Matcha Mille Crepe Cake is made of thin layers of green tea crepes stacked together with fresh whipped cream in-between. This elegant and decadent cake will wow your guests when they see the rich green layers!
In Japan, matcha is not only used in wagashi (Japanese confectionery), but also in many western pastries. Mille crepe cake is no exception. We love this Japanese twist on a classic French pastry, Matcha Mille Crepe Cake (抹茶ミルクレープケーキ).
Watch How To Make Matcha Mille Crepe Cake
Watch my “Matcha Mille Crepe Cake” Video on YouTube
What is Matcha Mille Crepe Cake?
But first, what is Matcha (抹茶)? Matcha is green tea powder. Many people ask me if the standard green tea (leaves) can be ground into “matcha”, but unfortunately, they can’t. The quality of the green tea leaves, and the complex process of drying and grinding the leaves is so much different for matcha, that it will not be something you will be able to do in your kitchen. Please read more about matcha where I explain the process in detail.
Mille Crepe Cake (ミルクレープケーキ) is a classic French pastry – Gâteau Mille Crêpes. Mille means ‘thousands’ in French. That’s an exaggeration, but it’s fun to imagine Gâteau Mille Crêpes with 1,000 layers. The pastry usually consists of 10 to 20 layers.
The most unique part of Japanese-style Mille Crepe Cake is the rounded edge of the cake. This Matcha Mille Crepe Cake is subtly sweet (it’s a real complement for Asian desserts), creamy, and slightly bitter from the matcha flavor coming through the paper-thin layers of crepes.
Tips to Make Perfect Matcha Mille Crepe Cake
1. Good quality matcha powder
Ingredients matter, especially in this Mille Crepe Cake recipe. Number one is a high-quality matcha powder If the matcha powder is relatively cheap, it’s a guarantee that it’s not high-grade matcha. Matcha is pretty expensive, even in Japan. To learn more about where to buy matcha powder, please read more on my matcha post.
2. Rest the batter for an hour
I know it’s tedious to wait, but resting the batter relaxes the gluten and the dry ingredients continue to soak up moisture from the wet ingredients. As a result, it creates thicker consistency and helps prevent the crepes from breaking.
3. Heat the pan on low heat
When you heat up the frying pan too quickly, it gets hot spots. To avoid that, you slowly heat up the pan so the pan heats evenly. It’s the key to making those perfect first few crepes. After that first batch, just leave the same low heat on all the way through.
4. Use two frying pans – one larger than the other
In Japan, slices of mille crepe cake at the pastry shops have this signature look with the rounded edge. To make it perfectly round, make the top layer of the crepe big enough to wrap the outer edge of the cake. Use a round deep plate or shallow bowl (mine is from IKEA – something like this) to ensure the nice curve shape by molding the crepe cake.
5. Take a breath and swirl the pan slowly
I’m an impatient cook. But I realized it doesn’t help when I want to make a perfect circle crepe. Just breathe, and take your time to swirl the batter slowly with the pan.
Perfect Cake without Using an Oven
Mille Crepe Cake is a rare “cake” recipe that you can make with a frying pan over the stove. So if you don’t have an oven, or if you are looking for a unique dessert, try making this cake for any celebratory occasion or holiday!
Other Delicious Dessert Recipes:
- Nougat Glacé Choux with Orange Caramel – Guest Post By Mad About Macarons
- Matcha Swiss Roll (Roll Cake)
- Love all things matcha? Check out these matcha recipes you can enjoy every day or on special occasions.
Japanese Ingredient Substitution: If you want to look for substitutes for Japanese condiments and ingredients, click here.
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- 1 ¾ cup whole milk (400 ml; I recommend using whole milk; add more if you need to thin out the crepe)
- 3 Tbsp sugar
- 3 large eggs (50 g each w/o shell)
- 1 ½ Tbsp melted unsalted butter (25 g)
- 1 cup cake flour (120-136 g; If you're using a cup measurement, please follow this method to measure. Otherwise, the amount of flour tends to be more than you need. DO NOT SUBSTITUTE cake flour! You can make your Homemade Cake Flour.)
