar
  • 583 grams Maple Syrup (1¾ cups + 1 tablespoon)
  • 47 grams Powdered Sugar (6 tablespoons)
  • 24 tablespoons Unsalted Butter, room temperature, cut in 24 pieces
  • 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
  • ¼ teaspoon Salt

Instructions

For Crêpes

  • In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs and milk until uniform.
  • Sift about ⅓ of the dry ingredients mixture through a fine-mesh strainer over the milk mixture; whisk together until a few lumps remain. Sift another ⅓ of dry ingredients over the batter; whisk until a few lumps remain. Sift remaining dry ingredients over batter; whisk until a few lumps remain. Add melted butter and whisk until smooth.
  • Set a 10-inch non-stick skillet over medium-low heat for 2 minutes. Increase heat to medium; melt ½ tablespoon butter until bubbling subsides and butter begins to smell nutty, 1 minute. Ladle ¼ cup batter in center of pan; lift pan off heat and tilt in circular motion to disperse batter over surface. Cook until bottom of crêpe is golden brown, about 2 minutes. Flip crêpe and cook until second side is spotty golden brown, about 1 minute.
  • Stack finished crêpes on cooling rack. Continue cooking all of batter, adding more butter to pan as needed. You should have 15–16 full crêpes. If continuing with the recipe right away, spread crêpes out on cooling rack to cool more quickly while making maple buttercream.

For Maple Buttercream

  • Add egg whites and cream of tartar to bowl of stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment. In a small saucepan, bring maple syrup to a boil over medium heat. Lower heat to medium-low; continue simmering maple syrup, swirling frequently. If syrup begins to smell burnt or bubbles to top of pan, lower heat. 
  • When maple syrup reaches 235 °F, about 15 minutes, begin whipping egg whites on medium speed. When egg whites are thoroughly combined and foamy, about 1 minute, increase speed to medium–high; continue whipping until eggs hold soft peaks, 3–5 minutes.
  • When maple syrup reaches 240 °F, remove from heat. With mixer running, pour hot syrup in slow steady stream into egg whites; aiming between whisk and edge of bowl. Continue whipping until egg whites reach stiff glossy peaks, and bowl of mixer is lukewarm to the touch. 
  • Remove bowl from stand mixer. Sift powdered sugar over egg white meringue. Return bowl to mixer; on low speed, whisk to incorporate powdered sugar. Increase speed to medium-high. Add butter to meringue 1 tablespoon at a time, allowing each addition to fully incorporate before adding the next; scraping down sides of bowl halfway through. 
  • Continue whipping until buttercream is homogeneous, light and fluffy. Add vanilla and salt; whisk on medium speed to incorporate. Use within 1 hour, or transfer to airtight container and store in refrigerator. 

For Assembly

  • Place 1 teaspoon of buttercream in center of cake stand or cutting board. Secure 9-inch round of parchment paper to cake stand, pressing on buttercream. Place 1 teaspoon buttercream in center of parchment. Weigh remaining buttercream. Divide weight by total number of crêpes minus 1; this is the weight for one portion of buttercream. 
  • On a separate cutting board or platter, lay one crêpe flat. Weigh one portion of buttercream; using an offset spatula, spread buttercream evenly over surface of crêpe; transfer frosted crêpe to cake stand. Continue frosting and stacking crêpes, keeping crêpes aligned and centered, until there is only one crêpe left. 
  • Lay last crêpe on top of the cake; gently press the crêpe from center out to edges to help layers adhere. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before slicing and serving. Garnish with whipped cream, fresh fruit, or powdered sugar if desired. Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 days. 

Notes

  • The crêpe batter can be covered and refrigerated for 4 days; whisk to recombine before cooking. 
  • Cooked crêpes that are cooled to room temperature can be stored together in a ziplock bag in the refrigerator for 4 days.
  • If the egg whites reach soft peaks before the maple syrup reaches 240 °F, turn off mixer and let the egg whites sit. When the syrup is ready, whip egg whites for 15 seconds to reincorporate and continue. 
  • If the maple syrup reaches 240 °F before the egg whites reach soft peaks, remove the saucepan from heat. When the egg whites are ready, return the syrup to a boil and continue.
  • After adding all of the butter, if the buttercream is still very fluid, put the mixing bowl in the refrigerator for 10 min, then continue whipping. You may have to do this more than once.
  • If the buttercream is grainy and broken, place the mixing bowl over a pot of barely simmering water (don’t let the bottom of the bowl touch the water) for 10 seconds at a time. Alternate whipping and heating the buttercream until the consistency is homogeneous.  
  • If you refrigerate the buttercream, bring it completely to room temperature before using. This will take several hours.