Chocolate Crepe Cake

We just had the winter storm of the century (or since 1700's) around here. With all of this time stuck inside I finally decided to make a crepe cake that I have been wanting to make ever since I saw it on Big Red Kitchen's site (thankfully I was able to taste it too). With Valentine's Day not far away, I decided chocolate crepes would make this special treat all the more special.


I will not try to fool you; this cake was enormous undertaking in time and patience. But it was well worth it, oh so worth it. At first I was a bit disappointed with the chocolate crepes; the texture was not what I was expecting. But once assembled, the crepes were delicious and perfectly accompanied the cream. The cake has a pleasant texture and taste, not too sweet, and the presentation is gorgeous.


The whole cake is based on this creation from Cream Puffs in Venice. I only used her recipe for the cream filling since I wanted chocolate crepes. I found a variety of recipes for chocolate crepes and decided on the following combination for the over 20 crepes for this cake. With great tips from Big Red Kitchen, I was set for the task.

Chocolate Crepe Cake
4 c milk
3 c flour
1 c cocoa powder
3/4 c powdered sugar
4 eggs, lightly beaten
4 tbsp butter, melted
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp salt
1 recipe pastry cream from Cream Puff in Venice
additional powdered sugar and strawberries for garnish

1. Whisk together dry ingredients: flour, cocoa powder, powdered sugar and salt. Combine milk, eggs and vanilla. Add to dry ingredients, stir lightly. Add melted butter and whisk until smooth. Cover batter and let sit in refrigerator for at least 40 minutes but recommend overnight. Before cooking, bring to room temperature.

2. Heat 9" frying pan over medium heat. Coat with non-stick spray. Ladle about 1/4 cup batter into middle of heated pan and swirl to cover cooking surface of pan. Cook for 1 minute. Using a a rubber spatula, gently lift edge of crepe and slide from pan onto waxed or parchment paper to cool. Continue with all of batter.

3. Once crepes have cooled, place one on cake plate. Top with a couple of spoonfuls of prepared pastry cream. Spread with icing spatula; continue with 20 crepes leaving the top crepe without cream. Arrange sliced strawberries around base of cake and sprinkle with powdered sugar. Keep refrigerated but serve at room temperature.


Some Tips~
Plan two days to make and assemble this cake.
Make the crepe and cream batter the day before.
Start timing once the battered is swirled and cook crepe for one minute.
Go by timer, not by appearance when cooking crepes.
Dust cake with powdered sugar for an elegant appearance.

Chocolate Crepe Cake

Chocolate Cake with Dark Chocolate Frosting

What has more sugar than flour, four sticks of butter and over a pound of dark chocolate and is good for you? This. . .


Actually it is good for the spirit; I don't know about the rest of you though.

When I am melancholy or miserable {today quite miserably cold}, I crave chocolate. And today I wanted a really chocolaty cake. I have made the Hershey's cake in the past, and it completely satisfied. But today I wanted a smooth and creamy frosting that was worthy of the name Chocolate Frosting. I found it. And these two, Hershey's Chocolate Cake and Dark Chocolate Frosting, have the perfect marriage.

And basically that is all I am saying because I am in a non-thinking, antisocial mood. But maybe after a few bites of this, that will change. Chocolate cures all ills. Am I correct?


Chocolate Cake with Dark Chocolate Frosting
cake recipe from Hershey's
Ingredients
2 cups sugar
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup boiling water
1 recipe Dark Chocolate Frosting {see below for my adaption}
1 cup semi-sweet mini chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Prepare two round cake pans with oil.
2. Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla; beat on medium speed two minutes. Add boiling water and stir. Scrape sides and stir again. {The batter is extremely thin but produces a delicately sponging cake.}
3. Bake 30-35 minutes. Allow cakes to cool in pans for 5 minutes. Turn out onto cooling racks and allow to completely cook before frosting. Once cake is frosted, press mini chocolate chips into sides of cake with fingers.


Dark Chocolate Frosting
adapted from Martha Stewart
1/2 c cocoa powder
1/2 c hot water
2 1/4 c butter, at room temperature
1/4 c confectioner sugar
1 lb dark chocolate {recommend Trader Joe's Pound Plus Belgium Dark Chocolate}
2 c semisweet chocolate chips

1. Melt dark chocolate and semisweet chocolate chips in double boiler {an aluminum mixing bowl over a small pan of boiler water works fabulously}. Stir and scrape sides of bowl while melting. Set to the side and allow to cool.
2. Mix cocoa powder and hot water till smooth. Set to side.
3. In mixing bowl beat butter and sugar until fluffy. {Cut each stick of butter into about 6 large pieces before placing in bowl.}
4. Add melted chocolate to fluffy butter. Mix well, scraping sides of bowl as needed. Add cocoa-water mixture. Stir well.
This will provide ample frosting for one cake.

Chocolate Cake with Dark Chocolate Frosting