This delectable creation features thin layers of delicate crepes flavored with dragon fruits and interlaced with a luscious filling and shaped into a rolled towel, resulting in a visually stunning and mouthwatering dessert.
What is crepe roll cake or towel cake?
Crepe roll cakes have a rich history, with their origins traced back to Europe. The technique of rolling crepes into a cake-like form is believed to have been inspired by the classic French dessert, Gâteau de Crêpes. However, it was the Japanese who truly embraced this culinary delight and gave it the name “towel cake” due to its resemblance to a rolled towel.
Dragon Fruit Crepe Roll Cake / Towel Cake
Ingredients
- 90 g unsalted butter melted, divided
- 3 large eggs
- 35 g sugar
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 150 g cake flour
- 10 g almond flour
- 240 g whole milk
- 130 g dragon fruit
Filling:
- 300 g heavy cream
- 40 g icing sugar plus more for dusting
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 75 g dragon fruit puree
- Dragon fruit cut into cubes
Instructions
Prepare the batter:
- Melt the butter in a small saucepan. Measure out 50 grams of melted butter to be used in the recipe and the rest for cooking. Let it cool off to just warm before preparing the batter
- Place all the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Add a small drop of red food coloring to make the batter pink more noticeable, but not too much that it turns red. Otherwise, you can skip the coloring if you prefer not to use
- Transfer to a bowl and cover. Let it rest in the fridge for at least 2 hours. If you can rest it overnight, that's even better. The batter can be kept for 24 hours in the fridge
Prepare whipped cream:
- On the day you plan to serve the crepe, prepare the whipped cream. Put one dragon fruit in a blender and puree. You don't need to strain the mixture. Measure out the amount you need. You will have leftovers that you can eat 🙂
- Place all ingredients for whipped cream, except for the dragon fruit, in a mixer bowl and whip on medium-high speed (6 on Kitchen Aid) until it has a medium firm peak, it will hold its shape but still a bit at a softer side. Add the dragon fruit puree and whip until it has a firm peak, but not too stiff that the mixture turns grainy. Cover and let it chill in the refrigerator while you are cooking the crepes
Cook the crepes:
- Bring the crepes out to room temperature (30 minutes) before you start cooking. Prepare a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Preheat a 10-inch non-stick pan with sloping sides and an 8-inch base (so it makes 8-inch crepe). Wipe the pan with a folded paper towel dipped in melted butter.
- Give the batter a stir. Pour a little over 1/4 cup of batter in the middle of the pan and immediately swirl to let the batter cover the surface of the pan. Let it cook until it is lightly golden brown over medium heat, about 1 minute and then gently flip over to cook for another 5 seconds and remove from pan to baking sheet. Do not stack the hot crepes on top of each other yet. The crepes cool down quickly though, so I stacked up the crepes after they cool down (because I'm running out of space). Continue cooking the rest of the batter. You should get about 18-20 crepes. Try to get an even number of crepes if possible. The first few may be your "practice crepes". So do take that into account
Assembling:
- Place two crepes on a work surface next to each other, overlapping slightly on the side, then place the next two overlapping by about 1-inch on top of the first two crepes. Continue with the next crepes, overlapping them by about 1-inch. So we work with 8 crepes at a time. I used two crepes next to each other so the roll will be wider
- Spread the whipped cream on the surface, leaving about 1/2-inch on the two sides. Arrange some cubes of dragon fruit horizontally at the center of the first crepe, the one near you. Carefully roll the crepe over the fruit and continue rolling it up firmly until you almost reach the end, about 1-inch left. Place the rest of the crepes, overlapping in the same manner. Spread more cream, then continue to roll until it reaches the end
- Gently transfer and place it on top of a large parchment paper. Cover the roll with the parchment roll over it and use a scraper to tighthen the roll slightly. Place it on a flat serving plate and chilled the cake in the fridge for at least 2-3 hours
Serving:
- Trim off the two edges of the roll to make it looks neat. Dust with some powdered sugar on top and cut into serving sizes. Store the leftovers in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 3 days
Recommended products:
How to make dragon fruit crepe roll cake
1. Melt the butter in a small saucepan. Measure out 50 grams of melted butter to be used in the recipe and the rest for cooking. Let it cool off to just warm before preparing the batter
2. Place all the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Add a small drop of red food coloring to make the batter pink more noticeable, but not too much that it turns red. Otherwise, you can skip the coloring if you prefer not to use. Transfer to a bowl and cover. Let it rest in the fridge for at least 2 hours. If you can rest it overnight, that’s even better. The batter can be kept for 24 hours in the fridge
3. On the day you plan to serve the crepe, prepare the whipped cream. Put one dragon fruit in a blender and puree. You don’t need to strain the mixture. Measure out the amount you need. You will have leftovers that you can eat. Place all ingredients for whipped cream, except for the dragon fruit, in a mixer bowl and whip on medium-high speed (6 on Kitchen Aid) until it has a medium firm peak, it will hold its shape but still a bit at a softer side. 
