Name: Spellbook Crêpe Cake
Cook time: P0Y0M0DT2H30M0.000S
Total time: P0Y0M0DT11H0M0.000S
Yield: 20 to 24 servings
Ingredients: 8 cups whole milk; 1 teaspoon kosher salt; 2 cups granulated sugar; 1/2 cup cornstarch; 16 large egg yolks; 1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, cut into cubes; 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract; 6 sticks (1 1/2 pounds) unsalted butter; 7 cups whole milk; 4 cups all-purpose flour; 12 large eggs; 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract; 1 teaspoon kosher salt; 18 ounces white chocolate, chopped; 3/4 cup heavy cream; 2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped; 5 strips berry fruit tape, such as Annie’s Strawberry

Directions

Watch how to make this recipe.

For the pastry cream: Stir together the milk, salt and 1 cup of the sugar in a large saucepan until smooth. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook until the sugar has just dissolved, 1 to 2 minutes.
Meanwhile, whisk together the cornstarch, egg yolks and remaining 1 cup sugar in a large bowl until smooth. While continually whisking, slowly pour in about 1/2 cup of the warm milk mixture. Continue to whisk until smooth. (This is called tempering and prevents the yolks from scrambling.) Whisk while adding between 1/2 and 1 cup of the warm milk mixture at a time until completely combined and smooth.
Pour the mixture back into the saucepan and turn the heat to medium. Cook, whisking constantly, until thickened and the texture of pudding, 2 to 4 minutes. Remove from the heat, then whisk in the butter and vanilla until smooth and glossy.
Strain the pastry cream through a fine-mesh sieve into a medium bowl. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing it directly on the surface of the pastry cream, and refrigerate until chilled through, at least 2 hours and up to overnight. Before using, whisk the pastry cream until smooth and fluffy.
For the crêpes: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment and have 15 more sheets the same size ready. Melt 4 sticks (1 pound) butter in a medium saucepan.
Make the crêpe batter in two batches. Add 1 cup melted butter, 3 1/2 cups milk, 2 cups flour, 6 eggs, 1 teaspoon vanilla and 1/2 teaspoon salt to a blender for the first batch. Blend until completely smooth, about 1 minute. Transfer the mixture to a bowl or pitcher. Add the remaining melted butter, milk, flour, eggs, vanilla and salt to the blender and blend until completely smooth for the second batch.
Place 1 tablespoon of the remaining butter on each of the parchment-lined baking sheets. Place in the preheated oven until the butter melts and bubbles but doesn’t brown, about 2 minutes (this process will go faster after the first round). Remove the baking sheet from the oven and use a pastry brush to spread the butter evenly over the parchment. Pour 1 cup of the batter in the center of the baking sheet, then use a rubber spatula to spread it evenly into a rectangle, leaving a small (about 1 inch) border around the edge. The batter will be very loose, so don’t worry if it doesn’t stay where you spread it. Return the pan to the oven and cook until the middle is set and the edges start to brown, 8 to 10 minutes.
Carefully transfer the hot crêpe on the parchment to a work surface. The parchment will allow you to stack the crêpes as you go. Repeat with the remaining butter, parchment and batter. You should be able to cook two in the oven at a time and end with 16 crêpes.
Once you’ve finished making crêpes, transfer a single crêpe to a serving platter or board by inverting it from the parchment over the platter and then peeling off the parchment. Cut the crêpe in half crosswise; this will create the center binding of the book. Spread pastry cream evenly over each half; it should take about 1/3 cup to cover each side. Top with another crêpe by inverting it and repeat the process of stacking, cutting and spreading with the remaining crêpes and pastry cream. Try to line the crêpes up as straight as possible so they resemble the pages of a book. Finish your stack with a bare crêpe; save any remaining pastry cream for another use. Refrigerate the cake 8 hours or overnight.
Once the cake has rested overnight, make the ganache: Place the white chocolate and cream in a large heatproof glass bowl. Set the bowl on top of a medium saucepan with 2 inches of water over medium heat. Stir until the chocolate is just melted and the mixture is smooth, then remove the bowl from the heat. Spread about 1/2 cup of the ganache over the top crêpe. Leave about a 1-inch border around edge, making sure to leave the edges of the “pages” visible. Cut a piece of parchment into 4 lengthwise pieces. Create a parchment frame over the browned edges, pressing the parchment into the ganache. Slowly pour the remaining ganache over the crêpe, making sure it doesn’t pool too much in the middle split (you can scrape or spread it a little with an offset spatula if it does). Let the ganache cooled to room temperature, then transfer to the refrigerator until set completely, about 30 minutes. Remove the parchment and trim the edges along the top and bottom of the cake but leave frayed edges on the sides.
For decorating: Place the bittersweet chocolate in a small microwave-safe bowl. Microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring after each, until smooth. Let rest for 5 minutes, then transfer to a disposable piping bag or resealable bag. Snip off the tip of the piping bag or corner of the resealable bag. Pipe “Spells” on the top of the left page. Decorate the remaining parts of the left page and the right page with writing-like squiggles and magical drawings (a wand and feather, for instance).
Just before serving, create a ribbon bookmark (see Cook’s Note). Cut a length of fruit tape about 2 inches longer than the crosswise section of the cake. Cut a triangle out of each end of the tape and lay it over the middle split. Fold the remaining tapes over themselves lengthwise, then press them around the bottom rim of the cake, simulating the leather binding edges. Serve immediately. Leftovers can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.

Cook’s Note

For a shortcut, substitute 12 cups vanilla pudding (either packaged instant pudding or premade) for the pastry cream. Wait until you are ready to serve to add the fruit tape bookmark as it will liquify if left on the cake too long.

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