Russian Napoleon Cake is a delicious and sophisticated dessert that’s much easier to make when broken down into its components. It’s simply a tall mound of homemade flaky pastry filled with a vanilla cream filling.
To make Russian Napoleon Cake, mix a quick dough in a food processor, let it cool, and bake thin circles of pastry. While it’s baking in the oven, you can prepare a rich custard on the stovetop. Then, stack everything on top of each other and refrigerate.
This recipe retains the classic character of the cake, with its multiple flaky layers and creamy filling, but is written in a way that makes it easy to make at home. If you’re looking for an easy Russian Napoleon Cake recipe, this is a great place to start because the process is simple and repetitive, and it’s incredibly satisfying when sliced. The original recipe uses eight layers, a 28cm (11-inch) slice, and a resting time that helps the cake become soft and fluffy after cooling.
Ingredients
Yields: 1 Large Cake (24 Servings)
Quick Puff Pastry
- Unsalted butter – 2 cups (Cold or Frozen, cut into cubes)
- Eggs – 2
- Water – 2/3 cup (Cold) plus an extra 3 tablespoons (To replace the traditional spirit)
- All-purpose flour – 4.5 to 6 cups (Sifted)
- White vinegar – 1.5 tablespoon
- Kosher salt – 1/8 teaspoon
Egg Yolk Custard
- Egg yolks – 8
- Whole milk – 6 cups
- Granulated sugar – 2 cups
- Vanilla extract – 1 tablespoon
- All-purpose flour – 2/3 cup (Sifted)
- Unsalted butter – 1 3/4 cups
Alternative Suggestions:
- dairy-free version – Substitute butter with a vegan breadstick and use unsweetened oat milk instead of whole milk to make custard.
- lighter option – Try cutting the sugar in the custard down to 1.5 cups if you prefer your desserts on the less sweet side.
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Step-by-Step Instructions
Mix the wet dough ingredients – In a large cup or bowl, whisk together your 2 eggs and the kosher salt. Stir in the 2/3 cup of cold water, then add the white vinegar and the extra 3 tablespoons of water. Set this mixture to the side for a moment.
Blend the butter and flour – Add your sifted all-purpose flour and the cubed, cold butter into the bowl of your food processor. Keep pulsing the machine until the mixture breaks down and looks like small peas.
Bring the pastry dough together – Pour your wet egg mixture into the food processor with the flour and butter. Pulse it just until the dough starts sticking together. Dump it out onto your counter and press it together with your hands. Give it a few quick kneads, but stop as soon as it holds its shape. You want the butter to stay in chunks so the pastry gets puffy.
Chill the dough – Cut your dough ball into 4 even pieces. Roll each piece into a smaller ball, then press them down into flat disks. Wrap them tightly in plastic wrap and put them in the fridge for 1 to 2 hours to let the butter harden up again.
Start the custard base – Grab a large pot and whisk your 8 egg yolks together with the sugar. Add just a little splash of your milk to make it easier to stir. Next, whisk in the flour until you have a smooth, lump-free paste.
Heat the milk – In a separate pot, heat the rest of the milk over medium heat. You have to whisk it constantly so the bottom doesn’t scorch.
Temper the eggs – Take your hot milk and very slowly pour it into the egg yolk mixture, whisking the entire time so the eggs don’t scramble.
Thicken up the custard – Put the pot with the mixture back on the stove over medium heat. Bring it to a boil while whisking non-stop. Once it boils, let it cook for 2 to 3 minutes until it gets thick and you can’t taste the raw flour anymore. Take it off the heat.
Add the flavor – Stir your vanilla extract and the butter into the hot custard until it is completely melted and smooth. Pour the custard onto a rimmed baking sheet, press some plastic wrap directly onto the surface to stop a skin from forming, and let it cool.
Roll the cake layers – Preheat your oven to 400°F. Take one dough disk out of the fridge at a time and cut it in half. Roll each half into a thin 12.5-inch circle right on top of an upside-down baking sheet. Prick the dough all over with a fork so it doesn’t puff up too much.
Bake and trim – Bake the layer for 5 to 7 minutes until lightly golden. As soon as it comes out, put an 11-inch plate or stencil on top and cut around it to make a neat circle. Save the scraps in a bowl! Repeat this rolling and baking process until you have 8 cake layers.
Crush the scraps – Take all those baked, crispy scraps you saved and crush them up into fine crumbs. Set these aside to decorate the cake later.
