Vanilla Bean Crepe Cake

By cindygwest

Ingredients

• 12 Sweet Crepes (see recipe, Basic Crepes with Variations), made with 3 tablespoons batter each, or purchased crepes
• 2 8 - ounce cartons mascarpone cheese*
• 2/3 cup powdered sugar
• 1/3 cup whipping cream
• 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste** or 1 tablespoon vanilla
• 1/3 cup whipping cream
• 1 tablespoon powdered sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups assorted berries (raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, and/or quartered strawberries)

Details

Adapted from googleimages.com

Preparation

Step 1

For filling: In a medium mixing bowl, beat the mascarpone cheese, 2/3 cup powdered sugar, 1/3 cup whipping cream and 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste with an electric mixer on medium speed until well combined. Place one crepe on a cake plate. Spread 1/4 cup of the filling almost to the edge of the crepe. Repeat with remaining crepes and filling, stacking as you go and ending with a crepe. (We found it easiest to spread filling on the crepes while they were on a flat surface, then lay them on the cake.) Chill, loosely covered, for at least 4 hours or up to 24 hours.
To serve, remove cake from refrigerator. In a chilled medium mixing bowl, beat 1/3 cup whipping cream, 1 tablespoon powdered sugar and 1/4 teaspoon vanilla bean paste with an electric mixer until soft peaks form (tips curl). Top cake with whipped cream and 1 cup berries. Pass remaining berries.

Tip

*Shopping Tip Mascarpone is an Italian cheese similar to cream cheese minus the tang. Its buttery richness really shines in this cake, and we found in testing that cream cheese just didn't compare. Mascarpone can be expensive, so shop around. (Locally, we've found the best prices at Trader Joe's.)

Tip

**Shopping Tip Vanilla bean paste is available online or at specialty stores. (Nielsen-Massey is a reliable brand.) Use it in pale desserts where you want to see telltale specks of vanilla seeds.

Nutrition Facts

(Vanilla Bean Crepe Cake)
Servings Per Recipe 8, Pyridoxine (Vit. B6) (mg) 0, carb. (g) 32, Folate (µg) 43, Monosaturated fat (g) 5, Riboflavin (mg) 0, Polyunsaturated fat (g) 1, Niacin (mg) 1, vit. C (mg) 10, vit. A (IU) 1509, Thiamin (mg) 0, iron (mg) 1, sat. fat (g) 25, calcium (mg) 141, fiber (g) 2, chol. (mg) 180, Potassium (mg) 133, Trans fatty acid (g) 0, Fat, total (g) 42, sodium (mg) 207, pro. (g) 7, Cobalamin (Vit. B12) (µg) 0, cal. (kcal) 549, sugar (g) 17