This impressive tiramisu crepe cake features 25 paper-thin homemade crepes, 24 layers of fluffy tiramisu filling, dustings of cocoa powder, and is finished with sweet whipped cream on top. It’s almost unbelievable that such a fancy cake is totally doable in your home kitchen. There’s no baking involved and everything can be prepped in advance!
The cake is 8 inches wide and about 7 inches tall with the whipped cream on top.
At first glance, does this look like a stack of tortillas with sour cream? Because as I was editing these photos, I kept seeing things. Or maybe I was just craving tacos. HA!
In all seriousness, this is CREPE CAKE. Here we have over 2 dozen delicately thin crepes stacked high with tiramisu-inspired mascarpone filling. The mascarpone features rich espresso flavor and is spiked with a hint of rum. We’re reaching new levels with this mile high crepe cake, also known as mille crepe or Gâteau de Crêpes in French. This show-stopping dessert is becoming increasingly popular in American bakeries and since we aren’t able to do much travel these days, why not try this lovely dessert in your home kitchen?
I promise you can handle it.
This Tiramisu Crepe Cake Is:
- Secretly simple (I promise! My instructions are super detailed.)
- Creamy & light
- Boozy, but you can skip the alcohol if desired
- Best made ahead of time
- Perfect if you’re searching for a unique cake
Let’s Review How to Make Tiramisu Crepe Cake
The full printable recipe is below, but let’s walk through it quickly so you understand each step before you get started.
- Make the crepes. Crepe batter must chill for 30-60 minutes before cooking, then it usually takes about an hour to cook them all.
- Make the tiramisu filling. You can do this ahead of time. More on the filling below.
- Assemble the crepe cake. If you know how to spread creamy filling onto a crepe (like spreading butter on bread!), you can assemble a crepe cake. Using a fine mesh strainer, dust each layer of filling with cocoa powder. If you don’t have one, skip the cocoa powder or use your fingers to sprinkle it on top.
- If desired, pipe whipped cream on top.
- Chill cake for at least 3 hours before slicing and serving. This time in the refrigerator helps the flavors develop and more importantly, allows the cake to set. If skipped, you won’t be able to slice it.
Homemade Crepes
Do you know how to make homemade crepes? I have a detailed Homemade Crepes tutorial that sets you up for success. After you read about the proper techniques and watch the video tutorial, you’ll find that crepes are relatively simple. (And anyone who tried them for Sally’s Baking Challenge earlier this year can agree. Much easier than expected!)
- We’re using the same crepes recipe, only doubled. I switched around the milk:water ratio and since this is dessert, I added a little more sugar. A little extra sugar helped crisp up the edges. These crepes taste incredible by themselves or in a cake.
The recipe below yields about 28 crepes. Use 25 in this cake. It’s always convenient to have a few extra on hand if any crepes tear. Or let’s be serious, if you want to taste test.
Crepes Success Tips
- Chill the batter: I include this in the written recipe below, but it’s definitely worth explaining. One secret to the best crepes is to chill the crepe batter for at least 30-60 minutes and up to 1 day. This time in the refrigerator enhances the batter’s flavor and gives the flour a chance to fully hydrate.
- Butter the pan between each crepe: The best part of crepes is their thin and delicately crisp edges. To achieve this, butter the pan between EACH crepe. Sounds like a pain, but just grab a stick of butter and coat the pan before adding more batter. You won’t regret it.
- Twirl the pan: Pour the batter into the center of the hot and buttered pan. Lift the pan up and twirl it so the batter stretches as far out as it can go. (The thinner the crepe, the better texture it has—trust me.) This crucial technique is much easier than it sounds and you can watch me do it my crepes video tutorial.
