Napoleon Cake

Dessert “Napoleon” is over 200 years old. He was invented after the end of the Patriotic War of 1812 in honor of the victory of Russia over Napoleon’s army. The cake, named after the French emperor, had a triangular shape (like his cocked hat). A cake with this name was very popular in Soviet times. It was believed that no man can resist this delicacy. Traditionally, the cake "Napoleon" was made from a large number of the finest puff pastry cakes, layered with custard. It was possible to buy it in stores and pastry shops, but most of the housewives, wanting to please their household with this dessert, made Napoleon cake at home, figuring out how to make the cakes even more tender, changing the filling to the one that more matched their culinary preferences. As a result, several recipes for this cake are known, and it is impossible to say which one is better: it all depends on the taste of whoever will eat this dessert.

Cooking Features

Cake "Napoleon" is not considered an easy-to-prepare dish. The culinary process has to spend a lot of time and effort. But any housewife, from time to time making this dessert for her beloved, will agree that the result is worth the effort. If you are just starting to master the basics of culinary skill, you will have to follow the recommendations accompanying the selected recipe exactly, and then everything will be done correctly. Tips experienced confectioners will help you cope with the task in the best way.

• Cake “Napoleon” is made from puff pastry. It can be kneaded in butter or margarine. They are chopped together with flour at one of the first stages of dough preparation. Make it easier if you do not cut a piece of butter or margarine into pieces, and grate. Grinding of the above products on the grating will be possible if you put them in the freezer for half an hour. The oil that is added to the cream, on the contrary, must be removed from the refrigerator in advance so that it becomes soft.
• The products from which the puff pastry is made should be as cold as possible. This also applies to water, which before use must be cooled in the main chamber of the refrigerator, and eggs. Some housewives cool even the flour. After mixing for 1, 5-2 hours, put the dough in the refrigerator. If you are in a hurry, you can put him in the freezer for 30 minutes.
• In order to roll the dough into the layers of the desired diameter, it is convenient to use a silicone mat, on which the corresponding marking is applied. If you do not have such a rug, you can use parchment paper by drawing a circle of the required diameter on it and turning it over so that the slate does not fall into the dough.
• If you roll the dough on a parchment or silicone mat, you can transfer them to a baking sheet for subsequent baking the cakes on them. Otherwise, the dough is wound on a rolling pin and unrolled already on the baking sheet.
• So that the dough does not rise, it is pounded all over the area with a fork.
• Before you collect the cake, grease the dish with cream - then the cakes will not “go”, apply cream to them will be easier.
• Before assembly, the cakes are cut, putting a plate on them and circling it with a knife. If you have a lid from the pan of the desired diameter, then you can cut the dough with it, then you can do without a knife. Scraps of cakes are not thrown away: they are crushed with a blender or painted with hands, then sprinkled with a ready-made cake.

Before serving the cake, cool the cake and allow it time to soak in the cream. If you decorate the dessert with berries, fruits, chocolate slices or sweets, guests and households probably will not be offended by you.

Classic Napoleon cake recipe

Caloric content of the dish: 6446 kcal, per 100 g: 251 kcal.

Composition:

• butter - 0, 35 kg;
• wheat flour - 0, 45 kg;
• chicken egg - 5 pcs .;
• sugar - 0, 25 kg;
• milk - 1 l;
• vanilla sugar - 10 g;
• water - 150 ml;
• salt - 5 g;
• apple cider vinegar (6%) - 20 ml;
• starch - 60 g.

Preparation Method:

• Cut a piece of butter weighing 100 g, leave at room temperature. Leave the remaining butter for half an hour in the freezer. Put the same water there.
• Sift the flour onto the work surface or into a large bowl.
• Rub the butter on the flour. Chop the flour with butter with a large knife, collect and remember with your hands. Stir flour with butter for about 2-3 minutes.
• Pour ice water into a separate bowl, break one egg into it, beat with a whisk. Add salt and vinegar, whisk again.
• Pour the egg mixture into the flour, knead the dough. It should be soft and supple. If it will come across small pieces of butter, do not worry.
• Roll the dough into a ball, refrigerate for half an hour. Divide the dough into 10-15 pieces, depending on what size your cake should be. If the cakes will have a diameter of 22 cm, then the dough should be divided into 12 pieces.
• Roll each piece into a ball. Put the dough back in the fridge for 1, 5 hours and get ready to make the cream.
• Pour the milk into a saucepan with a thick bottom, heat to boiling and immediately remove from heat.
• In a separate bowl, combine the remaining 4 eggs, plain and vanilla sugar, starch. Whisk it all with a whisk to get a homogeneous mixture.
• Pour warm milk into it in a thin stream, whipping it at the same time with a whisk.
• Pour the resulting mixture into a saucepan in which the milk was heated. Heat over low heat, stirring constantly, until the milky egg mass begins to boil.
• Remove from heat, add oil, mix thoroughly to dissolve oil.
• If lumps form in the cream, strain it through a sieve.
• Cover the cream with cling film. Let it cool to room temperature and refrigerate for an hour.
• Remove one dough ball from the refrigerator. On a silicone mat or on parchment, roll it into a layer of the desired diameter. Transfer to a baking sheet. Prick with a fork in several places. If the size of the pan allows, roll out and lay next to the second batch of dough.
• Heat the oven to 200 degrees. Send him a baking sheet with dough, bake cakes for 5-7 minutes - until they get a golden tint.
• So gradually prepare the cake layers from the remaining pieces of dough.
• Cut the cakes on a plate, giving them a smooth shape.
• Dish smeared with a spoon of cream, taking it out of the refrigerator.
• Put the first cake on the dish, generously mix it with cream. Assemble the cake by spreading the cream evenly between the cake layers and leaving a little to level the cake.
• Put the cake in the fridge for 2 hours. You can even press it down with a load so that the cakes become softer and better soaked with cream.
• Smear the cake on top and sides with the remaining cream. This is conveniently done using a silicone spatula.
• Cut the cakes in a bag, roll a rolling pin over them. Sprinkle the cake with the resulting crumbs.
• Keep it in the fridge for at least half an hour.

