Sweet Eats:: Martha's Darkest Chocolate Crepe Cake

Baking & mucking around in the kitchen for the past few years has been my most favourite form of relaxation... putting on my apron and concentrating on the whirring of my beautiful red Kitchen Aid just gets my mind off things. This seems to have changed this year with the baking-skills- stretching "Martha Challenge". It isn't as therapeutic as I thought it would be. In fact it is more like endurance baking! 36 crepes later and all I can say is RSI! I am a bit awe of "others" who are completing this challenge on their lonesome.


After 8 hours or so, and much giggling our leaning tower of "Darkest Chocolate Crepe Cake" was finally finished and ready to present to our hubbies for their respective birthdays. We had really been looking forward to making this cake and thought they would be blown away by our efforts. Maybe it was because the cake was leaning like a drunk auntie on a night out or because they where watching "Alien Vs Predator" at the time, we found their responses where very ...nonplussed! We even sang for them!

And maybe it was because it tasted a bit like congealed cream and butter wedged between soft pancakes that we didn't blow them away! We were disappointed to find it just didn't taste that great, no real variation in textures.

A few things I learnt whilst making this cake...

1. Don't underestimate Fran Drescher : I saw her on TV making it with Martha. Surely "if the nanny can make this cake so can we" I thought!

2. The average crepe maker deserves more credit : In Paris the street vendors of crepes spread the batter so thin and they certainly don't make any holes. I made lots & lots of holes.

3. Chopsticks are my best friend: All the older Chinese women cook with them- from steam fish to omelets. Crepes have to be added to the list... nothing unfurls those little suckers like a pair of chop sticks.

4. Skewers are my 2nd best friend: When Nicky was slapping together the 32 crepes they did the splits. The bottom just started sliding away. There was a bit of hysterical giggling. Four skewers later and those crepes weren't going anywhere. You can just see them in this picture.


5. Martha loves butter: Acutally I already knew this. But I can't get over it.


6. Hazelnut Praline decorative toppers are easy!: This was the best bit and only took a few minutes.



Well, click "here" to see Martha's amazing creation.

And here is our lopsided "dopey side kick" version!



Two cakes next month... again something new for me & Nicky, a pumpkin cheese cake. T