Tiramisu Filling
Tiramisu is a timeless Italian dessert and easily one of the most popular desserts in the world. I love using its flavors in other ways. Like traditional tiramisu, this filling is made in a couple different parts. Whip heavy cream into medium peaks (I like to add rum!), set aside, then beat mascarpone, confectioners’ sugar, vanilla extract, and espresso together until creamy. For the espresso, simply combine warm water and espresso powder together—we’ll make it very strong so we aren’t using too much liquid. Fold the whipped cream into the mascarpone mixture. Have no fear if the filling looks a little curdled—it doesn’t taste that way in the cake.
- You will love this tiramisu inspired filling. It yields about 4 cups, which is plenty to use as a filling inside a 2 or 3 layer cake. (Maybe in vanilla cake?)
- If you’re not into these flavors, use my homemade whipped cream as the filling instead. Feel free to flavor the whipped cream with a little cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, almond extract, coconut extract, lemon extract, or however you’d like. You could even top it with chocolate ganache!
Here are a few step-by-step photos of the filling. The whipped cream + rum, then the mascarpone mixture:
Combine both to yield a fluffy mousse-like filling:
Let’s Assemble The Cake
If assembling or decorating a traditional layer cake intimidates you, you’re in luck. For a crepe cake, all you have to do is spread and stack. Start with a dollop of filling on your cake stand or serving plate, which helps keep the tall cake in place. Place your bottom crepe securely on top, then spread a heaping 2 Tablespoons of filling on it. Dust with cocoa powder. Repeat until everything is used up. This goes pretty quickly if you have a baking buddy helping out!
Baker’s Tip: The tiramisu filling uses 1 and 1/2 cups of heavy cream. If you pick up a pint of heavy cream, you’ll have 1/2 cup leftover and you can use that for your whipped cream topping! I piped the whipped cream, but you can simply spread it on top if you’d like. If you have extra, feel free to spread it all around the edges of the cake too. I skip that, so mine is more of a naked-style crepe cake.
What’s the Texture Like?
Are you familiar with my berry icebox cake? Icebox cake is essentially cookies or graham crackers layered with a creamy filling—exactly like tiramisu. After refrigerating or freezing, the graham crackers/cookies take on a super soft texture. The whole dessert tastes like mousse or a slightly textured creamy trifle. It’s delicious. We have the same texture here! After chilling for a couple hours, you can slide a fork right through each slice.
Helpful Tools:
- A blender works WONDERFULLY to smooth out the crepe batter because it cuts that flour perfectly into all the wet ingredients. If you don’t have a blender, just use a mixing bowl and whisk. I use my Ninja Blender. (affiliate link*)
- Though professional chefs may use a specialty crepe pan, I find a Small 8-inch Skillet (affiliate link*) works perfectly at home. If you don’t have a small skillet, use a larger one but make sure you keep the crepes THIN.
- Offset Spatula for spreading the filling.
- Fine Mesh Strainer for dusting cocoa powder.
- Large Round Piping Tip (and a disposable or reusable piping bag) for whipped cream topping.
Tiramisu Crepe Cake
- Prep Time: 2 hours
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Total Time: 5 hours (includes chilling)
- Yield: serves 8
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: French
Description
This recipe yields a 50 layer 8-inch wide crepe cake. Make sure you chill the crepe batter in the refrigerator before cooking the crepes and chill the assembled cake before serving. With the piped whipped cream on top, this cake is about 7 inches tall.
Ingredients
- 6 Tablespoons (85g) unsalted butter, plus 5 more Tablespoons (71g) for the pan
- 2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups (480ml) whole milk, at room temperature*
- 1/2 cup (120ml) room temperature water
- 4 large eggs, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Tiramisu Filling
- 2 teaspoons espresso powder*
- 2 teaspoons warm water
- 1 and 1/2 cups (360ml) cold heavy cream
- 1 Tablespoon (15ml) rum or Grand Marnier* (optional)
- 8 ounces (1 cup) mascarpone, cold or at room temperature
- 1 cup (120g) confectioners’ sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup (21g) unsweetened natural or dutch-process cocoa powder (optional)
Whipped Cream Topping
- 1/2 cup (120ml) cold heavy cream
- 1 Tablespoon (15ml) rum or Grand Marnier* (optional)
- 2 Tablespoons (15g) confectioners’ sugar
- 1 teaspoon unsweetened natural or dutch-process cocoa powder (optional)
Instructions
- If you’ve never made crepes before, I strongly recommend reviewing my How to Make Crepes tutorial post, which includes plenty of helpful success tips and a video tutorial.