Assemble the layers – Divide your cooled custard into 8 even portions. Put a little dab of custard on your serving plate to hold the cake in place, and lay down your first pastry layer. Spread one portion of custard over it. Keep alternating the pastry and the custard. If you have a cake ring, put it around the cake to keep the sides straight as you build.
Decorate the cake – Once your final layer is on, spread a thin coating of custard over the top and all around the sides of the cake. Take your crushed pastry crumbs and gently press them all over the top and sides until the cake is completely covered.
Let it chill – Tap the plate to remove loose crumbs, clean up the edges, and cover the cake. Leave it in the fridge for 24 to 48 hours so the layers absorb the custard and get wonderfully soft before you slice it.
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Why You’ll Love this Recipe
You’ll love how the vanilla custard permeates the buttery pastry, giving it a smooth texture and a lovely sweetness. It’s the perfect dessert to make ahead for family gatherings, as it tastes even better the next day. Lovely to enjoy with a slice of hot black tea or strong coffee. Pure bliss!
Have you tried making this Russian Napoleon Cake? Drop a comment below and let me know how it turned out for you! I’d love to hear your baking stories.
Russian Napoleon Cake
This exquisite, multi-layered dessert features a light and buttery crust, topped with a thick layer of smooth and rich vanilla custard. It may require some patience to prepare, but its melt-in-the-mouth flavor is definitely worth the wait!
Ingredients
- 2 cups unsalted butter, cold or frozen and cubed
- 2 large eggs
- 2/3 cup cold water (Plus an extra 3 tbsp cold water)
- 4.5 to 6 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
- 1.5 tbsp white vinegar
- 1/8 tsp kosher salt
- 8 large egg yolks
- 6 cups whole milk
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 2/3 cup all-purpose flour, sifted
- 1 3/4 cups unsalted butter
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk the 2 eggs and kosher salt together. Stir in 2/3 cup of the cold water, followed by the white vinegar and the extra 3 tablespoons of water. Set this aside.
- Add the sifted all-purpose flour and cubed cold butter to a food processor. Pulse until the mixture resembles small peas.
- Pour the wet egg mixture into the food processor and pulse just until the dough starts to clump together.
- Dump the dough onto your counter, press it together with your hands, and give it a few quick kneads. Stop cooking while the butter is still in visible chunks so that the dough remains crisp.
- Cut the dough into 4 even pieces. Roll each into a ball, flatten into a disk, wrap tightly in plastic, and chill in the fridge for 1 to 2 hours.
- In a large pot, whisk the 8 egg yolks and sugar together. Splash in a little of the milk to help it mix, then whisk in the 2/3 cup flour to create a smooth, lump-free paste.
- In a separate pot, heat the remaining milk over medium heat, whisking constantly to keep the bottom from scorching.
- Very slowly pour the hot milk into the egg yolk mixture while whisking the entire time to temper the eggs.
- Return the combined mixture to the stove over medium heat. Bring it to a boil while whisking continuously, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until thickened and the raw flour taste is gone. Remove from heat.
- Stir the vanilla extract and 1 3/4 cups butter into the hot custard until fully melted. Pour the custard onto a baking sheet, press plastic wrap directly onto the surface, and let it cool completely.
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Cut one chilled dough disk in half and roll each piece into a thin 12.5-inch circle directly on an upside-down baking sheet. Prick the dough all over with a fork.
- Bake for 5 to 7 minutes until lightly golden. Immediately trim it into a neat 11-inch circle using a plate as a guide. Save those baked scraps! Repeat this process to make 8 cake layers.
- Crush all the baked pastry scraps into fine crumbs and set them aside for decorating.
- Divide the cooled custard into 8 portions. Smear a small dab on a serving plate, place the first pastry layer down, and spread with custard. Repeat until all layers are stacked.
- Coat the top and sides of the cake with a thin layer of the remaining custard, then gently press the crushed pastry crumbs all over the outside to cover it completely.
- Tap the plate to remove loose crumbs, cover the cake, and refrigerate for 24 to 48 hours to soften the layers before serving.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 24 Serving Size: 1 Amounts Per Serving:Calories: 547Total Fat: 36gSaturated Fat: 22gUnsaturated Fat: 14gCholesterol: 167mgSodium: 73mgCarbohydrates: 47gFiber: 1gSugar: 24gProtein: 8gJust a heads up — The calorie count and nutritional info here are just estimates! The actual numbers might vary a bit depending on the brands and ingredients you use.