Napoleon Cake
If you’re looking for a dessert that’s both elegant and surprisingly doable at home, this Easy Napoleon Cake is the perfect choice. Made with delicate, flaky layers of puff pastry and a silky-smooth custard cream, it’s a true showstopper that tastes as good as it looks. While it may seem like a bakery-style dessert, this recipe breaks everything down into simple, approachable steps, so you can recreate the classic at home without stress. Each bite delivers the perfect balance of buttery pastry and creamy filling, finished with a light crumb coating and a touch of fruit for freshness.
Ingredients
For the Crust
- 320 g butter 82–85%, very cold
- 420 g flour
- 1 egg
- 130 ml cold water
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tbsp vinegar 9%
For the Cream
- 800 ml milk
- 3 eggs
- 200 g sugar
- 70 g cornstarch
- 400 ml heavy cream 33%
- 1 packet vanilla sugar
For Decoration
- Crumbled baked dough scraps
- Fresh fruit optional
Instructions
Make the Dough
- Whisk cold water, vinegar, salt, and 1 egg in a small bowl. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, add flour. Grate very cold butter into the flour, tossing to coat.
- Rub with hands until crumbly. Add wet mixture and knead just until combined.
- Divide into 8 equal pieces, wrap, and refrigerate for 1 hour.
Make the Cream
- In a pot, whisk eggs, sugar, and vanilla sugar until smooth.
- Add cornstarch and mix well.
- Slowly whisk in a little hot milk to temper eggs. Add remaining milk.
- Cook on low heat, stirring, until thickened. Transfer to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap touching the surface, and cool completely.
- Once cooled, beat with a mixer. Gradually add heavy cream and whip until smooth and fluffy.
Bake the Layers
- Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F).
- Roll out each dough piece into a thin circle. Cut to 18 cm round, saving scraps.
- Place on baking sheet, prick with fork, and bake 10–12 minutes until golden.
- Bake scraps for decoration.
Assemble the Cake
- Place first cake layer on serving plate, spread cream on top.
- Repeat with all layers, finishing by covering the top and sides with cream.
Decorate
- Crush baked scraps and press crumbs onto top and sides.
- Add fresh fruit on top, if desired.
- Chill for several hours or overnight before serving.
Notes
Per Serving
If the cake is cut into 12 slices:- ~585–600 kcal per slice
- ~440–450 kcal per slice
