Mango Mille Crepe Cake

May 3, 2016November 14, 2022315 Views 0 Comments

Making good crepes is about getting the right amount of gluten in the batter. Too much gluten makes crepes rubbery. Too little makes crepes tear easily.

Gluten comes from flour proteins, which come from flour. The amount of flour in the batter is crucial. So is the type of flour, because some flours have more protein than others.

The amount of oil and egg yolk in the batter is important too. Fat reduces gluten formation, so it has a big impact on how the crepes turn out.

Stirring also plays a part because it increases gluten formation. Overmixing the batter would make crepes rubbery.

Frying crepes one by one takes time. As the batter sits, the flour in the mixture sinks to the bottom of the bowl. To keep it evenly mixed, remember to stir now and then. Otherwise, crepes made with thinner batter will tear. And crepes made with thicker batter will be rubbery.

Most crepe recipes tell you to sieve the batter, and let it rest before frying. That’s because there’s a lot of flour in these recipes. Sieving reduces the amount of flour, because some of it sticks to the sieve. And resting relaxes the gluten. Without these two steps, the crepes would be rubbery.

My recipe is different from others. It has far less flour. The batter would have too little flour, and the gluten would be too weak if it’s sieved and rested. That would make crepes that tear easily.

If you want crepes that have the right texture, flavour and look, getting the batter right isn’t enough. You must also get the heat right.

The pan must be quite hot. Heat turns the water in eggs and milk into steam, which makes the crepes puff up. When crepes puff up more, they’re softer.

Heat also browns the crepes. Browning enhances the fragrance of the crepes. And it gives crepes a pretty, lacy look.

The frying pan mustn’t be too hot either. If it is, the batter sets once it hits the pan, and the crepe would be too thick. Thick crepes are tough.

When the pan isn’t too hot, there’s time to swirl the batter into a thin layer before it sets. Good crepes are just thick enough to flip without breaking.

Turning a pile of crepes into mille crepe cake takes a lot of filling. If I fill my mille crepe cake with only whipped cream, that’s too rich for me.

I need to lighten whipped cream with something. Pastry cream? Too much work. Durian? The fridge will smell for days. Strawberries? Too hard. Mangoes? Hey, bingo!

Sweet and soft mangoes go well with crepes and cream in both flavour and texture. The cheerful yellow doesn’t hurt either. Who doesn’t like colourful food?