lemon crepe cake.

I saw this cake recently while browsing through my mom's Martha Stewart Living and immediately declared out loud, "I must make this." Sophie, my parents' pug, looked at me skeptically, but I was determined. The classy jello party provided the perfect occasion - this has gelatin in it, after all!

Martha recommends Meyer lemons, and I was willing to give them a try. However, my produce place had run out and so I used regular lemons instead. I actually liked their tartness and think it helped to cut the richness of this cake.

I will certainly make this again, though not for a little while. (Because of all the "do-this-and-then-refrigerate-for-an-hour" parts of this recipe, it did take the whole day to make. Which can be very satisfying, but not in the headlong final rush of the semester. I also find making crepes somewhat stressfully unpredictable.) I might try playing with the recipe to make it a bit lighter; I think it would also be lovely topped with fresh berries.



Lemon Crepe Cake
from Martha Stewart Living (April 2010)

Lemon curd mousse:
1 tsp. unflavored gelatin
1 tbsp. cold water
4 eggs plus 6 egg yolks
1 c. sugar
Zest of 2 lemons plus juice from 6 lemons
6 tbsp. cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 c. heavy cream, whipped

1. Sprinkle gelatin over water in small bowl; let stand 5 min.

2. Whisk together eggs and yolks in a small saucepan. Whisk in sugar, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Cook, whisking constantly, over medium-low heat for 8-10 min., until thickened.

3. Remove pan from heat. Add gelatin, stirring constantly until gelatin is dissolved and mixture is cooled slightly. Add butter a few pieces at a time and stir after each addition until smooth.

4. Strain through a fine sieve into a bowl (*this was important to get out eggy bits), pressing with a rubber spatula to get as much through as possible. Press a piece of plastic wrap directly onto curd to prevent skin from forming. Refrigerate until set, at least 2 hours or overnight.

5. Stir the curd and then fold in the whipped cream. Refrigerate 1 hour. Stir before using.

Crepes:
3/4 c. flour
1/2 c. sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
1 1/4 c. whole milk, room temp.
3 eggs, room temp.
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
6 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
1/4 c. heavy cream, whipped (for topping)

1. Combine flour, sugar, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together milk, eggs, and vanilla. Gradually pour milk mixture into dry ingredients, whisking until smooth. Whisk in butter. Pour through a fine sieve into an airtight container. Refrigerate 2 hours or overnight.

2. Heat a nonstick skillet or crepe pan over medium heat. (*Martha recommends using butter. I didn't, mostly to make the process somewhat less harrowing, and my nonstick skillet worked fine.) Pour about 3 tbsp. (*I used a 1/3 c. measure, filled about halfway, for easy scooping) of batter into pan - off the heat - and swirl to coat evenly. Cook about 30 sec. on each side, until brown on the edges and dry in the middle. Repeat with the rest of the batter, stacking the finished crepes on a plate and let cool. You should get about 14-17 crepes, depending on how thick you're making them.

Assemble cake:
1. Place one crepe on a flat plate or serving dish. Spread about 1/4 c. lemon curd mousse onto it and top with another crepe. Continue layering crepes and mousse. Use 15 crepes, ending with 1 on top. (*I used 16 and spread a thin layer of mousse on top. I'm a rebel, Martha.) Refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.


2. Top cake with the whipped cream. You could also make the Candied Meyer Lemons, though I simply used lemon zest.