Butterfly Pea Flower Crepe Cake

Butterfly pea flowers fascinate me. The tea is pH sensitive and produces an awesome blue to pink gradient. I’ve been thinking of how to apply to a dessert and decided to try a mille crepe cake. I’ve made a few different crepe cakes, but despite this, it always takes a gazillion years. Definitely worth at least one try though :D. This recipe should provide enough batter and diplomat cream for up to ~25-30 crepe layers.

updated 9/5/20 increased proportion of the diplomat cream to have sufficient filling. Added some extra tips.

1. Crepes:

• 650 g milk, room temperature! (steeping the flowers should take care of this)
• 240 g flour
• 90 g sugar
• 4 eggs
• 50 g butter, melted
• 15-20 g dried butterfly pea flowers

1. About 20-30 minutes before beginning, put milk and dried flowers in a medium saucepan. Heat briefly and then let the pan sit, covered.
2. Sift flour into a large bowl.
3. Add sugar and mix briefly (I use a whisk).
4. Add in eggs and mix.
   1. If you want to reduce the yellowness of the eggs, you can first mix the egg yolks separately with the sugar, then add that + egg whites to the flour.
      
5. Now strain out the milk through a sieve into a bowl. Add this strained butterfly pea flower indused milk to the batter, slowly at a time. Once about half the milk is added and mixed, add the rest.
6. Add melted butter and mix fully.
7. Pour mixture through a sieve. You Want a runny consistency.
8. Cling wrap and throw into fridge for at least 30 minutes. Longer is better.
9. After mixture has become cold, take a pan (use multiple to speed up process!) and on low to medium heat, and add some butter (I wrap a spatula with a napkin and dip that into melted butter and use that to greese) and add a small amount of batter (about 2/9 cups). It takes some trial and error to figure out the right about to cover your pan.
10. When the edges of the crepe become dry (a minute or so), flip over and cook for a short while longer (<1 minute).
    
11. Repeat.
12. To get a consistent size, place a bowl or something circular over the crepe and cut off excess scraps.
13. Let crepes cool completely before assembling.

2. Vanilla Diplomat Cream:

• 5 large egg yolks
• 46 g cornstarch
• 425 g milk
• 125 g sugar
• a few g of vanilla extract
• 350 g heavy cream
• 15 g powdered sugar

1. You need to make a custard and a whipped cream. Take your large bowl and whisk that you’re going to make the whipped cream with and throw that into the fridge before you begin. You want it cold.
2. First prepare the custard component. In a large bowl, combine egg yolks and cornstarch.
3. In a saucepan, high heat, combine milk, sugar, and vanilla.
4. Bring to boil and remove from heat.
5. While whisking constantly, slowly add to bowl with yolks and cornstarch. You are tempering the egg yolks so that they won’t scramble.
6. Return the mixture to the saucepan on high heat.
7. Bring to rolling boil, while whisking/ mixing constantly. I use a stick blender. The mixture will become custard  like and coat the a dipped sppon easily.
8. Sieve through a fine mesh into a bowl and cover the bowl with cling wrap. Make sure to press it directly onto the custard to avoid condensation.
9. Chill.
10. Now prepare the whipped cream component. Take out the chilled bowl, whisk, and cream. 
11. Add cream and powdered sugar and whisk until firm peaks.
12. Take out the custard and whisk a bit to loosen it up. Add a small amount of whipped cream to lighten the mixture even more.
13. Slowly fold in the rest of the whipped cream, making sure not to overfold (will deflate the cream).

Assembly:

1. Assemble the cake on whatever you want it to be served on. These cakes are difficult to transfer.
2. Lay down a crepe and then add some diplomat cream. Spread it out to an even amount. Use an ice cream scoop! A turn table and an offset spatula is also super helpful!
3. Add another crepe. Then some more diplomat cream.
4. Repeat.
5. Every few crepes, use something that’s flat to press down onto the cake to help even it  out. The edge of the cake will inevitably have less diplomat cream than the center.
   
6. Once assembled, refrigerate for a few hours (will make it so much easier to cut into).
7. Top with powdered sugar and garnish with butterfly pea flowers.

Enjoy!
-Mario