- 2 Tbsp matcha (green tea powder) (12 g)
- ½ tsp baking powder
- neutral-flavored oil (vegetable, canola, etc) (for cooking crepes)
- 1 cup heavy (whipping) cream (240 ml)
- 3 Tbsp sugar
- 2 tsp matcha (green tea powder) (for dusting)
- Fresh whipped cream (optional: please double the recipe above but make the second batch right before you serve)
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Gather all the ingredients. Please use cake flour only! It’s important not to use flour with a high gluten content such as bread flour or all-purpose/plain flour for this recipe. Otherwise, you will end up with a rubbery cake.
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Add the milk and sugar in a small sauce pan and combine well. Heat on medium heat until the milk is warm to touch.
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Beat the eggs in a large bowl. Then slowly add small amount (½ cup at a time) of warm milk while whisking. While whisking, slowly add the melted butter to the mixture.
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Set up a fine-mesh sieve over the bowl and add cake flour, matcha powder, and baking powder. Sift half of the dry ingredients into the batter and whisk to combine the dry and wet ingredients together.
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Sift the rest of dry ingredients and mix until there is no lump in the batter. IMPORTANT: Do not overmix; mixing and stirring increases gluten formation in the batter, which causes a rubbery texture.
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Set the fine-mesh sieve over a large bowl and pour the batter. This will remove any lumps and get a smooth texture. Cover with plastic wrap to refrigerate for at least 1 hour (DO NOT SKIP!). Tip: If you overmix the batter, you may want to rest the batter for longer hours. Resting the batter is important because it allows the gluten to relax. If you don't rest long enough the crepes will be more rubbery due to gluten development.
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Set a 12-inch non-stick frying pan on low heat. Once the pan is hot, brush the oil and remove excess oil with a paper towel (don’t worry, oil is applied thinly). Gently stir the batter right before scooping with a ladle (otherwise, the batter will be too thick toward the end). Pour the batter just enough to cover the bottom of the frying pan, about 1/3 cup for my pan. After trying the first crepe and if you want to make a thinner crepe, gradually add milk to adjust the batter.
- Cook for 2 minutes without touching. By now you’d see the outside edge of the crepe gets tiny bit crispier. Using a chopstick, spatula or hand, flip the crepe.
- Cook the other side for 30 seconds and transfer to a working surface lined with parchment paper.
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Set a 10-inch non-stick frying pan on low heat. Once the pan is hot*, brush the oil and remove excess oil with a paper towel. Pour the batter just enough to cover the bottom of the frying pan, about ¼ cup for my pan. *The hot pan helps the water in eggs and milk turn into steam and the crepe will puff up and become softer. But it can't be too hot, which ends up cooking the crepe too fast and you can't swirl the batter into a thin layer.
- Cook for 2 minutes without touching. By now you’d see the outside edge of the crepe gets tiny bit crispier. Using a chopstick, spatula or hand, flip the crepe.
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Cook the other side for 30 seconds and transfer to a working surface lined with parchment paper.
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Continue this process until all the batter is used. Make sure to stir the batter EVERY TIME before you make a new batch (otherwise, the batter will be too thick toward the end). With this batter, I could make 1 large one that goes on top, and 13 crepes.
- Prepare ice bath by adding ice cubes and water in a larger bowl and set a smaller bowl on top. Add the heavy whipping cream and start whisking on lower speed. Once you see bubbles, slowly add granulated sugar.
- Whip the cream until stiff, not hard stiff (like 90%).
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Prepare two long parchment paper strips on a working surface or a rotating cake stand (I used IKEA's lazy susan). These strips will go under the first layer of crepe (this is for easy transportation).
- First place the larger crepe. This will be the top layer when we flip. Put the freshly whipped cream in the middle and spread evenly, leaving outer 2 inch.
- Place another crepe on top and spread whip cream evenly, leaving outer ½ inch.
- Continue this process until the last crepe is placed on top.
- Prepare a round curved shallow dish (mine is from IKEA) and place a large piece of plastic wrap on top. Make sure to remove any air pockets and smooth out. Transfer the mille crepe to the shallow dish by holding the strips you made. Once you place nicely in the middle of the bowl, remove the strips.
