If you’ve visited New Orleans during Mardi Gras—or any time of year—you know how central King Cake is to the city’s food culture. This festive ring-shaped, yeasted cake, traditionally decorated with bold purple, gold, and green sugar, is a staple of pre-Lenten celebrations. Hidden inside is a tiny baby figurine; the person who finds it is crowned King or Queen for the evening, enjoys good luck for the year, and traditionally provides the cake the next celebration.
While I love the classic King Cake, this year I wanted a lighter, less flashy take that still honors the tradition. The result is a Crepe King Cake: stacked paper-thin crepes filled with an airy mascarpone whipped cream and finished with jewel-toned sparkling sugar. I kept the Mardi Gras spirit by coloring my own sugars with natural food coloring and Bob’s Red Mill sparkling sugar for subtle shine. And of course, the tiny baby Jesus figurine is tucked into the layers for the lucky finder.
The crepe recipe I used is my favorite Best Basic Crepes. The batter is blended until frothy and silky, which produces delicate, lacy crepes when cooked in a thin, shallow pan. I layer each crepe with a couple of heaping tablespoons of mascarpone whipped cream flavored with a kiss of cinnamon, then repeat until I have about a dozen layers. A final dollop of whipped cream and a stripe of purple, green, and gold sparkling sugar make the cake festive without overpowering the delicate flavors.
If you don’t have store-bought baby figurines or glittery sprinkles, don’t worry—this crepe cake stands well on its own. The light crepes and the mascarpone filling make for an elegant, festive dessert that still feels like Mardi Gras. It has become a new Fat Tuesday tradition in our home, and it’s a lovely way to celebrate if you can’t make it to The Big Easy.
Recipe
Crepe King Cake
- Author: Becky Sue of Baking The Goods
- Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Yield: 12
Description
Thin layers of Best Basic Crepes are stacked with an airy mascarpone whipped cream gently flavored with cinnamon. The cake is finished with naturally dyed sparkling sugar in purple, green, and gold—a modern take on King Cake that preserves the playful tradition of a hidden Baby Jesus figurine and Mardi Gras colors.
Ingredients
DIY COLORED SUGAR SPRINKLES
- 6 tablespoons sparkling or granulated sugar
- 2–3 drops each natural yellow, green, and purple food coloring (or red + blue to make purple)
- 3 small plastic baggies
BEST BASIC CREPES
- 4 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 ⅓ cups whole milk
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 ⅓ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted (for brushing skillet)
MASCARPONE WHIPPED CREAM
- 1 ½ cups mascarpone, room temperature
- 1 ½ cups cold heavy whipping cream
- 6 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
WHIPPED CREAM
- ½ cup heavy whipping cream
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
DIY COLORED SUGAR SPRINKLES
- Add 2 tablespoons of sparkling or granulated sugar to each of three small plastic baggies.
- Add 2–3 drops of the desired natural food coloring to each bag, seal, and gently squish until the sugar is evenly colored. Add more drops to deepen the hue if needed. For purple, mix red and blue if you don’t have purple on hand.
- Leave the colored sugars in the baggies until ready to use.
BEST BASIC CREPES
- Blend the eggs, milk, sugar, and vanilla in a blender for a few minutes until smooth and frothy.
- Add the flour, cinnamon, and salt, and blend just until combined. Cover and chill the batter at least 1 hour or up to 2 days.
- Heat a medium nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and brush with melted butter. Pour about ¼ cup batter into the skillet and swirl to coat the bottom thinly and evenly.
- Cook until bubbles form and the edges are golden and lacy, about 2–3 minutes. Use a spatula to loosen and flip, then cook 30 seconds to 1 minute more until lightly browned. Transfer to a plate and repeat with remaining batter, letting crepes cool to room temperature.
MASCARPONE WHIPPED CREAM
- In a stand mixer fitted with a whisk, whip the mascarpone on medium-high for about a minute. Gradually add the heavy cream and sugar and continue whipping until light and fluffy, one to two minutes. Fold in vanilla and cinnamon with a spatula.
WHIPPED CREAM
- Chill the mixer bowl if possible. Whip the cold heavy cream with sugar and vanilla on medium-high until light and fluffy, about a minute or two. Keep chilled until assembly.
ASSEMBLING THE CREPE CAKE
- On a cake stand or flat plate, layer one crepe, then spread 2 heaping tablespoons of mascarpone whipped cream to the edges. Repeat, stacking crepes and filling until you have about 12 layers. Tuck a small plastic Baby Jesus figurine between the layers for the finder to discover.
- Top the stack with a generous dollop of whipped cream and spread evenly over the top.
- Sift or sprinkle the purple, green, and gold sparkling sugars in stripes across the top to mimic King Cake colors.
- Serve immediately or chill the assembled cake for a few hours or overnight before serving.
Notes
* The crepes are based on the Best Basic Crepes technique—blend until frothy and chill the batter for lighter results.
* You can substitute store-bought colored sugar sprinkles if you prefer not to color your own.
* The fully assembled cake can be refrigerated for a few hours up to overnight.
- Prep Time: 45 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: Cake
