One of my favorite sweet treats got a lectin-free and plant paradox make-over, and I’m in seventh heaven. This is a lectin-free crepe cake made with my chestnut crepes recipe. The original name of this dessert tells a story (‘Cusma lui Guguta’ in Romanian). If you love crepes, you will love this pretty and funny-looking cake. It can do a great cooking project to work on with your kids. Also, you can easily personalize it to fit your vision and taste. Use a different jam or a different filling together, or use a mascarpone cream instead of the coconut cream.
This is a traditional Moldavian dessert that I got to know by going to one of my favorite places to eat in Bucharest, a Moldavian restaurant, with my besties every time I visit the town. They had the best chicken soups and, obviously, the best dessert. So not only do I love the dessert, but to me, this cake evokes lovely moments spent in Bucharest with some of my best friends. It’s been on my mind for a long time, and I was finally inspired to give it a lectin-free make-over.
Cusma lui Guguta
But let me tell you about the name first. The original name of this crepe cake is ‘Cusma lui Guguta’, which means ‘Guguta’s Hat’. Goguta is a kind, smart and funny little boy with an oversized, magical hat (a character in a children’s book by Moldavian writer Spiridon Vangheli). I guess its easy to see where the name is coming from.
While it looks so pretty and unique, it’s a pretty easy dessert to make. The most laborious part is to make the ten crepes, 5 minutes per crepe, which is not that bad. It’s like making crepes, with just a 10-minute extra effort to put it together this way.
How to make the crepe cake, Cusma lui Guguta
This is what this lectin-free crepe cake is made of:
- 10 lectin-free, chestnut crepes (no need for the rose water here, just use vanilla and lemon zest to flavor them)
- about 2 cups tart cherries fresh or jam (normal cherries can be used, I used 450 grams of frozen tart cherries)
- about 1 cup whipped coconut cream (sour cream or mascarpone cream can be used)
- a small piece of dark chocolate, grated
That is pretty straightforward, right? My lectin-free chestnut crepes are perfect for this dessert, but if you have any other lectin-free crepes recipe that works well, feel free to use it. You just need to whip some cold coconut cream with a powdered sweetener (I use inulin powder) to make coconut cream. If you can eat dairy, the original recipe is made with sour cream, so you can use a compliant organic sour cream. Or, even better, make a mascarpone cream by mixing Italian mascarpone with sour cream or organic heavy cream and a sweetener.
The filling can be quickly made at home. Simmer the frozen fruits, add a sweetener (I like to use inulin powder) and agar-agar for thickening (for this cake, you don’t want the jam runny).
Assembling the crepe cake
To assemble the cake, you have to start with filling the crepes with the filling and rolling them. You start with a base of four rolled crepes, add as much cream as you want in between the layers, and continue with three, two and one at the top of the pyramid. You can add as much or as little cream around it. Make sure there is enough to hold the layers together. Finish with grated chocolate on top. Refrigerate for a few hours before slicing and eating. Use a good, sharp knife to slice the cake. From this quantity, you can cut five portions. Anything less would be too thin and at risk to break.
The fun part starts when you slice the cake. It looks spectacular, and I don’t know about you, but it makes me happy to look at it.
A quick note about the taste of this lectin-free crepe cake; this cake is meant to taste a little sour. That’s why, traditionally, it is made with tart cherries and sour cream. Find the balance between sweet and sour that fits your taste buds.
Slice and enjoy!
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A sugar-free, lectin-free spin on a Moldavian traditional dessert: crepe cake. Make the crepes as per the recipe linked in the post above (it takes about 5 minutes per crepe). Make the cherry filling: simmer the cherries and inulin powder on low heat for about 20 minutes, add the agar-agar, mix well and let simmer for 5 more minutes. Let the jam cool down, it will thicken as it becomes cold. Make the coconut whipped cream by whipping cold coconut cream with inulin powder. It doesn't have to be super thick. Originally the cream used in this cake is actually sour cream (European style) so you can use an organic sour cream which is plant paradox compliant. To assemble the cake, you have to start with filling the crepes with the jam and rolling them. You start with a base of four rolled crepes, add as much cream as you want in between the layers, continue with three, two and one at the top of the pyramid. You can add as much or as little cream around it as you want, but make sure there is enough to hold the layers together. Finish with grated chocolate on top. Refrigerate for a few hours before slicing and eating. Use a good, sharp knife to slice the cake. From this quantity, you can cut 5 portions. Anything less would be too thin and risks to break. Sugar-free Crêpe Cake (Cusma lui Guguta)
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