- Wrap the mille crepe with plastic wrap from one corner to clockwise. This will make the final cake evenly round, instead of wrap randomly. Secure the end with clip (I use one from IKEA). Refrigerate at least 2 hours until the cake is set.
- Once chilled, remove the plastic wrap and flip onto the serving platter.
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Dust more matcha powder over the cake. Make the fresh whipped cream if you plan to serve with the cake. Serve and enjoy within a few days as we are using fresh cream.
Recipe by Namiko Chen of Just One Cookbook. All images and content on this site are copyright protected. Please do not use my images without my permission. If you’d like to share this recipe on your site, please re-write the recipe in your own words and link to this post as the original source. Thank you.
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OhMyyummyGoodness! This is amazing! I hope I have the patience for this one! Thank you so much as I am a ????Matcha Lover????
Hi Deanna! Yeah, making each crepe takes time… but each crepe is pretty quick to make so time passes by quickly. 🙂 Hope you give this recipe a try!
It looks yummy. How advance I can make the batter ahead? Would that me make that a day ahead? Wondering I can make it two days ahead for a dinner party?
Hi Frances! You can make the batter ahead, but since we use fresh cream, it’s best to be enjoyed sooner. So… if you’re going to make for a party, maybe 1 day ahead is okay.
Wow! I am so glad you posted this recipe! I’ve been wanting to try making one, but was kind of intimidated! But because you post so many pictures and good instructions, I feel like I can actually make it!
It’s easy to make, but it’s tedious a little bit. If you’re comfortable making crepes already, this should be pretty easy. Spreading the batter evenly may require a practice. If you plan to bring the cake, maybe practice at least one time. 🙂 Hope video and step by step will be helpful when you make it!
Hi Nami!
I have a few (actually a lots of) question about your experiences and I would like to ask for your opinion.
How easy to sliced after cooling? The layers are not sliding on each other? The crepes and the cream stick together well? Is it necessary to add stabilizer to the cream? I thought I would make it but in square shape, then I cut it into smaller cubes. On this way it’s easier to offer for the guests (maybe).
Thank you in advance for your answers!
Majacica
Hi Majacica! I apologize for my late response. Here are my answers: 1) It’s easy to slice with a sharp knife, none of us had any issue slicing. 2) Nope, unless you really want to cut thin slice (me) and the top few layers just slide off. If it’s regular cake side, it stays in shape. 3) Once it’s chilled, yeah, the cream is more stable so it won’t be sliding off everywhere like… Napoleon cake for example. 4) This recipe works as it is…so no stabilizer for me. 5) The problem of square shape cake is that you won’t be covering with a larger crepe… so the crepes are just piled up, right? Hmm.. Might be harder to cut? I feel round is easy to offer to guests, but that’s my opinion. 🙂 Again, sorry I couldn’t get back to you sooner. I was extremely busy… 🙁
Hi Nami!
Thank you very much your answer, I really appreciate it!
I’m thinking of making square pancakes and I put them into a square cake frame with the cream layer by layer. After I cool it well, I cut it to small cubes. The point is to have a shape and size which can be eaten without a fork or plate (two or three mouthful of size). I have a tamagoyaki pan, it will be good for baking. And we will see the rest! 🙂
Majacica
I see! Sounds wonderful! Good luck, and if you get a chance please share the photo with me (either email or social media – Instagram/FB/Twitter). I’m so curious. 😀
Hi Nami, I just tried your recipe and my crepe turned out rubbery and tasteless, do you have any advice to this? thankuu☹️
Hi Yan! Probably the crepe is too thick? Thinner crepe is harder to make but it creates better texture. If the batter is thick, you can add a tiny bit more milk to thin out. 🙂 You can add more matcha/sugar to give flavors too.
Thank you for this recipe! I’ve tried making crepe cakes twice, and I was quite disappointed with the outcomes because my crepes were too thick and they seized so quickly in the pan (my pan was too hot I guess?). Do you have any tips on how to make the crepes thinner other than lowering the heat?
