First, you want to prepare the batter for the crepes. It is best to do this the night before. Regardless, make sure that you chill it for at least an hour before preparing the crepes.

Combine the eggs, milk, 1 cup granulated sugar, and vanilla in an electric mixer until frothy. With the mixer running, add the flour and salt. Mix until completely incorporated. Cover and chill. I like to let the batter chill overnight. *You will need an electric mixer to prepare the custard, so you may want to transfer the batter to another bowl.

Next prepare the custard - you can do this the night before. Place the strawberries on a parchment lined baking sheet, dust them with 1 tablespoon of sugar, and place in a 350 degree oven to roast. The roasting time depends on how ripe and juicy the berries are. Roast the berries until they are soft and fragrant and just starting to release their juices. This will take 20 minutes for really fresh juicy strawberries, and about 30 minutes for less ripe berries.

Once the strawberries are roasted, place them in a blender and puree. Then pour through a fine mesh strainer to remove the seeds. Set aside.

Pour the milk, cream, vanilla, and salt into a large saucepan. Cut up the butter and add it to the saucepan. Heat over medium heat, until the butter is melted and the mixture is warm. Stir occasionally.

While the milk mixture is heating, pour the egg yolks and remaining sugar into the bowl of an electric mixer. Beat on a medium speed for 3 minutes, until it reaches a very light yellow color. Add the cornstarch and mix until it is completely incorporated.

With the mixer running on a low speed, slowly add the milk mixture, and then the roasted strawberry puree. As soon as everthing is mixed together, return the mixture to the large saucepan. Heat over medium heat while whisking constantly. Bring to a slow bubble and continue to whisk for 6 minutes while the mixture thickens. If you suspect any lumps, run the custard through a fine mesh strainer. (Mine wasn't lumpy and running the custard through a strainer seemed like an unnecessary step).

Pour the custard into a bowl, cover the surface of the custard with plastic wrap, and place in the oven to chill completely. If you want to speed up this process, pour the custard into a few smaller containers, instead of into one large container. You need to let the custard chill completely before you assemble the crepe cake.

To prepare the crepes, find a skillet, spatula, whisk, a 1/4 cup measuring cup, a small bowl, and pastry brush. You want to create a little assembly station. On one side place the batter, with the whisk in it so you can whisk the batter up as necessary. Melt the butter, and place the pastry brush beside it. Lastly, find two plates where you can stack the crepes.

Heat the skillet over medium heat. Once hot, brush a very thin layer of butter over the skillet. Pour 1/4 cup of batter into the center of the skillet. Hold the skillet with your dominant hand and slowly tilt the skillet in a circular motion lettting the batter spread out forming the crepe. After about 45 seconds or so the first side of the crepe should be a very light golden brown. Use the spatula to flip the crepe. The crepes are not as delicate as you may expect, none of mine tore. Let the second side of the crepe cook for about 30 seconds until lightly golden brown. Place on a plate and let the crepe cool.

Follow this same process of adding butter, adding batter, spreading the batter out, letting the first side become lightly browned, flipping the crepe, and letting the second side brown until you have used all of the batter. You should end up with 25 crepes. Let the crepes cool until they are no longer steaming and then loosely wrap with plastic wrap and place in the fridge to chill for an hour or so.

Now that you have chilled the crepes and the roasted strawberry custard, it is time to assemble the crepe cake! Finally! Gather a cake plate, or any plate large enough to hold the crepes, a 1/4 cup measuring cup, a knife or an offset spatula, the crepes and the custard. Place the first crepe on the plate. Top with 1/4 cup of custard and spread the custard out in an even layer until it is an inch from the edge of the crepe. Top with another crepe.

Follow this process of adding crepes and 1/4 cup of custard and spreading it out until you have used all of your crepes. You can decorate with strawberries and mint, or freshly whipped cream.

Important notes regarding assembling the crepe cake: Again, you need all of the ingredients to be completely chilled before assembling, otherwise the cake may slide apart or fall over. Don't use more than 1/4 cup of custard, too much custard can also cause the layers of the crepe to slide apart. If the cake is trying to fall apart at any point, place it in the fridge for 30 minutes. Chilling the cake helps the layers stick together. After letting the cake chill, resume assembly.