Napoleon cake is a childhood favorite, and its appearance on the holiday table still evokes universal delight. Every housewife strives to surprise her guests and family with this sweet masterpiece, spending practically the entire day in the kitchen. But today, when stores have everything your heart desires, it's much easier to make a good old Napoleon using ready-made puff pastry.

Where did Napoleon come from?

A classic Napoleon cake is made with unleavened puff pastry and cream. The mousse can be either traditional choux or creamy.

Around the world, our Napoleon cake is known by other names. For example, in France and neighboring Italy, this cake is called "millefeuille," which translates as "yarrow." But in Hungary, Napoleon is called "French Cremez." Interestingly, in the United States, this cake is called exactly the same as in Russia.

Puff pastry for Napoleon

According to one version, the Napoleon cake appeared in Russia in 1912. Then, to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Bonaparte's expulsion from Russia, triangular puff pastry desserts were created. They became known as "Napoleons," as the triangular shape of the dessert resembled Bonaparte's hat. Over time, its size changed, but its popularity did not.

Another version of its origins claims that the recipe for this dessert was originally invented in Naples and called "Napolitan." But over the years, the name was distorted and acquired the well-known name of the famous Napoleon Bonaparte.

Walnut Napoleon with custard

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The most common recipe is a layered cake with custard. Everyone has probably tried such a cake at least once in their life. And you can still vividly recall its taste right now, can't you?

It needs to be baked using puff pastry. Making the dough yourself is quite labor-intensive. But buying ready-made store-bought dough is much easier and quicker.

There are several tricks of a successful Napoleon:

  • First, the dough must be stored in the freezer and not allowed to refreeze.
  • Secondly, the flour preparation itself must be made with butter, that is, using butter and flour.
  • Thirdly, the cake layers should be baked on parchment paper without using oil.

So, to prepare it we will need:

  • puff pastry - 1 kg
  • chicken eggs - 4 pcs.
  • granulated sugar - 2 tbsp
  • cow's milk - 1000 ml
  • vanilla
  • wheat flour - 4 tbsp
  • walnuts - 200 g

The first step is preparing the base. The dough should be defrosted beforehand, preferably traditionally, as even microwave defrosting can cause it to brown slightly. The base is usually sold in squares. A kilogram package should contain four layers. Therefore, cut each layer in half to make eight layers, and then cut the layers in half. This will make a total of 16 layers.

Roll out the cake layers to a thickness of 3-4 mm. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place the layers on top, piercing them with a fork all around to prevent puffing. Bake the cake layers in the oven for 5 minutes each.

The second step is making the cream. The custard recipe is very simple. Beat the eggs and sugar in a dry bowl until thick and stiff. Meanwhile, heat the milk in a saucepan and whisk in the egg mixture. Stir constantly to prevent the eggs from curdling. Add the vanilla and, once the mixture comes to a boil, quickly remove from the heat.

Tip: If you want to save time, you can combine all the ingredients in a bowl, whisk thoroughly, and simmer over low heat. This is an even simpler recipe for a traditional choux mousse.

The third step is assembly. Set aside one cake layer (the least attractive one, for example). Spread the remaining layers with cream. About halfway through, mix half of the crushed walnuts into the mousse. Spread the last layer and the sides of the cake with the same mixture. Crush the remaining layer into crumbs, mix with the remaining half of the walnuts, and decorate the pastry with this mixture.

Coconut Napoleon with mascarpone and Amaretto liqueur

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If you can't wow your guests and family with a classic Napoleon cake, you can delight them with an unusual cake made with exquisite mascarpone cheese and aromatic Amaretto liqueur.

This recipe is quite simple and accessible to every housewife.

Ingredients for the cake:

  • ready-made puff pastry with butter - 500 g
  • egg yolks - 6 pcs
  • wheat flour - 3 tbsp
  • cow's milk - 1 tbsp
  • sugar - 120 g
  • Mascarpone cheese - 50 g
  • Amaretto liqueur – 50 ml
  • coconut flakes

We do the same with the defrosted dough as in the first recipe: cut, roll out, bake in the oven at 200 degrees for 5 minutes per layer.

Prepare the soaking mixture using the traditional choux pastry recipe as a base. In a clean bowl, beat the egg yolks with granulated sugar until stiff. Place the egg mixture over low heat and, while stirring, pour in the milk in a thin stream. When the mixture is hot enough, whisk in the flour, and when it thickens, remove from the heat. When the mixture has cooled to 30 degrees Celsius, add the mascarpone cheese and liqueur, then beat thoroughly with a fork or whisk.

The cake is assembled in 2 stages.

