Crepe cakes are also called Mille crepes, which translates to "one thousand crepes", which reflects the many layers of the cake. These cakes look imposing and are a popular choice for birthday cakes in my family. If baking a cake is not appealing, this no-bake cake may be for you. Rest assured, this mango crepe cake is not as complicated as it looks; the only thing is that you need to make a lot of crepes! The crepes are layered with mango-flavoured vegan whipped cream and then garnished with an intense mango puree and whipped cream decoration.
For this crepe cake, I have kept it simple with mango; however, there is much you can do with flavours. You can make it with whipped cream as I have, or use Nutella, chocolate cream or any flavour of your choice. You can also add fresh berries or fruit. My all-time favourite is coconut.
I also have a Calcutta Christmas cake for you to try. You don't need to wait until Christmas, by-the-way!
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Ingredients
- Mango
- Mango puree (store-bought)
- Vegan whipping cream
- Plant-based milk
- Plain flour
- Sugar
- Icing Sugar
- Vanilla essence
- Olive oil
See the recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
To begin, we will make fifteen crepes for the cake. We will only use twelve to thirteen of them; however, I factored in enough batter to make fifteen in case a few spoil.
I used a nine-and-a-half-inch frying pan which gives crepes seven inches in diameter.
Add the plain flour and the sugar to a bowl and slowly add the plant-based milk and whisk to a smooth batter.
Heat a non-stick pan and brush with olive oil. When the oil is hot, add 70 ml of the batter into the centre of the pan. Then, moving quickly, swirl the pan to move the batter to the edges of the base of the pan. Let the crepe cook for about one minute.
Repeat the process with the remainder of the batter, brushing the pan with oil when necessary. Don't stack the crepes until they have cooled, or they will stick together.
Now for the filing. First, we need to reduce the mango puree. Pour it into a pan over high heat and bring to a rapid boil. Immediately turn down to a simmer until the puree is at coating consistency. Set aside to cool.
Now to make the whipped cream. In a bowl, add the vegan whipping cream and the icing sugar. Whisk until it forms stiff peaks. Refrigerate for a couple of minutes, then gently fold in 100 gms of the reduced mango puree. Again refrigerate to set. Whipping may take longer than when using dairy cream.
Assemble the cake: Place the first crepe on the plate you intend to use to serve. Using a palette knife, thinly spread a layer of the mango whipped cream onto the crepe. Continue until you have used up all of your crepes.
Finish the top crepe with a layer of whipped cream and cover the sides of the cake with whipped cream as well. Bits of the crepes will show through on the sides, but that is OK.
Add the remaining cream into the piping bag with the star-shaped nozzle and the remaining mango puree into the bag with the small, round nozzle.
Using the piping bag containing mango puree, pipe a spiral onto the top of the cake. Using a toothpick, create a spider web pattern.
The, using the piping bag containing the whipped cream, pipe small rosettes around the edge of the cake. Finish with a spot of mango puree in the centre of each rosette.
Refrigerate your cake for at least 30 minutes before serving.
Finally, enjoy!
How-To Video
Here is a video guide to making your vegan mango crepe cake.
Substitutions
If not vegan or dairy-free, you can use double cream instead of vegan whipping cream. Reduce the whipping time so as not to over-beat the cream.
Equipment
Palette knife to create a smooth surface.
Two piping bags.
Two piping bag nozzles: one star-shaped nozzle and one with a small round nozzle.
Crepe pan or frying pan. I used a nine-and-a-half-inch frying pan, giving seven-inch crepes.
Storage
You can refrigerate this crepe cake for up to three days. It is best fresh, though, as the crepes tend to become tough and rubbery.
You can make the crepes in advance and freeze them. Place parchment paper between each crepe if you stack them to freeze so they do not stick together.
Top-Tips
Make your crepes as thin as possible and keep them separated as they cool, or they will stick together.
Ensure the crepes have cooled before constructing the cake; otherwise, the whipped cream and mango puree may run.
📖 Recipe
Vegan Mango Crepe Cake.