- Make the crepes batter: Melt 6 Tablespoons of butter in the microwave or on the stove. Cool for about 5 minutes before using in the next step. The remaining butter is for the skillet.
- Add the cooled melted butter, flour, sugar, salt, milk, water, eggs, and vanilla in a blender or large food processor. If you don’t have a blender or food processor, use a large mixing bowl and whisk by hand. Blend on medium-high speed for 20-30 seconds until everything is combined. The mixture will be silky smooth and the consistency of cream, much thinner than pancake batter. Cover the blender tightly or pour into a medium bowl, cover tightly, and chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour and up to 1 day. This time in the refrigerator is imperative because it gives the flour a chance to become fully hydrated.
- Cook the crepes: Use the remaining butter for greasing the pan between each crepe. Place an 8-inch skillet over medium heat and generously grease it with some of the reserved butter. If you don’t have a skillet this size, use a larger one but make sure you keep the crepes thin. Once the skillet is hot, pour 3-4 Tablespoons (closer to 3 is best) of batter into the center of the pan. Tilt/twirl the pan so the batter stretches as far as it will go. The thinner the crepe, the better the texture. Cook for 1-2 minutes, then flip as soon as the bottom is set. Don’t wait too long to flip crepes or else they will taste rubbery. Cook the other side for 30 seconds until set. Transfer the cooked crepe to a large plate and repeat with the remaining batter, making sure to butter the pan between each crepe. If desired, separate each crepe with parchment paper so they do not stick together. Though, if using enough butter in your pan, the crepes won’t stick. Yields about 28 crepes.
- Loosely cover and set your crepes aside at room temperature as you prepare the tiramisu filling. You can also tightly cover and refrigerate the crepes for up to 1 day. Crepes must be room temperature or cold before you begin assembling the cake.
- Make the tiramisu filling: First part of the tiramisu filling is to prepare concentrated espresso flavoring. Using a fork, mix the espresso powder and warm water together in a very small bowl. Set aside to cool down for a few minutes. You will mix it with the mascarpone. Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whip the heavy cream and rum (if using) together on medium-high speed until medium peaks form, about 3-4 minutes. Medium peaks are between soft/loose peaks and stiff peaks. Set whipped cream aside. With a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle or whisk attachment, beat the mascarpone, confectioners’ sugar, vanilla extract, and cooled espresso liquid together on medium speed in a large bowl until combined and smooth, about 2 minutes. Fold the whipped cream into the mascarpone mixture. Don’t worry if it looks curdled—mine sometimes does—it doesn’t taste that way and will smooth out when it’s stacked in the cake. Use filling immediately or cover and chill in the refrigerator for up to 1 day. Yields about 4 cups filling.
- Assemble the cake: Spread 1-2 teaspoons of filling on the center of your cake stand or cake serving plate. This helps adhere the cake to the plate. Place a crepe on top. Spread about 2 heaping Tablespoons of filling evenly on top. If desired, dust with cocoa powder. Repeat layering crepes, filling, and a dusting of cocoa powder. Top with final and last crepe.
- Whipped Cream Topping: You can frost the cake with whipped cream before or after chilling the cake in the refrigerator in step 9. My advice– I find it tastes better and slices easier if you chill the cake WITH the whipped cream on top. Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whip the heavy cream, rum (if using), and confectioners’ sugar together on medium-high speed until medium peaks form, about 3-4 minutes. Medium peaks are between soft/loose peaks and stiff peaks and are the perfect consistency for spreading or piping. Spread or pipe whipped cream on top of the cake. If you have extra, feel free to spread all around the sides of the cake too. If desired, dust with cocoa powder.
