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By Root 920 0

Heat a crêpe pan or an 8-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat and spray with cooking spray. Add 3 tablespoons crêpe batter to the skillet and immediately tilt and swirl the skillet to spread the batter evenly over the bottom. Cook until the center of the crêpe is cooked through and the edges are lightly browned, about 1 minute. Gently flip and cook the other side for 20 seconds. Invert the crêpe onto the prepared plate. Repeat with the remaining batter, spraying the pan with cooking spray and placing parchment paper between crêpes. The crêpes can be made 1 day in advance, covered, and refrigerated.

10. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

11. Place the crêpes, pale side up, on a flat surface and spread about 3 tablespoons of the lemon curd down the center of each crêpe. Using a slotted spoon, top the curd with some of the blueberry compote (reserve the leftover blueberry syrup), then roll up each crêpe. Arrange the crêpes, seam side down, on the baking sheet, brush the tops with a little of the brown butter, and sprinkle with a little confectioners’ sugar. Heat in the oven until just warm, 1 to 2 minutes.

12. Drizzle some of the brown butter and blueberry compote syrup onto 6 large plates. Place 2 crêpes on each plate, drizzle the tops with a little more of the brown butter and some of the blueberry syrup, and garnish with mint if desired.

BROWN BUTTER

Makes about ½ cup

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, quartered

Pinch of kosher salt

Combine the butter and salt in a medium sauté pan over medium-high heat and cook, swirling the pan several times, until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Serve hot.

German’s Chocolate Cake

GERMAN’S CHOCOLATE CAKE

COCONUT-PECAN-CAJETA FROSTING

German’s Chocolate Cake is every bit as American as apple pie. German refers not to the country but rather to the last name of the originator of the type of chocolate used in the original recipe—Baker’s German’s Sweet Chocolate. I’ve kept the essentials of the classic recipe in place—chocolate cake layered with caramel, coconut, and pecans—but tweaked them just enough to proudly call this version my own. The cake itself is dark, moist, and truly chocolaty, and a glaze of chocolate ganache heightens the chocolate flavor without the overpowering sweetness of a traditional buttercream frosting. The real twist is found in the cake’s inner layers: my caramel of choice is cajeta, a liquid dulce de leche Mexican treat of sweetened goat’s milk cooked into a rich, syrupy caramel with smooth coconut milk. And forget a scoop of vanilla ice cream; fluffy coconut whipped cream is the last touch in this to-die-for dessert.

Makes 1 (9-inch) layer cake

Chocolate Cake

12 tablespoons (1½ sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for the pans

2¼ cups all-purpose flour

3 teaspoons baking powder

¾ teaspoon baking soda

¾ teaspoon fine salt

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsweetened Dutch-processed cocoa powder

1½ cups packed light muscovado sugar

1½ cups granulated sugar

1½ cups strong brewed black coffee, at room temperature

1½ cups buttermilk

3 large eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Frosting

1¾ cups whole milk

1¾ cups canned unsweetened coconut milk

1 cup goat’s milk or additional whole milk

¾ cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar

Seeds scraped from ½ vanilla bean

2 tablespoons light corn syrup

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces, chilled

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

⅛ teaspoon fine salt

2 teaspoons coconut rum (optional)

1¼ cups coarsely chopped pecans, toasted

1¼ cups sweetened shredded coconut

Ganache

1 cup heavy cream

8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

2 tablespoons light corn syrup

½ cup sweetened shredded coconut, toasted, for garnish

Coconut Whipped Cream, for serving

1. To bake the cake, center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 325°F. Butter two 9-inch cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper.

2. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl.

3. Melt the 12 tablespoons butter in a medium