Hi Galahad! If the crepes get cooked too quickly, maybe your pan is too hot? Here’s two way: 1) Prepare a damp towel next to your stove and as soon as you realize your pan is getting too hot, put the pan on the towel to cool the pan. This technique can be used when your pan has hot spots. 2) You can thin out the crepe if the batter is thick. You have to find the texture you like. When layers are too thin, you don’t see the layer of the cake, too. So find the right consistency for the batter. 🙂
Hello,
I love your recipes however I have a question about this one.
I was trying to make this but then during the process I realized my batter was very liquid. Should I have added the whole 1 3/4 cup milk and sugar mix to the batter or only 1/2 cup of that mix? Sorry it wasn’t quite clear to me! Thank you!
Hi India! I see where you were confused. I should have said 1/2 cup AT A TIME. I’ve fixed the recipe. Yes, you have to add all of the milk + sugar warm mixture to the egg. If the batter was thinner than mine, probably dry ingredient ratio could be different from mine…
Thank you for your clarification, the cake turned out perfect and was delicious! Will definitely be making it again!
Hi India! Wonderful, thank you for your kind feedback. I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed it. 🙂
Hi Nami – Thank you again for your lovely website. I have a few questions about this Matcha crepe cake. (1) My matcha batter did not turn out bright green like yours – it’s more like a grayish green. Does it have to do with the quality of the matcha powder? I am using one that’s organic. (2) My crepe did not turn out like yours; yours are bright green just like the batter, but mine are brown – NOT burned, just brown, like an ordinary crepe without matcha (but of course, they still have that grayish green tone). Did I do something wrong? Please advise. Thanks!!
Hi Michelle! Thank YOU for reading my blog!
1) Matcha color doesn’t change that much from the powder form to the batter. So from how you describe, it seems like the matcha quality is not as good as mine?
2) The bright green color again comes from the quality. One of the easiest way to tell the quality difference is the color. Cheaper matcha = yellowish green. You wouldn’t say it’s a beautiful green color. When you have a decent matcha, you will know it’s good matcha because of the color – it’s bright vivid green color. Not dull that you would question about the quality… Hope that helps?
Looks wonderful. Thanks for the tips!
Hi Emily! Thank you so much for reading my post! 🙂
How long will the cake be good for?
Hi Katiia! Enjoy it within a few days as we use fresh cream in between. 🙂
Hello! This looks wonderful, I can’t wait to start making it!
I was just wondering, what do you think of a fruit such as strawberries being used to decorate the top for an extra hint of sweetness? I’ve never cooked with matcha before and I’m not quite sure what would be paired well with it, given its bitterness.
Hi Natalie! Sure! I think decoration would be great! I don’t taste much “bitterness” of matcha especially when whipped cream is used like in this recipe. So you probably don’t need to worry about countering that flavor. However, any decoration would be beautiful. I have seen someone did that too, forgot where I saw it… maybe Instagram or Facebook (my readers use #justonecookbook to share what they make from my blog).
Hi Nami! I actually need your advice and I hope to hear from you, so thank you in advance. I’m not good at baking, so I tend to avoid DIY desserts. But, when I saw your no bake recipe for this gorgeous maccha crepe cake and yours look the most professionally done, I decided to give it a try. I followed every step closely except one, which is let it sit in the fridge for 1 hr. Patience isn’t my virtue, so in my caveman mind, I put the batter in the freezer for 10 mins and then checked to make sure it wasn’t freezing at all and then I let it sit in the fridge for another 20 mins. My first crepe wasn’t cooked in 2 mins so I turn the heat up a lil and it started to bubble slightly but after +/- 5 mins, it still wasn’t cooked at all. The end product isn’t crepe like texture wise, more like mochi texture. I did snap a pic but I don’t know where to post it to show you. Hopefully if/when I receive your email, I can attach the pic. I know you are busy, so I’m gonna be patient, but I do hope you can help me solve this predicament of mine. Thanks again!!!
Oh, I forgot to mention one more thing, I have an electric stove top (which I absolutely hate), perhaps you can tell me at approx. what temp. is good to start cooking the batter? I mentioned my “batter in freezer” and my stove top because in retrospect, those are the only two things that I can logically think of that caused the end product. In terms of maccha quality or measurements of ingredients, my batter looked almost identical color and consistency wise as yours in the video and I didn’t substitute anything for anything else. Thanks!!
