Napoleon Cake with Puff Pastry
The Napoleon is a many-layered cake of crisp puff pastry sheets layered with tender pastry cream. This version is less sweet than the ones our grandmothers baked: the restrained cream lets the flavor of the fresh berries that crown the cake come through better. Pastry cream and puff pastry are a pair made for each other: the cream softens the layers just enough to melt in the mouth while keeping a light crispness.
The cake’s name is linked in different countries either to Napoleon Bonaparte or to the city of Naples (the millefeuille, “thousand leaves,” is the French forefather of the dessert). In the post-Soviet tradition, the Napoleon is invariably made with many layers and given a full day to soak through. Here the dough is divided into 16 thin layers that are baked one at a time, hence the considerable preparation time.
A few tips: Let the cake soak for at least a few hours, and preferably overnight in the fridge; the layers will soften and the flavor will become more harmonious. When making the cream, do not bring it to a boil after adding the eggs or they will curdle; keep it over the lowest heat and stir constantly with a whisk. The berries (strawberries, blueberries, raspberries) can be replaced with a berry sauce for a more pronounced flavor.
Serve chilled, cutting with a sharp knife so the layers do not crumble. It keeps in the fridge for up to 2-3 days; dust with powdered sugar right before serving, as it gets absorbed into the moist cream.
Part of French cuisine — 22 more recipes in the section.
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Ingredients
Instructions
Divide the dough into 16 squares. Dusting the rolling pin and work surface well with flour, roll each square into a thin layer the size of your baking sheet.
Bake the layers one at a time in an oven preheated to 200 C on a buttered baking sheet, about 15 minutes each.
Meanwhile, make the cream. Bring the milk together with the cream and sugar to a boil. Immediately reduce the heat to its lowest and stir in the flour and cornstarch. Whisk thoroughly so there are no lumps. Then, still working the whisk, add the eggs one at a time. The cream must not boil at this point under any circumstances! Stir the cream thoroughly until smooth and uniform and, stirring, keep it over the heat for another 5-7 minutes until it thickens.
Assemble the cake on the platter you will serve it on: stack the cooled layers one on top of another, spreading each layer with cream. Dust the top of the cake with powdered sugar and garnish with fresh berries and mint leaves.
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