Decadent Vegan Dulce de Leche Mille Crêpe Cake with Coconut Whipped Cream

Prepare to create an extraordinary dessert that will captivate both your taste buds and your guests! This exquisite vegan mille crêpe cake brings together delicate, thin crepes, luxurious coconut whipped cream, and a rich, homemade dulce de leche topping. Whether you affectionately call it gâteau de crêpes, mille crêpe, or simply a crepe cake, this layered masterpiece is guaranteed to be a beautiful and impressively delicious centerpiece for any celebration or a delightful treat for an indulgent evening. Dive into the art of making this dairy-free marvel, where every forkful promises a symphony of textures and flavors.

Understanding the Elegance of a Crepe Cake

A crepe cake, known internationally as gâteau de crêpes or mille crêpe, is an architectural marvel of the dessert world. As its name suggests, it’s a cake constructed entirely from thin, tender crepes, carefully layered with a rich, creamy filling. Unlike traditional cakes that rely on spongy baked batter, a crepe cake offers a unique, delicate texture that is both light and satisfying. Each layer of crepe contributes to an incredibly soft mouthfeel, creating a dessert that feels surprisingly airy despite its impressive height. The beauty of a mille crêpe lies in its simplicity and the stunning visual effect of its numerous, evenly stacked layers. This dessert is perfect for those seeking something distinct and elegant, a refreshing alternative to conventional baked goods.

Crafting Your Own Homemade Vegan Dulce de Leche

Dulce de leche, a beloved Latin American caramel, traditionally involves slowly cooking down milk and sugar until it transforms into a thick, golden-brown, and intensely flavorful spread. While readily available in stores, making dulce de leche at home offers a superior depth of flavor and a rewarding culinary experience. The most common DIY method involves cooking a can of sweetened condensed milk, usually in a slow cooker, which gently caramelizes the sugars over several hours.

For our vegan rendition, we’ll be using a brilliant alternative: sweetened condensed coconut milk. This specific recipe calls for Nature’s Charm sweetened condensed coconut milk, transforming it into a rich, dairy-free dulce de leche right in your oven. This unique baking method, inspired by expert culinary resources, ensures a consistent, deeply caramelized flavor without constant supervision. The result is a wonderfully creamy and naturally sweet vegan caramel that perfectly complements the delicate crepes and light coconut whipped cream.

To embark on this caramel-making journey, begin by preheating your oven to a precise 450°F (230°C). Carefully pour the entire can of sweetened condensed coconut milk into a 9-inch round baking pan, then cover it snugly and completely with aluminum foil. This foil seal is crucial for creating a steaming environment that allows the milk to caramelize slowly without burning. Next, place this round pan into a larger baking pan. Fill the larger pan with enough hot water to reach approximately halfway up the sides of the smaller pan. This water bath (bain-marie) ensures gentle, even cooking, preventing the dulce de leche from scorching and contributing to its silky smooth texture. Bake for 1½ hours, checking halfway through to ensure the water level remains consistent; add more hot water if necessary to maintain the ideal steaming environment. Once baked, carefully remove the round pan from the water bath, discard the foil, and allow the homemade vegan dulce de leche to cool completely. As it cools, it will thicken to the perfect, luscious consistency, ready to be drizzled over your magnificent crepe cake.

Mastering the Art of Vegan Crepe Making

Creating perfect vegan crepes is a foundational step for this impressive cake. The key lies in a smooth, lump-free batter and precise cooking. To start, combine all your crepe ingredients – flour, a pinch of salt, a hint of cinnamon for warmth, baking powder for a subtle lift, olive oil for tenderness, and almond milk for liquid – into a blender. Blend thoroughly until the mixture is silky smooth. If your blender is on the smaller side or you prefer a traditional approach, simply whisk the dry ingredients (flour, salt, cinnamon, and baking powder) in a large bowl. Gradually incorporate the wet ingredients (almond milk and olive oil) while continuously whisking to prevent lumps. For ultimate smoothness, always pass the prepared crepe batter through a fine-mesh sieve, catching any tiny imperfections. Once your batter is perfect, cover it and let it rest in the refrigerator for at least an hour. This resting period is vital; it allows the flour to fully hydrate and the gluten to relax, resulting in more pliable, tear-resistant crepes that are easier to cook.

