Mango Crepe Cake with Easy Homemade Crepes
Serves 12
15 mins prep
25 mins cook
20 mins Rest Time
40 mins total
This mango crepe cake has over 30 layers of thin crepes and a luscious ombré whipped mango mascarpone filling. It might be the easiest cake you could make with this many layers - without an oven! It has loads of real mango flavor, is so creamy, and has bouncy, delicate crepes. This recipe goes through how to make foolproof crepes with a shortcut that you will love! I use the shortcut every time I make crepes.
Crepes
Mango Puree
Whipped Cream Filling
Assembly
Crepes
Combine all of the crepe ingredients into a blender or food processor, starting with the wet ingredients, in this order: eggs, milk, water, oil, sugar, flour, and baking soda.
large eggs
cup all purpose flour
cup granulated sugar
tsp sea salt
tsp baking soda
cup milk
cup water
tbsp olive oil
tbsp pure vanilla extract
Blend, starting with the lowest speed on your blender. Blend just until most of the batter looks combined. Turn the blender off and scrape the sides of the blender with a spatula to remove any stuck on bits of flour. Blend again, stopping as soon as the batter is fully smooth. Let the batter rest for 20 minutes in the fridge, right in the blender.
Preheat your crepe pan - use either a nonstick pan or a seasoned cast iron pan. Add a teaspoon of butter and melt. Stir and pour in enough crepe batter to coat the bottom of the pan, moving the pan around to make an even layer. You can pour the batter right out of the blender's spout.
tbsp butter
Cook the crepe on medium-low heat. Once the top becomes opaque, you see pockets of steam bubbling underneath, and the edges lift up and turn golden brown - you're ready to flip! Carefully use a spatula to run under the perimeter of the pan, releasing the edges first. Then run the spatula under the middle of the crepe to release it from the pan, and flip it over quickly.
Cook the other side for about one minute, or until it gets golden brown. Use a spatula to remove it from the pan.
Repeat the process with the rest of the crepe batter - you typically don't need to add any more butter to the pan after the first crepe. The first crepe usually comes out wonky because the pan is still preheating and getting seasoned from the butter. The rest of the crepes should come out much better! Even if some are still wonky, don't worry because when they get layered and stacked you won't notice it much. Adjust the heat of your stove if needed, I like cooking them on medium-low heat.
Stack the crepes up on a plate and let them cool to room temperature before stacking and filling. You can make the crepes ahead of time. Cover the stack with wrap or a lid to prevent them from drying out, and pop them in the fridge until you're ready to assemble the cake. It's important to let the crepes warm up to room temperature so that it's easier to separate them before stacking.
Mango Filling
Combine diced mango, water, and sugar in a medium saucepan. Bring it to a simmer, and stir frequently to prevent it from burning. Cook for about 10 minutes. You need the mango mixture to reduce and thicken up. The thicker the better! The consistency should be like a thick jam.
cup mango
cup water
tbsp granulated sugar
Remove the mango from heat and let it cool in a non-metal bowl. This prevents the mango filling from having a metallic flavor. Blend it until smooth. If you notice that your mango has a lot of fibers, you can push the mango puree through a sieve to remove the fibers.
Whipped Cream Filling
Pop your mixing bowl into the freezer for 5 minutes before starting to chill the bowl - this will make it easier to whip up the cream.
Right before assembling the cake, pour the chilled cream into the bowl. Add sugar and use a whisk attachment to whip it up to medium peaks - when you can start to see outlines of the cream on top but it doesn't hold its shape.
cup whipping cream
cup powdered sugar
tbsp pure vanilla extract
Briefly mash the mascarpone cheese in a bowl or right in the measuring cup, just to break it up. Then, add the mascarpone cheese into the whipped cream. Add vanilla and salt into the whipped cream as well. Then, whip the whipped cream mascarpone mixture just until it forms stiff peaks. Don't overwhip it!
cup mascarpone cheese
Set aside about a third of the whipped cream in a separate bowl. Add the cooled mango mixture into the rest of the whipped cream and gently fold it in to incorporate.
Divide the mango whipped cream in half, separating them into separate bowls. Add a touch of yellow food coloring to one half to make it a little brighter. This part is optional, but creates a stronger ombre effect. You should now have three bowls of filling: A darker yellow, medium yellow, and white.
Assembly
Place a small dollop of the darker yellow filling on a large flat plate or cake stand. Place the first, largest crepe down. Spread a thin layer of the darker yellow filling on top of the crepe, spreading it out all the way to the very edge in an even layer. It's important to spread the filling as evenly as possible to get a perfectly round crepe cake with a flat top. I like my filling thickness to be about 2-3 millimeters thick. Place the next crepe on top.
Continue layering crepes and the darker yellow filling until it runs out. Then, use the lighter yellow filling to layer between the crepes. Lastly, use the white filling to layer the rest of the crepes - making sure you leave about half a cup to decorate the top. You might have a few crepes left over, that's ok!
Add the rest of the white filling on top and push it around with a spoon to create swoops and swirls.
Pile the top with sliced and cubed fresh mango, and decorate with blossoms (optional).
mangoes
berries
edible flowers