Originating in Russia, the Napoleon cake is composed of many layers of puff pastry with a whipped pastry cream filling and encrusted with more pastry crumbs. After assembling, the cake is chilled overnight to allow the pastry layers to soften and absorb some of the cream.

This delicious cake recipe from the Dalmore Inn, Blairgowrie, takes its inspiration from the French mille-feuille or Napoleon dessert, which is also traditionally made with layers of puff pastry and pastry cream, but it isn’t the same dessert. While a Napoleon dessert has just a few thicker layers of pastry and cream, the Napoleon cake traditionally has at least 8 very thin layers of pastry spread with cream—and sometimes as many as 12! It’s more similar to a crepe cake than it is to a traditional Napoleon dessert.

Traditionally, Napoleon cake is filled with pastry cream: a thickened custard that’s cooked until it becomes thick and pudding-like. This recipe uses whipped cream, which is folded into the chilled pastry cream to lighten it up. The result is a light, creamy, luscious filling, perfect for sandwiching between those puff pastry layers.

This recipe serves 10, has a prep time of 45 mins and total time of 2 hours to make.

Ingredients

PASTRY CREAM FILLING

• 8 large egg yolks (112g) 

• 56 g corn flour

• Half teaspoon salt

• (198g) granulated sugar, divided

• (946 ml) whole milk

• 57g butter, room temperature

• 4tsp vanilla extract

• 473 ml double cream

PUFF PASTRY LAYERS

• 2 1-lb boxes ready made puff pastry, thawed if frozen

• All-purpose flour, for rolling

Method

Directions to make the pastry cream filling:

1. Step 1 -In a large heatproof bowl, whisk egg yolks, cornflour, salt, and 99 g. granulated sugar.

2. Step 2 - In a medium pot over medium heat, heat milk and remaining 98 g. granulated sugar, stirring, until sugar is dissolved and milk is steaming. Whisking constantly, pour half of hot sugar milk into egg mixture. Pour milk-egg mixture into pot and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until pastry cream boils and thickens to a pudding-like consistency, 1 to 2 minutes. Cook, stirring, 1 minute more, then remove from heat. Stir in butter and vanilla. 

3. Step 3 - Pour hot pastry cream onto a rimmed baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap, pressing directly onto pastry cream. Refrigerate until cold.

4. Step 4 -In a large bowl, whisk cream until stiff peaks form. Transfer cold pastry cream to another large bowl and stir until smooth. Stir one-quarter of whipped cream into pastry cream until combined. Using a rubber spatula, carefully fold in remaining whipped cream. Refrigerate pastry cream filling until ready to assemble.

5. Step 5 - Make Ahead: Pastry cream (without whipped cream folded in) can be made 3 days ahead. Keep chilled.

PUFF PASTRY LAYERS

1. Step 1 - Preheat oven to 400° and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Remove 1 sheet of puff pastry from refrigerator. On a lightly floured surface, roll out to a 13"-by-13" square. Cut square into 2 rectangles, transfer to prepared baking sheet, and prick all over with a fork. 

2. Step 2 - Bake, rotating sheet and flipping pastry halfway through, until deeply browned and crisp, 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely.

3. Step 3 - Repeat with remaining 3 sheets of puff pastry for a total of 8 pastry rectangles.

ASSEMBLY

1. Step 1 - Stack 7 puff pastry rectangles on top of one another; set remaining 1 rectangle aside. Using a serrated knife, trim edges so rectangles are a uniform shape; reserve crumbs.

2. Step 2 -Arrange 1 puff pastry rectangle on a platter. Spread 1 cup pastry cream filling over puff pastry rectangle; top with a second rectangle and spread with 1 cup filling. Repeat layering with 5 remaining rectangles and 5 cups filling. Cover sides of cake with remaining filling. 

3. Step 3 -Loosely cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate cake at least 4 hours or, preferably, up to overnight.

4. Step 4 -Before serving, crush reserved puff pastry rectangle to fine crumbs, add to reserved crumbs, then press into sides and top of cake.

Serving Suggestion: serve with a scoop of raspberry sorbet