Equipment
- Digital scales
- Non stick pan
- 2 Piping bags with a star nozzle, and small round nozzle
- Electric or hand-held whisk
Ingredients
Crepes
- 375 gms Plain flour
- 795 ml Plant-based Milk I used oatly
- 55 gms Sugar
- 20 ml Oil
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla essence
Filling
- Mango puree
- Whippable vegan cream I used oatly
- Icing sugar
Instructions
Crepes
- In a bowl, add the plain flour, sugar and vanilla essence.
- Slowly add the milk to the bowl while whisking to form a smooth crepe batter.
- Heat a non-stick pan over medium heat and brush the pan with a little oil.
- Once the pan is hot, pour about 70 ml of the batter into the centre of the pan.
- Moving quickly, swirl the pan, so the batter reaches the edges of the base of the pan.
- Let the crepe cook for about a minute, and then using a spatula, ease it off the pan and let it cool on the countertop/plate/rack.
- Repeat this process with the rest of the batter, brushing oil on the pan as required.
- This recipe makes about fifteen Crepes. You will use less to make the cake; however, some may spoil, so best to have crepe batter for a few extra.
- Keep the crepes separate until cooled, or else they will stick together.
Filling
- Pour mango puree into a pan over high heat and bring to a boil, then immediately turn down the heat and simmer until thick and of coating consistency. Set aside to cool.
- Add the whipping vegan cream to a bowl and sieve in icing sugar. Beat the cream and sugar with an electric or handheld whisk. Since we are using vegan cream, this process may take longer, and you may need to let it rest in the fridge for a couple of minutes to set again.
- Once the cream is holding its peak and the mango puree has cooled, add 100 gms of the puree to the whipped cream and gently fold in to mix. Refrigerate for a couple of minutes to set.
Assembling the cake
- Place the first crepe onto the plate you intend to serve it on.
- Then add a thin layer of mango cream evenly over the whole crepe surface; you can use a palette knife or similar implement to spread the cream evenly. Don't add too much, or the crepes will start to slip.
- Add your next crepe to the previous one, and follow with another thin layer of whipped cream.
- Continue until you have reached your desired height or used up all of your available crepes.
- Top the final crepe with whipped cream. Add whipped cream to the sides as well and smooth it over. You will have bits of crepe showing, but that is OK.
- Add the remaining cream into a piping bag with a star nozzle and refrigerate for a couple of minutes.
- Add the remaining mango puree into a piping bag with a small round nozzle.
- Pipe the mango puree onto the top of the cake in a spiral, starting from the centre, and moving outwards.
- Using a toothpick or skewer, starting from the centre and using light pressure, move outwards to the edge of the cake. Turn the cake and repeat this to form a spider-web pattern.
- Hold upright the piping bag full of the mango whipped cream, nearly touching the top of the cake, and gently squeeze the bag to pipe the whipped cream as tiny rosettes around the edge of the cake. Stop squeezing before moving to form the next rosette.
- Pipe a dot of mango puree into the centre of each rosette.
- Refrigerate for at least thirty minutes before serving.
FAQ
They are similar but not the same. The main difference between a crepe and a pancake is that pancakes have a leavening agent, and crepes don't. Pancakes are also smaller and thicker, whereas crepes are thin and more extensive.
Aim for a batter that is roughly the thickness of double cream. When pouring the batter into the pan, it needs to be able to quickly run to the edges of the pan so that a thin crepe results.
Chilling the crepe batter for a few hours is ideal for producing the best quality crepes.
When making sauces or reducing a liquid, coating consistency occurs when the liquid pours off a spoon but leaves a coating on the spoon.
Food Safety
In a professional kitchen, food hygiene and safety are a top priority, and from the beginning of training, I practised good habits and routines. Of course, practising good food hygiene and safety at home is also very important. Here are some fundamental practices to adopt in the kitchen.
- Wash your hands regularly while preparing, handling and cooking food
- Wipe down countertops and high contact points regularly
- If you cook meat and fish, do not use the same utensils on cooked food that previously touched raw meat. Use separate chopping boards for meat and fish. Wash your chopping boards immediately after use.
- Thoroughly cook food to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C)
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods (more than 2 hours)
- Store food correctly
For more details on food hygiene and safety in the home, visit the UK Government's Food Standards Agency webpage.
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