I believe Valentine’s Day recipes should whisper love, not shout. They should be sweet, but not fussy. Something you can make while still wearing your robe, with a cup of coffee in hand, before the day truly begins.
This Rose Crepe Cake recipe feels like a small act of devotion. A delicate crepe, folded into a blooming rose, filled with silky Nutella. The batter is just flour, eggs, milk, and a dash of melted butter; the recipe was deceptively simple.
Then comes the simple fold. Rolling it gently, then coiling it into a rose. It never fails to feel like a tiny miracle. From a simple circle, a symbol of love blooms right there on my spatula.
Plating it is my favorite part. A single rose on a favorite tall glass, 2 or 3 mint leaves nestled beside it. It’s a small scene set just for two.
Because that’s what this day is truly about, isn’t it? Not grand, overwhelming gestures, but the intimate, handmade ones. It’s wholesome, warm, a little bit decadent, and shaped with all the love I have to give.
Happy Valentine’s Day.
Valentine’s Day Red Velvet Crepe Cake
PRINT RECIPE PIN RECIPEIngredients
Crepe Batter
- 2 egg
- 40 g sugar
- 90 g cake flour
- 2 tsp cocoa powder
- a pinch of salt
- 260 g milk (room temperature)
- 25 g unsalted butter, melted (plus more for pan)
- mint leaves
- red food coloring
Filling
- Nutella
INSTRUCTIONS
- In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, and salt.
- In a separate large bowl, whisk the egg and sugar until fully combined. Add the flour mixture to the egg, and whisk until no dry flour remains and the mixture is smooth and thick, like a paste.
- Pour in the milk in two additions, then add the melted butter and red food coloring. Whisk until the batter is smooth and thin.
- Pour the batter through a fine-mesh sieve into another bowl to remove any lumps of flour or egg.
Cook the Crêpes
- Heat a non-stick skillet (24 cm / 10 inches) over medium-low heat. The pan is ready when a drop of water sizzles immediately.
- Use a ladle or a 1/4-cup measuring cup to scoop and quickly pour the batter into the center of the hot pan. Immediately lift the pan off the heat and swirl it in a circular motion so the batter thinly and evenly coats the entire bottom. If there is too much batter, pour the excess back into a bowl.
- Return the pan to the heat. Cook for about 2–2.5 minutes, depending on the thickness, until bubbles rise to the surface and the edges look dry and begin to lift slightly.
- Run a spatula underneath the crêpe to loosen it, then gently lift it and slide it onto a plate or cooling rack. Repeat with the remaining batter until you have about 10–12 crêpes.
Assemble the Crepe Cake
- Stack the crêpes and use a 3-inch cookie cutter to cut out small crêpes. I made four cuts per stack. You will need 40 small crêpes in total for two roses (20 crêpes per rose).
- Place the crêpes clean side down (the side that didn’t touch the pan). Use a piping bag to pipe Nutella on top, then spread it into an even layer with an offset spatula, leaving a small border for a neater finish. Repeat with the remaining crêpes.
- Fold each crêpe in half to form a semicircle.
- On a flat surface, stack five semicircle crêpes slightly overlapping to form a strip. Spread Nutella evenly over the bottom of the strip, then roll it up from one end to the other to form a rosebud.
- Spread Nutella on the bottom edge of the remaining 15 semicircle crêpes (each rose uses 20 semicircles), then gently press them around the outside of the rosebud to form the petals. The first rose is now complete.
- Repeat the process to make the second rose.
- Place the roses in a serving cup and decorate with a few mint leaves.
- Refrigerate the cakes for 15-30 minutes to set.
- Enjoy!