Napoleon cake, cooked according to the classic recipe, is very nourishing and high-calorie, but almost everyone likes its taste.

Napoleon cake at home with vodka and custard on yolks

Calorie dishes: 10162 kcal, per 100 g: 278 kcal.

Composition:

• wheat flour - 0.75 kg;
• table vinegar (9 percent) - 20 ml;
• cream margarine - 0, 4 kg;
• butter - 0, 2 kg;
• chicken egg - 2 pcs. whole and 7 pcs. yolks;
• salt, vanilla - on the tip of a knife;
• milk - 1, 5 l;
• sugar - 0, 35 kg;
• ice water - 150 ml;
• vodka or cognac (cold) - 40 ml.

Preparation Method:

• Mix ice water with vinegar and cognac.
• Mix two eggs separately with salt. Add to them the prepared mixture, stir until a homogeneous composition.
• Sift flour. Pour out 100 g for cream. Margarine, pre-chilled in the freezer, cut into small cubes, spread them on the surface of the flour.
• Chop the flour with margarine with a large knife so that the result will be a mixture resembling a flour crumb.
• Collect a flour crumb uphill, make a recess in the center, pour water with an egg into it. Knead the dough.
• Divide the dough into 12 pieces, cover with foil, put in the refrigerator for at least 1, 5 hours.
• Mix the egg yolks with sugar and vanilla.
• Pour 50 ml of milk, mix.
• Pour 100 g of flour, stir until a homogeneous composition is obtained.
• Dissolve cold milk to the consistency of sour cream.
• Bring the remaining milk to the boil.
• In a thin stream pour hot milk into the yolk mass, stirring it incessantly.
• Heat the resulting mixture over low heat, stirring until it thickens.
• Put a small piece of butter (30-40 g) in the cream, mix.
• Place the container of cream in cold water and cool it, stirring occasionally, to room temperature.
• Whip the softened butter with a mixer.
• Separately whip cream. Continuing to beat, partly enter the oil.
• Roll one of the balls of dough, put it on a baking sheet, chop it with a fork, cut it on a plate or other dish, if you want to make the cake not round. Leave the trim on the baking sheet.
• Place the baking tray in an oven heated to 200 degrees and bake the cake for 5-7 minutes.
• Also cook the remaining cakes.
• Collect the trim in a separate container and crush hands.
• Collect the cake, coating each cake with 3-4 tablespoons of creamy custard.
• Sprinkle with crumbs obtained from scraps.

Before serving, “Napoleon” cake, made according to the above recipe, must be kept in the refrigerator for 3-4 hours. If you can postpone the tasting until the next day, it will be even better.

Simple Napoleon cake recipe from ready-made dough

Caloric content of the dish: 7247 kcal, per 100 g: 426 kcal.

Composition:

• yeast-free puff pastry - 1 kg;
• fatty cream (33%) - 0, 3 l;
• butter - 0, 2 kg;
• condensed milk - 0, 2 l.

Preparation Method:

• Remove the butter and dough from the refrigerator beforehand.
• The dough, when it sweats, cut into 8 equal pieces. Roll it out. Cut them so that the edges are smooth.
• Separately, bake cakes in a preheated oven to 200 degrees. Separately bake the cuts.
• Combine the softened butter and condensed milk, whisk.
• Separately whip the cream, combine them with the bulk.
• Beat it all together.
• Collect the cake by generously coating the layers with the prepared cream.
• Cut the cuts in a blender, sprinkle the cake with them.

Leave the Napoleon cake soaked in cream for 10 hours. This is one of the easiest cooking options for a popular dessert at home.

Video: Napoleon Home Cake / Dad Can!