This dessert is a stunner. It is one of the most popular desserts I have ever made. It is also one of the most time-consuming desserts I have ever made. But don’t let that scare you off. Just because a 16 layer crepe cake is time consuming, doesn’t mean it’s somehow more difficult to make than any other dessert. In fact, you don’t even have to turn on your oven. All you need is a lazy Saturday morning* to assemble all the components and to busy yourself for an hour or so while the whole thing sets up in the refrigerator. I even broke it all down for you into 6 easy-to-follow steps.
Still not so sure? Ok, how about this: tender crepes smothered with alternating layers of boozy Bananas Foster, sweet and spicy peanut crème, smooth chocolate spread, and crunchy peanuts, erected into a towering colossus of decadence that seduces not only every single taste bud, but every single person you feed it to.
Still not so sure? Ok, how about this: tender crepes smothered with alternating layers of boozy Bananas Foster, sweet and spicy peanut crème, smooth chocolate spread, and crunchy peanuts, erected into a towering colossus of decadence that seduces not only every single taste bud, but every single person you feed it to.
Yeah. I guess it’s not worth the effort.
Crepes: makes 12-16 crepes
9 tablespoons of melted butter
4 ½ cups milk
9 eggs
2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup rye or buckwheat flour
¾ cup of sugar or honey
1 tablespoon of salt
Bananas Foster filling:
6 tablespoons butter
¾ cup brown sugar
6-8 bananas
¼ cup whiskey or rum (optional)
2 tsp salt
9 tablespoons of melted butter
4 ½ cups milk
9 eggs
2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup rye or buckwheat flour
¾ cup of sugar or honey
1 tablespoon of salt
Bananas Foster filling:
6 tablespoons butter
¾ cup brown sugar
6-8 bananas
¼ cup whiskey or rum (optional)
2 tsp salt
Peanut crème filling:
1 ½ cup heavy whipping crème**
1 cup mascarpone cheese
1½ cup peanut butter (I like crunchy best for this, but smooth works too)
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon salt
2 tsp cayenne pepper
Other ingredients:
non-stick spray or more butter for making the crepes
1 jar of Nutella
2 ½ cups salted and roasted peanuts, chopped
Extra powdered sugar for dusting
*Just a heads up: This whole thing takes about 3 hours to make from start to finish. And there are multiple steps. I organized the recipe as best I could, but definitely read through the whole thing before you jump in so you know what to expect.
**This is for making homemade whipped cream. If you don’t have a stand mixer or a hand mixer, just buy a container of ready-made whipped cream. Seriously, nobody will know the difference.
1 ½ cup heavy whipping crème**
1 cup mascarpone cheese
1½ cup peanut butter (I like crunchy best for this, but smooth works too)
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon salt
2 tsp cayenne pepper
Other ingredients:
non-stick spray or more butter for making the crepes
1 jar of Nutella
2 ½ cups salted and roasted peanuts, chopped
Extra powdered sugar for dusting
*Just a heads up: This whole thing takes about 3 hours to make from start to finish. And there are multiple steps. I organized the recipe as best I could, but definitely read through the whole thing before you jump in so you know what to expect.
**This is for making homemade whipped cream. If you don’t have a stand mixer or a hand mixer, just buy a container of ready-made whipped cream. Seriously, nobody will know the difference.
Step 1- Begin by making the crepe batter: Add all the ingredients to a large bowl and whisk it until it gets smooth. Put it in the refrigerator for at least an hour.
Step 2- While the crepe batter is in the fridge, make the Bananas Foster filling: Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add the brown sugar and stir. While that cooks, slice your bananas into ½ inch slices and throw them into the pan with the salt. Stir the bananas to coat them in the caramel mixture, but be careful not to mush them. Add the liquor if you are using it, give a few more stirs, and allow everything to cook for a few minutes. The bananas should get soft, but they should hold their shape. Remove the bananas from the heat, transfer them to a bowl, and put them in the fridge to cool.
Step 3- While the crepe batter and Bananas Foster chill in the fridge, make the peanut crème: Pour the heavy whipping cream into a large bowl and whip it until it forms stiff peaks. Set aside. Add the mascarpone and the peanut butter in a separate bowl and combine them with a hand mixer or a stand mixer or your very butch forearms until it gets fluffy.
Add the powdered sugar, salt, and cayenne pepper. Fold in a little whipped cream into the peanut mixture at a time until the whole thing becomes light and spreadable. You might not use all of the whipped crème, and you may need to re-season it with more sugar or salt as you combine everything. Just taste as you go, and make sure it tastes sweet, peanuty, salty (in a good way), and a little spicy. Put the mixture in the fridge.
