Napoleon cake, or napoleon tort, is the Soviet version of the French mille-feuille, transformed into a tall layer cake with many thin, crisp pastry discs and a rich custard cream. The name supposedly commemorates the 1812 victory over Napoleon, though the cake itself dates to the early 20th century. Under the Soviet system, it became the quintessential homemade birthday cake, every household having its recipe. The pastry is a quick puff (some use a vinegar-based dough for crispness), rolled and baked into 8 to 12 thin discs, each pricked and baked until golden. The cream is a cooked custard of milk, eggs, sugar and butter. The layers are stacked, the whole cake chilled overnight, during which the cream softens the pastry into a unified, sliceable tower. Crushed pastry crumbs decorate the top.
Tall, golden, soft-yet-flaky layers of pastry soaked through with creamy custard, each forkful dissolving into sweet, buttery richness with a whisper of vanilla. Better the second day, when the layers have fully merged.
The cake is built on thin pastry discs and a cooked custard. The dough (flour, butter, a little vinegar and water) is divided into 10 to 12 pieces, each rolled paper-thin, pricked, and baked at 200 degrees C for 5 to 7 minutes until golden and crisp. The custard is milk heated with sugar, thickened with egg yolks and cornflour, then cooled and lightened with butter. The discs are stacked with custard between, the top crushed with crumbs, and the whole chilled at least 8 hours, ideally overnight. During chilling, the custard moisture softens the crisp pastry, turning the separate discs into a unified, sliceable cake. The long chill is essential; a fresh napoleon is a pile of separate layers.
Variations
Some add condensed milk to the cream. A version with sour cream is lighter.
On the Palate
Where Napoleon Cake sits in the Russian flavor cloud
Ingredients
Serves 12How it's made
5 steps · 1 hour
- 18 min
Make the dough: rub 200g cold butter into 400g flour with 1 tbsp vinegar and enough cold water to bind; rest 1 hour.
- 28 min
Divide into 10 pieces; roll each paper-thin, prick, and bake at 200 degrees C for 5 to 7 minutes until golden.
Watch outRoll each disc paper-thin and prick it so it bakes flat and crisp — thick or unpricked, it puffs and stays soft.
- 38 min
Make the custard: heat 800ml milk with 200g sugar; whisk in 4 yolks mixed with 50g cornflour; cook until thick; cool, then beat in 200g soft butter.
- 45 min
Stack the discs with custard between each; crush the top disc into crumbs and press onto the top and sides.
- 54 min
Chill at least 8 hours, ideally overnight; slice and serve.
Watch outChill at least 8 hours, ideally overnight — the custard's moisture softening the crisp layers into one tender cake is the whole point of the wait.
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