Hello Caveman Baker! Thank you so much for your detailed comment and I apologize for my late response due to my travel.
1) Is it possible to thin out the crepe and make it? It might be easier for you?
2) Keeping the batter in the fridge is to rest the gluten in the batter.
3) I do not wait the crepe to become bubble. It’s still smooth when I flip over (shown in the video).
4) If the pan is too hot, I recommend to quickly cooling down on a wet towel. Otherwise you just need to keep the heat consistent, and the temperature should be around 300F. Some thin bottom frying pan has hot spot, so be careful – some area gets too hot while other part is less hot.
5) You can send the images to my email. 🙂 Happy to help or find out what could be the reason why it didn’t go well. 🙂
Hi Nami,
You do not ever need to apologize, I went on my summer vacation too (hence also my late reply ????), so I totally understand.
Just the fact that you replied with such a detailed explanation to aid in my success of making the crepe cake, shows how much you care and that gives me confidence to give it a go again.
I won’t bother you with my pics of failure for now but I’m gonna follow every step to the T this time and hopefully I can successfully reproduce your amazing looking (bet it tastes even better) Maccha Crepe Cake! Perhaps then I’ll email you my crepe cake pic. ????Thanks again!
Thank you for your kind feedback and I hope you had a great holiday as well. I just came back from Japan. 🙂
Yes, please email me. I’m always happy to help! 🙂
why need to heat the milk? Can I just use cold milk?
Hi Sasa! Warm milk dissolve sugar completely, and to dissolve matcha completely, you need warm water/milk (any liquid). Otherwise, matcha will become lumps. Most matcha recipe you see (in Japan – at least) use warm liquid to mix. 🙂
Hi!
Thanks for sharing this recipe with us! I’m planning to make this crepe cake for my sister’s 30th birthday. I have a few questions.
Can I make the batter the night before and leave it in the fridge overnight? If so, do I need to bring the batter back to room temperature before making the crepe layers?
Also, would it be ok for me to add the green tea poweder into the whipped heavy cream and leave it out for the batter? I was thinking to make yellow/golden crepe layers with green whipped cream in between the layers.
I appreciate your help! Thank you!
Sincerely,
Emily H.
Hi Emily! Happy 30th Birthday to your sister!
1) I had never done it myself but yes I think you can do that. Also yes, please bring the batter back to closer to room temperature.
2) Sure, you can do that. 🙂 Hope you and your sister will enjoy the recipe!
Thank you! =)
I made the cake a few days ago already but thanks for replying back! The cake looked gorgeous but the crepe cake itself was chewy. What may be the problem you think? I followed the ingredients to the tee. I just swapped the green tea powder into the whipped cream (which worked out). Do you think maybe the crepes need to be even thinner than it already was? Trying to figure it out so that I can try again next time! =)
Hi Emily! I apologize my response couldn’t make it to you before you make this recipe.
Yes, you can make thinner cake to avoid that problem. I recommend to thin out the batter and ideally it’s best to have the crepe maker… special pan with spatula to spread thinly. 🙂
This looks amazing and I’m planning on making it for thanksgiving, but I have a pretty large crowd to serve. Do you see any issues if I double all the ingredients for the crepe batter? I’m not sure if I should aim for a larger cake diameter with the same number of layers as you had, or a similar size with more layers..
Hi Phil! If you want to make a larger cake, then you will have to cook crepes in a large frying pan and that can be challenging to some as you have to flip a large thin crepe without messing up. And if put more layers to make one big cake, then it can be hard to cut… Especially you have to cut into smaller triangles.
Considering the options, I would suggest to make two cakes. You have a better control, in terms of the size of crepe and making layers.
Also, if you can, make a bit thinner batter than how I made in this recipe. This recipe is easier for beginners as crepe is thicker to handle, but the cake is more delicate when you stack thinner crepes. 🙂
Hope that helps!
If I wanted to make a chocolate flavor, could I just substitute the 2 tbs of matcha green powder with 2 tbs of cocoa powder? I tried your recipe and it was great by the way!
