Recipe inspired by Thalia Ho for Honest Cooking.
Chocolate Truffle Crepe Cake is a twist on the French classic by deepening the rich flavors of chocolate in each layer.
This decadent dessert is a stack of thin 6-inch vanilla crepes, glued together by a coffee-infused syrup, and topped with a generous shower of cocoa powder, chocolate buttercream and homemade chocolate truffles. It’s a chocolate lover’s dream, with the only drawback being that it’s mini-sized.
This cake was meant to offer only a couple of servings - you don’t need to throw a soiree to make this delicious dessert. Being a 6-inch circle, it allows for easy cutting without the crepes sliding all over the place (the espresso syrup is a life saver here). And each bite is layered with chocolate and sweetness, so you won’t need much to curb your craving.
Chocolate Truffle
Crepe Cake
Servings: 4
Tag @cleaneatsfactory on Instagram if you make this delicious dessert!
For the crepes:
6 large eggs
½ cup whole milk
½ cup heavy cream
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup flour
¼ tsp. salt
¼ cup + 2 tbsp. powdered sugar
Butter for frying
For the chocolate truffles:
1 cup chocolate chips
Cocoa powder, for rolling
For the espresso syrup:
¼ cup water
¼ cup + 2 tbsp caster sugar
2 tbsp. cold brew coffee
1 tbsp. espresso powder, dissolved in 1 tbsp. boiling water
For the chocolate buttercream:
½ cup (115g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
1 ¾ cup powdered sugar
¼ cup cocoa powder
1 ½ tbsp. milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
For the crepes:
Place all the ingredients in a food processor or blender and blitz to combine well. The mixture should be the consistency of heavy cream.
Brush a 6 inch non-stick frypan with butter and place over a low heat. Once the butter begins to bubble, pour about 1/8 cup of the batter into the pan.
Swirl the batter with the pan lifted over the stove until the bottom of the pan is thinly coated. Then, cook the crepe for roughly 30 seconds on each side or until set.
Repeat this process until all the crepe batter is used. Allow the crepes to cool before assembly.
For chocolate buttercream:
With a handheld or stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the butter on medium speed until creamy – about 2 minutes. Add remaining ingredients - powdered sugar, cocoa powder, heavy cream, salt, and vanilla extract - and beat on low speed until roughly combined, then increase to high speed and beat for 45 more seconds.
For the espresso syrup:
In a small saucepan set over medium heat, bring all the ingredients to a light boil.
Lower the heat and let the mixture simmer for five minutes and all the sugar has dissolved. Set aside to cool.
For the dark chocolate truffles:
Melt the chocolate chips using the double broiler method: place the chocolate in a heat-proof bowl set over a pot of lightly simmering water.
Once melted and smooth, remove from heat and let cool in the fridge until the chocolate is thick and has a rollable resistance, roughly 1 ½ hours.
Once thickened, use damp hands to roll the chocolate into tablespoon sized balls, then roll in cocoa powder. Place in the fridge to set before garnishing.
For assembly:
Using a pastry brush, lightly coat the first crepe with the espresso syrup.
Spread a thin layer of chocolate buttercream on another crepe, and then place that crepe over the first one. The buttercream side of the crepe should be layered on top of the espresso syrup side of the first crepe.
Continue this process of spreading and stacking until all the crepes are used. Set in the fridge to harden for 4 hours or overnight.
Once set, run a warm knife to cut away any uneven crepe cake edges. Sift the top with cocoa powder and pipe dollops of the chocolate buttercream along the sides. Stick the chocolate truffles on top of the buttercream to garnish.
Chill in the fridge until ready to serve.