Once the batter has rested, it’s time to cook. Heat a lightly oiled nonstick pan over medium heat. The pan shouldn’t be too hot, as this can lead to uneven cooking or burnt edges. Pour approximately ¼ cup (60ml) of the crepe batter into the center of the pan, then immediately swirl the pan to evenly coat the bottom with a thin layer of batter. Cook each crepe for about one to two minutes per side, until golden brown and slightly crisp at the edges. Don’t be discouraged if your first few crepes aren’t perfect; they’re often considered “practice crepes” and are great for snacking! As each crepe finishes cooking, transfer it to a wire rack and gently cover it with a clean tea towel to keep it warm and moist while you continue with the rest of the batch. This recipe yields enough batter for approximately 26 crepes, significantly more than the 18 required for the cake, providing a generous buffer for any less-than-perfect attempts or extra crepes for snacking. In fact, on my first attempt at making crepes, I learned this lesson the hard way, ruining about 8 or 9 before getting the hang of it!

Should you find yourself blessed with beginner’s luck or already be a seasoned crepe artisan, leaving you with extra crepes, rejoice! These delicious extras are perfect for breakfast or a light snack. My son, Hugo, absolutely adored his surplus crepes, enjoying them with sliced bananas and a dollop of peanut butter – a simple yet delightful treat!

The Luscious Layers: Vegan Coconut Whipped Cream

Traditionally, a mille crêpe cake is filled with a rich pastry cream, but for this recipe, we opt for a lighter, equally decadent, and completely vegan alternative: coconut whipped cream. This choice not only keeps the dessert dairy-free but also infuses a subtle, tropical flavor that beautifully complements the dulce de leche. I highly recommend using Nature’s Charm coconut whipping cream. Unlike regular coconut milk, this specialized product is formulated with a touch of coconut oil, making it inherently sturdier and easier to whip into firm peaks, ensuring your cake layers hold up beautifully. A significant advantage is that you can whip the entire can of cream, rather than just scooping out the solidified fat from a regular can of chilled coconut milk, which often yields less volume and can be less consistent.

For this recipe, one can of coconut whipping cream provides a conservative yet satisfying amount of cream between the crepe layers, allowing the delicate crepes and the rich dulce de leche to truly shine. However, if you’re a true cream enthusiast or desire a more dramatic presentation, consider doubling the amount of coconut whipping cream. This would allow for thicker layers of cream, creating an even more luxurious mouthfeel, or even enable you to completely cover the exterior of the cake with whipped cream, giving it the appearance of a more conventional cake. Imagine the delightful surprise on your guests’ faces when they cut into what seems like a standard cake, only to discover a stunning mosaic of delicate crepe layers within!

Once your crepes are cooked and cooled, and your coconut whipped cream is light and fluffy, it’s time for the grand assembly. Begin by placing a single crepe on your chosen cake stand or serving plate. Spread a thin, even layer of coconut whipped cream over the crepe, then gently top it with another crepe. Continue this layering process, alternating between crepe and cream, until you have used up all your whipped cream, ensuring the final layer on top is a plain crepe. The grand finale involves generously pouring your homemade vegan dulce de leche over the entire top surface of the cake, allowing it to artfully cascade down the sides. And just like that, you have created a stunning, impressive, and utterly delicious dessert! If you’re seeking a unique alternative to traditional cakes that still delivers on elegance and flavor, this vegan dulce de leche mille crêpe cake is an absolute must-try.

Don’t forget to pin the inspiring images below the recipe to save this delicious idea for later, and be sure to follow me on Pinterest for more amazing vegan recipes!

Craving more impressive dairy-free desserts? Be sure to explore my delightful vegan pumpkin pie or my indulgent vegan salted caramel chocolate cupcakes!

SAVE TO PINTEREST FOR LATER!

Disclosure – A heartfelt thank you to Nature’s Charm for their generous sponsorship of this post! It is truly a pleasure and an honor to collaborate with a company whose values I deeply admire and whose inspiring products make delicious vegan creations possible. I am proud to be working with them on this and other culinary adventures!