4. Add the dragon fruit puree and whip until it has a firm peak, but not too stiff that the mixture turns grainy. Cover and let it chill in the refrigerator while you are cooking the crepes
5. Bring the crepes out to room temperature (30 minutes) before you start cooking. Prepare a baking sheet with a cooling rack on top. Preheat a 10-inch non-stick pan with sloping sides and an 8-inch base (so it makes 8-inch crepe). Wipe the pan with a folded paper towel dipped in melted butter.
6. Give the batter a stir. Pour a little over 1/4 cup of batter in the middle of the pan and immediately swirl to let the batter cover the surface of the pan. Let it cook until it is lightly golden brown over medium heat, about 1 minute and then gently flip over to cook for another 5 seconds 
7. Remove from pan to a cooling rack. Continue cooking the rest of the batter. You should get about 18-20 crepes. Try to get an even number of crepes if possible. The first few may be your “practice crepes”. So do take that into account
8. Place two crepes on a work surface next to each other, overlapping slightly on the side, then place the next two overlapping by about 1-inch on top of the first two crepes. Continue with the next crepes, overlapping them by about 1-inch. So we work with 8 crepes at a time. I used two crepes next to each other so the roll will be wider
9. Spread the whipped cream on the surface, leaving about 1/2-inch on the two sides. 
10. Arrange some cubes of dragon fruit horizontally at the center of the first crepe, the one near you. 
11. Carefully roll the crepe over the fruit and continue rolling it up firmly until you almost reach the end, about 1-inch left. 
12. Place the rest of the crepes, overlapping in the same manner. Spread more cream, then continue to roll until it reaches the end
13. Gently transfer and place it on top of a large parchment paper. Cover the roll with the parchment roll over it and use a scraper to tighten the roll slightly. Place it on a flat serving plate and chilled the cake in the fridge for at least 2-3 hours
14. Trim off the two edges of the roll to make it looks neat. Dust with some powdered sugar on top and cut into serving sizes. Store the leftovers in the fridge for up to 5 days
Tips for Success
1. Rest the batter: Resting the batter allows the flour to be hydrated and less likely to tear when you cook it
2. Spread melted butter thinly on the pan: This is to prevent sticking. We don’t want too much butter that it may brown the crepes too much
3. Maintain consistent heat: To achieve evenly cooked crepes, it’s essential to keep the pan at a consistent temperature. Adjust the heat as needed to prevent burning or undercooking.
4. Let the crepes cool: Allow the cooked crepes to cool completely before spreading the filling. This prevents the filling from melting and ensures the cake holds its shape.
5. Roll gently: When assembling the cake, roll the crepes gently to avoid tearing or squishing the filling. Take your time and be patient to create a neat and uniform spiral.
How to store leftover crepe roll cake
Transfer them to an air-tight container and keep in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Can a crepe roll cake be frozen?
Since this crepe cake is filled with whipped cream only without any custard cream, it can be kept frozen. Partially freeze it by putting it on a baking sheet. Freeze for about 1 hour. Slice into serving slices and then wrap individual slices with a cling wrap. Since it is partially frozen it won’t be messy. Keep them frozen in a freezer-friendly bag or container. Thaw in the fridge before serving. Please note that the dragon fruit piece may turn mushy after thawing.
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