Hi Holly! Sure, I would try that first and adjust after I taste the outcome. Thank you so much for trying my recipe and the kind feedback! 🙂
This was amazing. I didn’t even know how to make crepes but you gave such detailed and manageable instructions (no need to wait overnight , etc) that I felt like it was worth a try! My mother has been dreaming about this cake since trying it at Lady M and I was able to make it for her birthday in just a few hours time! Thank you 🙂
Hi Ana! Happy Belated Birthday t your mom and I’m happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe. Thank you for giving this recipe a try and for your kind feedback! 🙂
Hey! I’ve tried this recipe but failed to obtain the dark green and (kind of) thick texture, as the green tea powder won’t dissolve and it’s still in liquid state. Is it because I used skimmed milk, or the flour/matcha I used is not in large amount, or is it that we didn’t pour the milk at 1/2 cup at a time..? I hope you will amswer this 🙂
Hi Leehejin! Thank you for trying this recipe! The dark green color comes from quality matcha and if your matcha didn’t have the color to begin with, it’s hard to achieve. If your matcha has yellow-greenish color, it’s not good quality and outcome will stay the same color. The thickness comes from how runny your batter is. Mine is more on the thick side, as I try to make it easier for everyone, but ideally, you should have thin crepes. When you work with matcha, it’s best to slowly mix dry and wet ingredients. It gets lumpy. Skimmed milk (non-fat milk) should be okay, and it’s not the reason. Hope this helps! 🙂
I tried your recipe and was pleased with the outcome. However I was only able to get 5 layers in the 10″ pan along with the one in the 12″. I tried wiping out some oil after the 12″ one got heated, but it just got stuck to the pan. I actually think you shouldn’t wipe any oil out, just take a paper towel and blot off the extra oil after the crepe is placed on the paper. The amount of whipped cream I had was only enough for the amount I made (6 layers total) so I am going to try doubling the recipe next time. For what I got out of it, the recipe was good :]
Hi Laura! Make sure the pan is well heated (low heat) first before you add oil, and oil is coated very well (oil moves fast on the pan) before you wipe off. You can leave the oil in the pan if you like, but the problem is that hot oil cooks the batter fast and you get a crepe with dark spots. Once the oil runs around smoothly in the frying pan, then even you wipe off, oil is coated on the surface of the pan. You’re not wiping an entire coat of oil. But each frying pan could be different, so I’m glad it worked out for you! Thank you so much for your kind feedback, Laura! 🙂
hey nami! i love all your recipes and ive tried a bunch of them! when i made this crepe cake it was delicious! but the consistency of the crepe came out a bit too rubbery 🙁 i couldnt cut through it with a fork. i’m guessing its because the gluten in the batter developed too much but how can i prevent this from happening?
Hi Tina! Thank you for your kind words. How about resting a bit longer, also making it thinner may help as you have to stack so many layers of it. 🙂
Is it okay to make this cake a day or 2 in advance?
You can make the batter on Day 1 or up till finish making crepes on Day 1. I think it’s easier to assemble the cake on the same day you make crepes though. 🙂
Great recipe and video! That’s a neat brush you’re using to butter the pan. Where can I buy a brush like that?
Hi Jessica! Thank you! The brush came with a Takoyaki maker. 🙂 Here’s the amazon link: https://amzn.to/2ovumR1
I made this recipe but my crepes were not holding together at all! Any tips? I followed the recipe by the tea.
Hi Sayd! Thank you for trying this recipe! I’m so sorry the cake did not hold together. Do you mean each layer didn’t line up correctly to look like a round cake? I want to give you feedback, but I am not sure what happened… from which step it started to look different? Were you going to cut and the cake didn’t cut well? If so, was the cake cold enough to cut multiple layers?
Made this today, but I only used my 10.5 inch pan. I filled it with matcha custard cream. I used the custard recipe you posted but added around 1 to 1.5 tbsp of matcha while warming up the milk. I also folded some lightly sweetened whipped cream into it. It was delicious! I’ll probably increase the amount of crepe batter next time to make a taller cake.
