WOW, does this cake look delectable or what?? I'm watching her make it on her show right now and think this is now #1 on my cakes-to-do list. Looks pretty labor-intensive but I bet it will be well worth the time investment. I might also adapt the hazelnut filling into my regular cakes.

Darkest Chocolate Crepe Cake

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces, plus melted for pan
8 ounces semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 cups whole milk, room temperature
6 large eggs, room temperature
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
Hazelnut Filling (recipe below)
Chocolate Glaze (recipe below)
Candied Hazelnuts (recipe below)

1. Bring 1/4 cup water to a rolling boil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Add butter, 1 piece at a time, whisking to combine after each addition. Remove from heat; stir in chocolate until completely melted. Set aside.

2. Whisk together flour, sugar, and salt in a medium bowl. Whisk together milk, eggs, and vanilla in another medium bowl. Gradually add milk mixture to flour mixture, whisking until smooth. Add chocolate-butter mixture, whisking until smooth. Pour through a fine sieve into an airtight container; discard lumps. Refrigerate at least 2 hours or up to overnight.

3. Lightly coat an 8-inch crêpe pan or nonstick skillet with melted butter. Heat over medium heat until just starting to smoke. Remove pan from heat; pour about 2 tablespoons batter into pan, swirling to cover bottom. Reduce heat to mediumlow; return pan to heat. Cook, flipping once, until edges are golden and center is dry, about 30 seconds per side.

4. Slide crêpe onto a plate. Repeat process with remaining batter, coating pan with butter as needed. Crêpes can be refrigerated, covered, up to 1 day.

5. Place a crêpe on a wire rack set over a rimmed baking sheet. Spread with about 3 tablespoons hazelnut filling. Top with another crêpe. Continue layering with hazelnut filling and crêpes, using about 32 crêpes and ending with a crêpe on top. Refrigerate until firm, about 15 minutes.

6. Spoon 1/2 cup glaze on top of the cake, spreading to edges. Spread remaining glaze around sides of cake, coating completely. Refrigerate until glaze is firm and set, about 20 minutes. Cake can be refrigerated up to 3 days. Garnish with toasted and candied hazelnuts.

Hazelnut Filling
Makes about 8 cups

2/3 cup heavy cream
6 large egg whites
1 2/3 cups sugar
1 3/4 cups (3 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into pieces, softened
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/3 cup hazelnut cream (available from Whole Foods Market, www.wholefoods.com)
Pinch of salt

1. Put cream into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment; beat on medium-high speed until soft peaks form, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl. Refrigerate 1 hour.

2. Whisk egg whites and sugar in the clean bowl of mixer set over a pan of simmering water until sugar has dissolved and mixture registers 160°, 2 to 3 minutes.

3. Attach bowl to mixer fitted with the clean whisk attachment; beat on high speed until slightly cooled and stiff (but not dry) peaks form, about 5 minutes.

4. Fit mixer with paddle attachment. With mixer on medium-low speed, add butter, several pieces at a time, mixing well after each addition (meringue will deflate slightly as butter is added). Add vanilla, hazelnut cream, and salt; mix until mixture comes together, 3 to 5 minutes. Fold in whipped cream with a rubber spatula. Use immediately.

Chocolate Glaze
Makes about 2 cups
1 1/4 cups heavy cream
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
Pinch of salt
10 ounces semisweet chocolate, finely chopped

1. Bring cream, corn syrup, and salt to a boil in a medium, heavy saucepan over medium- medium-high heat. Remove from heat. Add chocolate; swirl pan to cover completely with cream. Let stand about 5 minutes. Stir until smooth. Let cool completely.

Candied Hazelnuts
Makes 9
9 hazelnuts, toasted and peeled
1 cup sugar

1. Thread each hazelnut onto tip of a long wooden skewer; set aside. Place a cutting board along the edge of a countertop; set a baking sheet on floor next to edge.

2. Cook sugar and 1/4 cup water in a medium, heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until sugar has dissolved. Continue to cook, without stirring, until syrup comes to a boil, washing down sides with a wet brush to prevent crystals from forming. Let boil until syrup turns light amber, about 5 minutes; remove from heat. Let stand until slightly cooled, 8 to 10 minutes.

3. Dip 1 skewered hazelnut into syrup, coating completely and letting excess syrup drip back into pan. When dripping syrup becomes a thin string, secure end of skewer under cutting board, letting caramel string drip over edge onto sheet. Repeat with remaining hazelnuts. Let stand until caramel has hardened, about 5 minutes. Break strings to about 4 inches. Carefully remove skewers.

I saw that cake recipe in her current issue of Martha Stewart Living. It looked like it was labor intensive and decadent all the same time! Let us know if you try it and how it tastes.

Please, is anyone tries this will you let us know how it taste?

I'm going to do it...it gives me a great excuse to finally buy that Calphalon crepe pan I've been looking at.

Looks delicious!

I make a version of this at least once a month...but its much simpler. Here you can buy really good crepes already made (in the refrigerator section). I buy a couple of packages of them and use Nutella as the filling and top with thinned Nutella icing and chopped hazelnuts. Its really good but very rich so a little slice goes a long way.

I was inspired by the local market vendors. There are little markets all over the place here, and there are always people selling freshly made-to-order crepes at their stands. Nutella is one of the most popular fillings. I thought "I can do that", so I started making my own. Then I saw the pre-made crepes at the store and tried them and they are really good, so now I just use those. It saves a whole lot of time. The 'cake' came about when there were a few of us here and DH wanted a chocolate crepe. I saw the stack in the fridge and thought it'd be a lot easier to serve it cake style since there were several of us...and our 'ususal' was born My Dh likes to eat it for breakfast

BTW, if you use 32 crepes, the cake will feed an army. My recipe uses 20 and it is enough for at least 15 (generous) servings.

ETA:

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cakepro

I'm going to do it...it gives me a great excuse to finally buy that Calphalon crepe pan I've been looking at.

CakePro, I have this pan and it is awesome. My MIL gave it to me because she rarely used it. It makes a mean crepe! You'll love it!!

What is the best way to cut this cake? That's the only thing I was thinking!

izzybee-it doesn't stay all nice and pretty like Martha's picture The leftovers that come out of the fridge cut nicely, but if it is too tall it doesn't seem to matter how cold it is (I would imagine if it is frozen it would cut nicely, but I've never frozen one before). The presentation isn't nearly as pretty as the posted picture, especially if the crepes are really fresh and you don't let them sit for a while before stacking them (they need to be almost cold before stacking). When I cut it I use a hot knife and dip it in hot water between each slice, but the crepes still squish a little bit.

HTH