- Refrigerate the cake for at least 3 hours and up to 1 day before serving. Chilling the cake in the refrigerator is imperative because the cake won’t slice otherwise. No need to cover the cake if you’re chilling it for only 3 hours. If chilling longer than that, I recommend loosely covering the cake.
- Cover leftover cake and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Notes
- Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: Crepe batter, cooked crepes, filling, and assembled cake can all be prepared in advance. See the end of step 3, step 5, the end of step 6, and step 9. To freeze, prepare cake through step 8, but do not dust with cocoa powder on top. Tightly cover and freeze for up to 3 months. Remove from the freezer, evenly dust the top with cocoa, then thaw in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours. (Can thaw covered or uncovered.)
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Blender or Glass Mixing Bowl and Whisk | 8-inch Skillet | Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | Offset Spatula | Fine Mesh Strainer | Large Round Piping Tip | Piping Bag (Reusable or Disposable)
- Milk: I prefer whole milk in the crepe batter. For a richer tasting crepe, half-and-half or heavy cream work too. 2% is OK, but I wouldn’t use lower fat milks. Any low fat or full fat nondairy milk works too.
- Espresso Powder: You need very strong espresso for the filling. Here we are making it using espresso powder and water. If you can’t find espresso powder, use instant coffee powder instead. You can also use 1 Tablespoon of super super super strong room temperature or cold black coffee instead of the espresso powder/water.
- Alcohol: The filling and whipped cream topping include alcohol. I recommend rum or Grand Marnier. Skip the alcohol for a non-alcoholic version. No need to replace it with anything.
- Cocoa Powder: Dusting cocoa powder between each layer, as well as on top of the crepe cake, is optional. If using, you can use natural or dutch-process cocoa.
Can you add Kaluha instead of rum?
Hi Nicole, that sounds delicious – let us know if you give it a try!
Hi sally,
my sister is contemplating making this for a birthday present for a friend and she was wondering if there are any other options to swap out the filling?
thx,
Hi Siena! I listed some other options above. You need about 4 cups of filling for the cake:
If you’re not into these flavors, use my homemade whipped cream as the filling instead. Feel free to flavor the whipped cream with a little cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, almond extract, coconut extract, lemon extract, or however you’d like. You could even top it with chocolate ganache!
Hey Sally!
So I made this cake a while ago but it was a little bit small. Can I double the filling and the crepes and cook the crepes in a 10 or 11 inch pan? I’m okay with it not being perfect, I just want more of it 🙂
Thanks!
Hi Rosie! That should work just fine. Feel free to scale up the batter mixture if you’d like the same number of layers with the bigger pan size. You can include more filling in between the layers as well. Let us know how it goes!
Hey Sally!
I made this last year for my birthday and i want to continue the tradition and make it again for my birthday this year! However i was wondering could i possibly alternate the fillings in the crepe cake? Say a layer of your boozy marscapone cream and then maybe a layer of a chocolate or coffee pastry cream? Would that be weird? What do you think?
Hi Tiana, those flavors sound absolutely incredible- let us know if you give it a try!
Hey Sally!
Great recipe! I made it for my brother’s birthday and it is amazing. One question: the measuring. I have a set of measuring cups, and they say that 1 cup is 250mL and half is 125. I am a bit confused if I should follow the quantities of your recipe or of the cups. Thanks!
Hi Leah, 1 cup is usually 240-250ml. I recommend following each recipe’s particular measurements as that is usually how they are tested. For this recipe, use 240ml as the cup and 120ml as 1/2.
Hey Sally!
AMAZING CAKE! I love both tiramisu and crepes, so this was amazing. I always use recipes from your blog and thank you so much for all of them.