First, spread the cake layers with cream and refrigerate for 2-3 hours. Then spread the remaining cream over them and sprinkle generously with finely shredded coconut.

This cake will be incredibly fragrant and tender. Even the most discerning sweet tooth will love it.

Simple Napoleon with condensed milk

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This recipe will be a hit with those with a sweet tooth, as it's loaded with sweet condensed milk. While this cake certainly isn't light or low-calorie, it's a go-to for kids.

For this you will need:

  • ready-made puff pastry with butter - 800 g
  • butter - 200 g
  • sugar - 50 g
  • condensed milk - 450 g
  • cream 33% fat - 250 ml

Defrost the dough and use a knife to divide it into pieces of the desired size. If the package contains 6 layers, cut each into 2 equal parts, then into 2 more. Roll out the layers thinly with a rolling pin, ensuring each layer is the same size. Bake the layers in the oven at 200 degrees Celsius for 5 minutes.

This condensed milk mousse recipe is very easy and takes just minutes to make. In a deep bowl, beat the cream and sugar with a mixer. Separately, combine the softened butter and condensed milk. Mix until smooth and fold in the whipped cream. This simple cream will perfectly soak up dry puff pastry layers and give the cake a creamy flavor.

The assembly is done according to the standard: crush one cake into crumbs for decoration, and generously coat the rest.

Fruit and berry Napoleon

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How can you spice up a typical cake and make it truly summery, light, and tender? Simply add fruits and berries.

This recipe will appeal to all connoisseurs of vitamin desserts.

To prepare you need to take:

  • puff pastry dough - 500 g
  • mascarpone cheese - 400 g
  • eggs - 2 pcs
  • cream 15-20% - 150 ml
  • heavy cream 33% - 200 ml
  • powdered sugar - 8 tbsp
  • mint - 2 sprigs
  • raspberries - 100 g
  • blueberries - 100 g
  • cranberries - 100 g
  • currants - 100 g
  • apple - 1 pc.
  • banana - 1 pc.

This dessert is quite unusual, if only because it consists of only four layers. So, defrost the dough. Divide it into four equal pieces and roll them out to a thickness of 6 mm. Place the dough on a parchment-lined baking sheet, pierce it with a toothpick or knife in several places, and bake for 5-6 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare the cream cheese mousse. Beat the egg whites separately until stiff peaks form. Whisk the yolks with 3 tablespoons of powdered sugar. Whisk the 15-20% heavy cream with the remaining powdered sugar until thickened. Mix everything together and add the mascarpone cheese. Crush the mint in a mortar and add it to the mixture.

Peel and cut the fruit: dice the apples and slice the bananas. Remove the leaves from the berries and rinse with water. Drain to remove excess moisture.

Cool the finished cakes. Spread the cream on the bottom layer, then arrange the fruit pieces and berries on top. Repeat with each layer. Spread the remaining mousse on the top layer. Arrange the berries, apple slices, and banana slices on top.

Whip heavy cream with 3 tablespoons of powdered sugar. You can use a whipping cream stiffener to make the mixture more stable and prevent it from losing its shape.

Using a pastry bag with a star tip, pipe whipped cream around the edge of the top layer of cake, creating a frame for the fruit and berries.

This fruit and berry cake is a work of art. It looks absolutely fantastic, but its taste is also delicate and exquisite.

Check out this master class on how to quickly make Napoleon cake using ready-made dough.

Plum Napoleon

And finally, one more wonderful recipe. When fresh fruit is in season, experimenting with desserts is a real pleasure. However, supermarkets today have absolutely everything, both fresh and frozen. So, this Plum Layered Dessert can be made in both summer and winter.

For cooking we will need:

  • ready-made puff pastry without yeast - 500 g
  • ripe plums - 1000 g
  • heavy cream - 100 ml
  • granulated sugar - 150 g (100 g if the plums are very sweet)
  • lemon juice - 1 tbsp
  • ginger - 1 tsp
  • butter - 50 g
  • cinnamon - 1 tsp

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First, prepare the cake layers. Defrost the flour mixture and roll it out to a thickness of 3-4 mm. Form layers of the desired size. You should have at least 15 of them.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and lay out the layers. Bake them in the oven at 200 degrees Celsius for 5-6 minutes.

Next, prepare the plum cream. Rinse the plums under running water, cut them, and remove the pits. Place the plums in a saucepan and heat. Add the sugar, ginger, and cinnamon. Cook until the mixture reduces in volume. Pour in the lemon juice and add the butter. Stir again and remove from the heat.

At the same time, whip the cream with a pinch of sugar until stiff peaks form.

To assemble, alternate layers of butter and plum mousse. Coat the assembled cake with cream and sprinkle with crumbs made from the scraps.