Chocolate Crepe Cake with Pumpkin Mascarpone Cream Filling

Note: The crepes are cooked in a 6-inch skillet and produces 16 crepes. Larger skillets may be used but will produce fewer number of crepes resulting in a wider but shorter cake.

For the crepes: Combine flour, cocoa powder and salt in a small bowl. Set aside.

In a mixing bowl using an electric mixer, beat eggs and sugar until creamy. Add milk, butter and vanilla extract and beat until incorporated. Add the flour mixture and continue to beat until smooth. Allow to rest in the refrigerator for at least 20 minutes. In the meantime, prep the filling and candied pecans.

For the filling: Place mascarpone cheese, whipping cream, powdered sugar, and pumpkin pie spice in a medium mixing bowl. Starting on low and quickly increasing to high, beat until the mixture thickens and forms soft peaks when the beater is removed, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add pumpkin and a few drops of food coloring (optional) and mix to combine. Mixture will become slightly loose again. Beat for a minute or so until it thickens.

For the candied pecans: Preheat a small skillet on medium heat. Add butter and brown sugar. Stir to dissolve. Add pecans, cooking and stirring for 2 minutes. Spread pecans on a parchment lined tray. Allow to cool.

To cook the crepes: Preheat a 6-inch skillet on medium high. Smear some butter on the skillet. Add about 3 tablespoons of batter and swirl skillet to spread batter evenly on the bottom. Cook until the bottom sets and tiny bubbles form on batter (about 1 minute). Flip the crepe using a spatula. Cook the second side until set, about 30 seconds. If crepe browns too quickly, reduce heat. Place cooked crepe on a flat surface. Continue making crepes until all the batter is used up. Place the newly made crepes on top of the previous one, separated by a piece of parchment paper.

To assemble cake: Place a small dollop of filling in the middle of the cake platter and spread evenly. This is to prevent the crepe from sliding on the dish. Add a crepe. Spread a rounded 1/4 cup of filling on top, coming to within 1/4 inch of the edge. Repeat layering crepes and filling. Do not place filling over the last crepe.

Make the chocolate glaze. Place whipping cream and chocolate chips in a microwavable bowl. Microwave for 30 seconds. Stir. If mixture is not smooth, microwave for 15 seconds and stir. Allow to cool for a minute then gently pour glaze over cake. Use a spatula to spread it evenly allowing chocolate to cascade over the sides. Cover the top with a layer of candied pecans. Store refrigerated.

Notes:
1. If you have orange food coloring, add a little at a time until you get the desired shade. I don’t have orange, so I use a mixture of red and yellow. Start with a rounded 1/4 teaspoon of each which should produce a pale orange. To get a more intense shade, add more food coloring. If the color is a bit pink, add more yellow. If it is sallow, add a little more red.
2. To prevent the cake from tilting, especially while traveling, insert 2 to 3 evenly spaced wooden skewers into the cake, clipping them about an inch above the top. Remove before serving.