Crepes are a crowd pleaser and while there are so many ways to get creative with them, crepe cakes are so impressive and fun. There’s something about a giant stack of crepes that grabs everyone’s attention. I tested this recipe multiple times, seeing if I could accommodate all food allergies. It works if you make it gluten free, and it works if you make it vegan, but if you make it both gluten free and vegan, I ran into trouble with the crepes not holding together when flipping. Still, the fact that this can accommodate everyone is very exciting!

This serves 6-8 people.

Ingredients:

1 ½ Cups All Purpose Flour

3/4 Cup Milk

3/4 Cup Water

2 Tbs Granulated Sugar

1 Tsp Vanilla Extract

¼ Tsp Salt

3 Tbs Unsalted Butter, Melted and cooled to room temperature

3 Large Eggs

 Chocolate Hazelnut Spread

 1 1/2 Cups Cold Heavy Cream

1 Tsp Vanilla

1 Tbs Granulated Sugar

 Directions:

 1.     In a bowl or blender, add all of the ingredients and mix until very well combined and smooth. Let sit in the fridge for 15 minutes. 

2.     In a large skillet, melt 1 Tbs unsalted butter until hot and bubbling, keep the stove on a medium-high heat. 

3.     Once the butter is hot, pour about    batter in the pan and immediately tilt the pan in a circular motion to allow the batter to spread out thin into a circle. 

4.     Cook for 2-3 minutes, until you can see that the batter has cooked through and the bottom started to get lightly browned. Use an offset spatula to loosen the edges of the crepe and gently flip it, cooking on the other side for another 1-2 minutes, until lightly browned on the other side. Keep in mind that a lot of the time, the very first crepe in the pan tends to fall apart or not come out as pretty, but don’t worry, the rest should turn out just fine. Repeat this process with the rest of the batter. 

5.     Once all the crepes are made, allow them to cool completely. 

6.     To make the whipped cream, combine the heavy cream, vanilla and granulated sugar in a large bowl and beat with a hand mixer with the whisk attachment. This can be done by hand with a whisk, just be ready for some whipping.  Stop when you reach stiff peaks, or a Cool Whip consistency. 

7.     Start layering the cake by laying down a crepe, spreading a couple tablespoons of Nutella on it, laying down another crepe, then spreading with a thin layer of the whipped cream, then repeat this process alternating layers of Nutella and whipped cream. Try to spread as evenly as possible to keep the cake flat. 

8.     Once all the crepes are used, spread a small layer of Nutella on top, and pipe some whipped cream around the edge, and top with fresh berries if desired. 

Wrap tightly and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

 Notes:

 -To make the batter gluten free, substitute equal measurement of gluten free all-purpose flour blend, make sure it has xanthan gum included. 

 -The original recipe can be made without eggs, just change the measurements of milk and water to 1 Cup plus Tbs of each. 

 -To make this vegan, substitute the same measurement of melted coconut oil, almond milk, and leave out the eggs. Use 1 Cup plus 1 Tbs of water and almond milk. Be gentle when flipping the crepes in the pan as it is a little more delicate, and make sure the pan is greased well. Instead of greasing with butter, you can grease with coconut oil. 

 -This batter doesn’t seem to work if you try to make it both vegan and gluten free. There isn’t enough to bind the batter together to hold while flipping if you substitute the milk and leave out the eggs and also substitute the flour. This batter works if you simply substitute the flour and keep the eggs in it. The vegan version works with regular all-purpose flour. So, to sum it up, if you have a gluten allergy, leave the eggs in this recipe and keep the milk as regular milk. If you’re vegan, make sure you use regular all-purpose flour