Hi Vanessa! Wow, your cake sounds SO DELICIOUS by reading your description! Thank you so much for trying my recipe and sharing your feedback with us! 🙂
Hi Nami, my friend asked me to make this for her birthday in 3 days but she wants a chocolate one! Is it possible to do a straight sub for the matcha powder and do 2tbsp cocoa powder? Thanks!
Hi Charlotte! I would think so – if the batter is thicker (easier to make, easier to see the layers, but taste is better with thinner batter), add a little more milk to adjust. 🙂 Happy Birthday to your friend! And you’re such a sweet friend. 🙂
Hi Nami,
I made it with cocoa powder and it was perfect!!! I’ve never made crepes before but I followed your recipe exactly and it turned out amazing! My friend loved it. Making it wasn’t as intimidating as I thought. Thanks so much for the recipe!
Hi Charlotte! I’m so so happy to hear that! Thank you for your kind feedback! 🙂
Can I do matcha whipping cream and plain crepe layers instead?
Hi A! Yes, you can. 🙂 Must be delicious too! 🙂
Hi! Can you use almond milk instead of whole milk?
Hi Winona! I have never used it, but it should work. 🙂
Hello! I’m making your recipe right now and I’m so excited. I didn’t notice your note on all purpose flour until I’ve already made the batter and it’s in the fridge. I used 1 cup all purpose + the baking powder instead of the cornstarch as you noted.
Is this going to be an issue/how can I fix?🙏🏻
Hi Lisa! I hope your crepe cake came out well. Ideally, it should be cake flour. 🙂
I made this for mother’s day and I made sure to follow the directions super closely. I saw previous comments about it being a rubbery texture and followed the suggestion that a bit more milk is added to thin the batter. I was able to make the crepes thin and it came out looking exactly like the pictures, but the texture was inedible. It came out rubbery and it felt like I was eating dried out play-doh. I’m really upset — we had to throw out the whole thing and I wasted my most expensive matcha that I bought in Japan. I spent hours making each layer carefully at low heat for the exact duration listed in the recipe.
Hi Jenny! Thank you for trying this recipe and I’m so sorry your cake didn’t come out well. 🙁
A rubbery texture you’re talking about comes from gluten formation in the batter.
Therefore,
1) It’s SUPER important to use cake flour (the least gluten).
2) Never overmix to avoid gluten formation in the batter.
3) Rest the batter for MINIMUM 1 hour (longer, if possible).
4) Stir the batter before each batch of cooking the crepe (so you don’t end up with thick batter toward the end).
If it’s less gluten in the batter (less flour etc), it tears easily. So it’s really the balance you can maintain. Since you mentioned the cake being rubbery, I believe it’s related to gluten formation in the batter. I hope that helps…
Again, I’m really sorry about your cake.
Thanks for sharing this recipe! I used a 9″ frying pan to make my crepe cake and got lots of compliments for mothers day. If I were to make it again in the future, I would use twice the batter to get 20+ layers like other crepe cakes I’m used to, thin out the crepe batter even more by using about 3/4 cup of extra milk as adding half a cup still led to fairly chewy and thick crepes, and use double the amount of whipped cream as it was barely enough for each layer.
Hi Will! Thank you for trying this recipe! The chewy/rubbery texture is due to the gluten in the batter/crepe. The only way to reduce the gluten is to rest the batter and try not to activate it by whisking/stirring too often. 🙂
Thanks for the clear recipe! I saw the note about using whole milk instead of reduced fat milk, but I only have reduced-fat milk on me right now – would this be an insurmountable “bad” replacement or would it still be acceptable? What aspect of the cake would it affect?
Hi Claire! I “think” it should be okay… Remember, don’t activate the gluten in the batter too much; otherwise it gets chewy/rubbery. 🙂
Hi Nami!
I just made this mille crepe cake today for the 3rd time (my first two tries were rather unsuccessful – crepes were too rubbery and hard), and it was a success! Thank you for the clear instructions 🙂 do you have any tips on how to get a consistent, even layer of cream on each crepe? That’s what I am struggling with at the moment haha.
