The thinnest puff pastry crusts, delicate custard… It’s very delicious! And yes, we’ll talk about many people’s favorite “Napoleon” cake. Surely many people like to try this cake from their girlfriend, mother, grandmother more, because it is not so quick and easy to prepare, and it does not always turn out well.
The secrets of making the perfect Napoleon
Give preference to extra virgin flour. Be sure to sift the flour several times, 3 are recommended, this is the basis of the perfect dough for the dessert.
Take butter or margarine with a high percentage of fat, ideally 82%, this will determine the puffiness of the dough. Also use cold butter or margarine. Keep in mind that frozen butter or margarine must be thawed in advance in the refrigerator, otherwise the dough will tear when unrolled.
Knead the dough quickly and in a cool place. It is important that all ingredients are chilled.
Roll out the prepared dough correctly: in one direction from yourself, without pressing and constantly turning the dough layer. Roll out the dough into a square and send it to the refrigerator for 30-60 minutes, repeat the process several times. The dough should be very thin before baking – 1-2 mm.
To make your cake even and beautiful, cut the cakes before baking according to a chosen marking, such as a plate or a lid from a pot. Be sure to prick the cake with a fork before sending it to the oven.
Classic Napoleon
A great recipe that’s been proven over the years.
For the batter:
- Baking margarine or butter – 400 gr;
- Egg – 1 egg;
- Flour – 700 gr;
- Ice water – 150 ml;
- Salt – 1 pinch.
For the custard:
- Milk – 1 liter;
- Sugar – 1,5 cup;
- Egg – 2 pcs;
- Flour – 3 tbsp;
- Butter – 200 gr;
- Vanilla sugar – 5g.
Let’s start by preparing the dough. In the bowl of a chopper pour the flour sifted several times, salt and put diced margarine. Turn on the chopper for 1-2 minutes to make fine crumbs. Place it in a deep bowl.
Mix the egg with the ice water and pour it into the hole you made in the center of the bowl with the crumbs. Knead the dough and divide into 12 equal pieces.
Roll out each piece of dough into a thin crust, no more than 1 mm. Place the dough on parchment, trim the edges but do not remove, but bake together. Prick the crust with a fork and send it to a preheated oven at 200-220 degrees for 3 to 5 minutes.
Cool the finished cakes, send the scraps to the chopper bowl – they will be our crumbs for decoration.
Using a mixer, beat the flour, sugar and eggs. Continuing to whisk, thinly pour in the milk. The mixture should be thick and homogeneous.
Put the future cream on the stove, bring it to the boil, stirring all the time. Remove the cream from the heat as soon as it has thickened.
Add room temperature butter to the cream and beat with a mixer until homogeneous. Let the ready cream cool.
assemble the cake. Set aside a glass of cream at once, you will need it to butter the top and sides of the cake. The first cake smear 2-3 tablespoons of cream, so assemble the whole cake. Spread the whole surface and sides of the dessert with the reserved cream. Place in fridge for 10 hours.
Decorate the finished cake with crumbs, as well as chocolate, berries, fruits. Done! Have a nice tea party!
Chocolate “Napoleon”
The original “Napoleon” for chocolate lovers.
For the dough:
- Flour – 330 g;
- Butter – 190 gr;
- Cocoa powder – 50 gr;
- Sour cream – 150 gr;
- Egg – 1 pc.
For the cream:
- Butter – 170 g;
- Condensed milk – 380 gr;
- Cocoa powder – 20 gr.
Prepare the dough. In the bowl of a chopper put the cooled butter, flour, cocoa and turn into crumbs. Literally 1-2 minutes is enough. Place the crumbs in a deep bowl, making a depression in the center.
Whisk the sour cream with the egg and place it in the well. Knead the dough, form a ball and place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
Divide the dough into 8-10 pieces, thinly roll out each piece on parchment, trim the edges leaving them on the parchment, prick it with a fork and bake in a preheated oven until 200 degrees.
Prepare the cream. In the bowl of a blender, beat room temperature butter and cocoa until fluffy. Then, continuing to whisk, thinly add condensed milk. The cream should be homogeneous.
Assemble the cake. Generously smear each cake with cream, top and sides also smear with cream.
Chop the scraps and decorate the cake with the crumbs. Place in the refrigerator for 12 hours.
The crunchy chocolate Napoleon is ready!
Lazy Napoleon
An express version of a favorite cake.
You will need:
- Puff pastry “Ears” – 800 g;
- Milk – 1 l;
- Flour – 6 tbsp;
- Sugar – 0,5 cup;
- Vanilla sugar – 10 gr;
- Eggs – 3 pcs.
Let’s prepare the cream. In a deep bowl beat eggs with sugar, add flour and pour a thin stream of milk. The egg and milk mixture should be lump-free and homogeneous.
Bring the rest of the milk to a boil, then pour the egg and milk mixture in a thin stream, stirring constantly. As soon as the cream thickens – take it off the fire!
Assemble the cake. Crush some of the cookies into crumbs, set aside a little cream. On a flat plate put even layer of cookies, generously smear cream, thus assemble all the cake. Spread the cream on the top and sides of the cake, decorate with the crumble and leave in the fridge overnight.