Going to try this ultimate 50-layer Crepe Cake for our
Doctor’s Day Celebration – Dessert Buffet ! Almost tempted to make it this week just to try it out. I love your recipes, SALLY! and I’m excited to try a previous writer’s idea of alternating Blueberry filling and lemon curd both are great go togethers! Thanks again !!
Would love to hear how this crepe cake goes for you, Brenda!
You rock this recipe and all recipes in your site! Absolutely amazing on your detailed instructions! You totally, seriously, completely rock ! Thank you!
Thank you so much for your kind feedback, Shauna — we really appreciate it!
I can’t seem to find any mascarpone anywhere in my town can I substitute it with cream cheese instead?
Hi Caren, yes that should be just fine. Use the same amount.
Thank you Stephanie!
Also, I wanted to make a Japanese cheesecake and I found a recipe however it needs cream of tartar – not having any I decided to wait before making it. I came to search on here to see if there was a recipe but I could not find one. Is there a Japanese cheesecake recipe on here under a different name? I would love to see Sally’s version if she has not yet created one. It would be a lovely challenge.
Once again, thank you for the quick reply Stephanie, much appreciated have a great day/night.
Ello Sally!
I will be making this cake tomorrow, however I was wondering how much is 8oz of mascarpone in grams.
Can’t wait.
Kind regards,
Ariffa
Hi Ariffa, 8 oz is about 227 grams. Enjoy!
This looks amazing! Is there any way to make the crepe recipe gluten free? Could I simply substitute the all purpose flour with gluten free flour?
Hi Monique, we haven’t tested it that way, but let us know if you give anything a try.
Hey Sally! I only have a 10 inch skillet, not a 8 inch, so about how many crepes would that yield? Do I need to make any changes to the cooking time?
Hi Emma, you can use a 10 inch skillet to yield this many crepes (using 3-4 Tbsp batter per crepe)– the crepes just won’t extend to the sides of the skillet. If you want to make them larger, I would use 1/3 cup per crepe. You should get about 16-18 crepes that way.
Thanks for the helpful tips! I made this for my mom’s birthday and it was a big hit. So delicious! We loved it so much we want to make it again for my MIL. Do have any tips for a lactose free alternative for the mascarpone? We can use lactose free whipping cream in place of the heavy cream. Would the quantities be the same? Thanks so much!
Hi Nicole! So happy this crepe cake was a hit. We haven’t tested this recipe with any lactose free alternatives but would love to hear how it goes for you.
Made this for a birthday celebration. I alternated the layers with a fresh blueberry filling and lemon curd (Your recipe). A spectacular presentation and was delicious. Enjoyed by all.
I appreciate the detail. I made both the crepes and the filling using the measurements from the recipe but I still ended up short on cream. As a result the whole thing came out kind of bland. It’s definitely a solid recipe, but (perhaps due to something weird on my end) I’d definitely make more filling since that’s ultimately what gives the cake flavor.
Hi Sally!
I’m so excited to make this! I do have one question, do you think this cake would set nicely in a springform pan? I need an expert bakers opinion on this so its only right I ask you! ☺️ may you please let me know, I would greatly appreciate it!
Hi Sheri, You could assemble this cake inside of a springform pan but you really don’t need to. Just assemble it right onto your serving platter!
Hi Sally! Do you have any recommendations for how to alter your crepe recipe for chocolate crepes? I tend to trust your recipes and ingredient ratios more than any other blog, so I thought it was worth asking!
Hi Cal, We haven’t tried a chocolate version, and it would take some additional recipe testing for us to give you a confident answer. But definitely let us know if you try anything!
When the cake is complete, is it difficult to slice? How do you slice it without destroying the layers?
Hi Rita, If chilled properly, this cake isn’t difficult to slice at all. At least three hours in the fridge is best! Cleaning the knife between cutting slices helps, too.