Hi Carissa! Thank you SO much for trying this for the third time and I’m glad your crepe came out well! As for the consistent even layer of cream on each crepe… use a cake turning table (in this recipe I used an IKEA’s lazy susan LOL) and put cream. Then hold the offset spatula in place and turn the table… Check my video of that moment here (https://youtu.be/vfUu0eedUYI?t=277). It’s easier to watch than me explain in words… 🙂
This is such an awesome recipe. I usually make crepes on medium heat and so mine browned a bit more than it should have – lesson for the future. And I used coconut cream instead of regular because my husband is allergic to dairy. I wish I could attach pictures but it looks and tastes amazing! I wasn’t sure how it was gonna turn out when I put it in the fridge overnight but it turned out great and rounded with nice layering.
Hi Shimi! I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed this recipe! Thank you for your kind feedback. I’m really happy your cake turned out beautifully!
The crepes were way too thick.
Hi Jocelyn! Thank you for trying this recipe! You can thin out the crepe if your batter is too thick (I mentioned that in Step 1 under “To cook the crepes”). You still need to minor adjust the thickness based on dry ingredients vs wet ingredients as our egg size and how we measure flour may slightly different, etc.
Hi Nami, thank you very much for another super easy yet exciting recipe! I did it for the first time today and it turned out great. I only had one suitable round pan to work with, so I used it for all the crêpes, and cut off the extra edges (that were dry-ish anyway) with the help of a round plate of all crêpes but one. The shape turned out perfect on the first go and looked rather professional if I may say so myself. I will definitely try this batter recipe for the regular crêpes—they turned out much thinner than with my usual recipe. Thanks again for all the work you put into this blog!
Hi Olesya! I’m so happy to hear you liked this recipe and what a great idea to use one pan, cut off the excess with a plate (and I’d eat the edges for snack while making… haha!!). 🙂 Thank you for your kind and sweet feedback, Olesya!
Hi Naomi, question please
1. What kind of cake flour can be used bleached or unbleached
2 and what brand of match did you use
Hi Annu!
1) I use unbleached
2) for this one, Maeda-en universal (https://amzn.to/33sN3Y4)
Hi Nami
My crepes are kinda brown is that normal? Also it was pretty dry the whipped cream seemed to be absorbed by the crepe,do you know what I did wrong ? I used almost all the whipped cream and generously spread it. My crepes were a bit rubbery maybe I stirred it too much after I let it rest b/c it was getting thick on the bottom of the batter .Any advise is appreciated !
Hi Jessica! Thank you so much for trying this recipe! Hmmm is it possible that your heat was stronger and brown a bit? The color and “dry” part made me wonder if that was overcooked/burn a bit… If you think the crepe was thick, you can add a bit of milk to thin out a bit, and stir every time you make the crepe. Hope this helps. 🙂
I finally got it right after the 2nd try 😉
Thank you Nami for sharing !
I Overcooked the crepes the 1st time. This time I leaned more towards undercooking the crepe to just barely having it cooked to make it soft . I doubled the cream and used the whole pint b/c last time the crepe soaked up all the cream and it was dry. I made it lady m style ,I put the matcha powder in the cream ha the crepe. I think it turned out better b/c I rested the crepe batter overnight. Thanks so much for the recipe now I never have to buy Lady M $13/slice crepes although I have to say they still do it better than mines ! I added a tbsp of cornstarch to the cream to make it hold stiffness and whip better
Hi Jessica! I’m glad yours came out better this time! Thank you so much for your update and detailed feedback! Truly appreciate it! ox
Hi! Do you know if I can make this a night before and eat it the following day? Also can I make the crepes ahead of time to save time in 1 day?
Hi Lisa! You can make it ahead of time. But before you serve, you may want to take out a little bit so it’s not too firm… 🙂
Hi, I have two questions with regards to this recipe.
1. Can I make the batter one day in advance? I.e. to leave the batter overnight instead of one hour as per your instruction.
2. Must the heavy cream be whipped in an ice bath? Can I whip the cream then place it in ice bath?
Thank you.
Hi Hayley,
1.Yes! The batter can be made ahead of time. But please gently stir the batter right before cooking.
2.We recommend using an ice bath so that the fat in the milk solidifies right away. If you are not using an ice bath, you can try using a cold bowl, and chill your heavy cream before whipping.
Hope this is helpful!