Step 4- Make the crepes: Pull the crepe batter out of the refrigerator and give it a good whisk. Heat a large, non-stick skillet over medium heat with some non-stick spray and/or a little butter. Pour batter into the center of the pan until it pools halfway out to the sides of the pan. Swirl the pan around so the batter spreads out to the very edges. DON’T TOUCH THE CREPE AT THIS POINT! Allow the crepe to cook, un-nudged for at least 45 seconds. Use a spatula to flip the entire crepe over and cook it on the other side for at least another 45 seconds. The crepe should be fully-cooked on both sides, but not crispy. Slide the crepe onto a plate, put a little more butter or non-stick spray into the pan, and make another crepe. And then another. And then another. Until you have used up all the batter. Cover the crepes with tin foil and throw them into the fridge to chill completely.
Step 5- Assemble! Before you begin assembling, make sure that ALL of your components are cold, except for the Nutella. Place one crepe down on the platter or serving dish that you want to serve the cake on. Coat it completely with some peanut crème, all the way out to the sides of the crepe. Sprinkle some chopped peanuts over the crème. Place another crepe on top and press it down gently. Cover the top of the second crepe with Nutella. Place another crepe on top and cover it with Bananas Foster and press down gently. Continue layering in this way until you have only one more crepe left. Place the last crepe on top and do not cover it with any of the fillings. You will see that the cake will start to form a dome shape as you build it. This is pretty unavoidable, but the smoother and more even your layers are, the less domed the final product will be. Cover the entire cake with plastic wrap and put it into the fridge for at least one hour.
Step 6- SERVE IT! When you are ready to serve the cake, dust the top with powdered sugar and garnish with extra chopped peanuts. If you have extra whipped cream left over, you can dollop it onto each individual slice because, you know, you have come this far.
Step 2- While the crepe batter is in the fridge, make the Bananas Foster filling: Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add the brown sugar and stir. While that cooks, slice your bananas into ½ inch slices and throw them into the pan with the salt. Stir the bananas to coat them in the caramel mixture, but be careful not to mush them. Add the liquor if you are using it, give a few more stirs, and allow everything to cook for a few minutes. The bananas should get soft, but they should hold their shape. Remove the bananas from the heat, transfer them to a bowl, and put them in the fridge to cool.
Step 3- While the crepe batter and Bananas Foster chill in the fridge, make the peanut crème: Pour the heavy whipping cream into a large bowl and whip it until it forms stiff peaks. Set aside. Add the mascarpone and the peanut butter in a separate bowl and combine them with a hand mixer or a stand mixer or your very butch forearms until it gets fluffy.
Add the powdered sugar, salt, and cayenne pepper. Fold in a little whipped cream into the peanut mixture at a time until the whole thing becomes light and spreadable. You might not use all of the whipped crème, and you may need to re-season it with more sugar or salt as you combine everything. Just taste as you go, and make sure it tastes sweet, peanuty, salty (in a good way), and a little spicy. Put the mixture in the fridge.
Step 4- Make the crepes: Pull the crepe batter out of the refrigerator and give it a good whisk. Heat a large, non-stick skillet over medium heat with some non-stick spray and/or a little butter. Pour batter into the center of the pan until it pools halfway out to the sides of the pan. Swirl the pan around so the batter spreads out to the very edges. DON’T TOUCH THE CREPE AT THIS POINT! Allow the crepe to cook, un-nudged for at least 45 seconds. Use a spatula to flip the entire crepe over and cook it on the other side for at least another 45 seconds. The crepe should be fully-cooked on both sides, but not crispy. Slide the crepe onto a plate, put a little more butter or non-stick spray into the pan, and make another crepe. And then another. And then another. Until you have used up all the batter. Cover the crepes with tin foil and throw them into the fridge to chill completely.
Step 5- Assemble! Before you begin assembling, make sure that ALL of your components are cold, except for the Nutella. Place one crepe down on the platter or serving dish that you want to serve the cake on. Coat it completely with some peanut crème, all the way out to the sides of the crepe. Sprinkle some chopped peanuts over the crème. Place another crepe on top and press it down gently. Cover the top of the second crepe with Nutella. Place another crepe on top and cover it with Bananas Foster and press down gently. Continue layering in this way until you have only one more crepe left. Place the last crepe on top and do not cover it with any of the fillings. You will see that the cake will start to form a dome shape as you build it. This is pretty unavoidable, but the smoother and more even your layers are, the less domed the final product will be. Cover the entire cake with plastic wrap and put it into the fridge for at least one hour.
Step 6- SERVE IT! When you are ready to serve the cake, dust the top with powdered sugar and garnish with extra chopped peanuts. If you have extra whipped cream left over, you can dollop it onto each individual slice because, you know, you have come this far.
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