Hi Sally! I have a silly math question for you: The very top of the post says: “…features 25 paper-thin homemade crepes…”. The description says: “This recipe yields a 50 layer 8-inch wide crepe cake.” The instructions say: “Yields about 28 crepes.”
I’m struggling with 25 crepes making a 50-layer crepe cake. Do I need to double the crepe recipe?
Thanks!
Hi Sue, The recipe yields about 28 crepes. Use 25 in this cake. It’s always convenient to have a few extra on hand if any crepes tear (or if you want to taste test!). Then you have 25 layers of the tiramisu filling. So 25 crepes plus 25 layers of filling = 50 layers 🙂
How many days does this tiramisu last?
Hi Gabriela, You can cover and chill the filling in the refrigerator for up to 1 day.
I appreciate all the hard work that went into this one! 24 layers!
Happy Cooking,
A Canuck Chef in the Netherlands
I wished I would have brushed a boozy wash on the crepes before putting the filling on. I made the cake a day ahead and the whole thing was so dry in spite of the generous filling. People raved about how beautiful the cake was but I was so disappointed with the texture/dryness.
Hey!
I made this for my 14th birthday cake and it was incredible! The textures all work together, and the flavors are classic! I will definitely be making this crepe cake and variations on it as well! Thank you Sally! You are a queen! I hope you and your family are well!
Intriguing to say the least. Wanted to make crepes and also tiramisu so this satisfied both. Was very good. Thank you for this unique recipe
What a showstopper!! Every Thanksgiving I make one of your recipes to mix up tradition with new & you never fail me. Sadly my family won’t be celebrating together this year so I’ll just have to make it anyway (shucks) freeze it & ship it to my daughter in TX. She’s got a few roommates & this way they can share some mom love from Illinois. Blessing to you & yours
WELL let’s see- I’ve made your Tiramisu recipe before, which is out of this world, and I made your crepes earlier this year, which were epic with your lemon curd. Excuse me while I wipe off my keyboard after drooling everywhere while reading about this recipe. It will be so wonderful over the holidays! I can’t wait to make (and post) it!!! What an awesome idea. I hope your sweet girls are doing well and that time is healing your heart after the last few difficult months. Still praying for you! Stay strong.
XO- Angela (Dulce_and_Desserts)
Thank you for the incredibly kind note, Angela! If you loved my Tiramisu and Crepe recipes, you’ll definitely enjoy this one. Can’t wait to hear how it goes for you!
I’ve always wondered why mille crepe cakes are so expensive, and now I see why! One hour just to cook the crepes…!? This may be one of the most labor-intensive no-bake desserts haha. But I really appreciate your thorough breakdown of the steps and the make-ahead tips. You are always so encouraging, even with the most intimidating recipes!
I concur with this statement. Took a long time and completely underestimated making 25×2 mins each crepe! But well worth it, my wife loved it for her birthday!
I roasted fresh coffee with green Mexico bean to full city roast and man what a difference that made to the flavour of the Tiramisu. If you get a chance to make this, try to use fresh roasted coffee! (Not to be confused with freshly brewed/ground)
Hey!
I’m very excited to try this recipe! Its combining 2 of my very favorite desserts! However i had a quick question. When you are stacking the crepes and filling, do the crepes slide around? Will there be a possibility of it falling over? Thank you!
Hi Tiana! Not at all. Crepes adhere wonderfully to the filling, making it pretty secure and stable.
Can you recommend a different filling? I want to make the cake but want one without caffeine or alcohol for kids. We love all your recipes! TY!
Hi Marie! See the section in the blog post under Tiramisu Filling. Whipped cream works wonderfully!
I’m planning to make this with a Nutella/mascarpone/whipped cream filling.
Can the cake be made without the coffee? The crepes sound wonderful but not so sure about espresso
Soooo happy your back
Hi Linda! It won’t have the same flavor as tiramisu without the coffee, but if you want an entirely different filling– use whipped cream instead. See the section in the blog post under Tiramisu Filling.