Strawberry Rhubarb Crepe Cake
Prep time: 1 hour
Cook time: 5 minutes
Yields: One 9-inch cake
Author: Ireland Lindsay
Ingredients:
For the crepe batter*:
3 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
3 Tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon of salt
4 eggs, room temperature
2 1/4 cups milk
2 cups all-purpose flour
*Feel free to double this recipe for a taller cake, this is what I did for the photos
For the Jam:
2lbs strawberries
1/4 cup lemon juice
Zest of 1 lemon
3 cups sugar
1/2 cup frozen rhubarb or 1 stalk fresh rhubarb
For the filling
2 cups heavy whipping cream
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
FOR THE CREPE BATTER:
INTO the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine the melted butter, sugar, salt, and vanilla and mix on low speed till well combined. Once combined, add in eggs gradually. Once thoroughly combined and no egg white streaks remain, add in flour and mix for 30 seconds or so. After 30 seconds gradually stream in the milk and mix until homogenous, there may be a few lumps here and there but for the most part, we want this well combined.
STRAIN the batter through a sieve to catch any chunks of flour and cover and let rest in the fridge for 15 minutes, to let the gluten relax.
AFTER 15 minutes, heat up a non-stick crepe pan over medium-low heat. Carefully spoon 1/3 cup of batter and gently rotate the pan to guide the batter thinly over the entire surface area of the pan.
COOK for 1-2 minutes on one side till golden, then using a long spatula flip the crepe, and 30 seconds on the other side. Stack on a plate off to the side covered till they reach room temp and are ready to assemble.
FOR THE JAM:
INTO a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat combine the strawberries, frozen (or fresh) rhubarb, sugar, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Use a rubber spatula to crush and macerate the strawberries until they begin to release juice (this will become easier once they cook).
CONTINUE to cook over medium-low heat alternating for 15-20 minutes or until the jam thickens and reduces slightly. It will continue to thicken in the fridge, the longer you cook it the thicker it will be/more flavor produced. Avoid skipping this step!
LET rest in fridge till ready to use, 30 minutes to an hour. Store in the fridge covered, air-tight for up to 1 month.
FOR THE WHIPPED CREAM:
FOR the whipped cream, combine the heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract to the bowl of a stand mixer. Whip until soft peaks form, 3 to 5 minutes.
TO ASSEMBLE:
TO assemble, make sure your crepes are completely cooled, any warmth will melt the cream and result in a lopsided cake :(
CAREFULLY stack one crepe onto a cake stand, next, evenly spread a thin layer of the jam, followed by freshly whipped cream. Repeat the above step until you run out of crepes making sure to get at eye level with the cake every so often to make sure it is not leaning.
TOP the cake with fresh berries and whipped cream and serve immediately, or place in the refrigerator till ready to eat (this will also produce that razor-sharp slice!) To slice the cake, heat up the knife with some warm water and slice with confidence! Store in the refrigerator covered for up to 2 days!
Recipe by @IreBakes
