Napoleon Cake

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One of my readers, Natalia wrote in with this old family recipe for Napoleon cake (Mille-feuille). I doubled this recipe to make a large Napoleon cake for our Mother’s Day church potluck and there was not a slice left! Thank you Natalia for sharing this family recipe!

I don’t claim to be a professional cake decorator, so I’m sure you can make it much prettier than mine, but non-the-less,  it was смачненьке (delicious)!! This cake is best served the following day after the cake layers have had a chance to soften from the cream. 

Ingredients for Napoleon Cake:

1 lb package of Puff Pastry (Pepperidge Farm brand), thawed according to package instructions.
2 eggs
1 cup light brown sugar (or 1/2 brown sugar, 1/2 white sugar)
1/2 cup milk
2 Tbsp all-purpose  flour *measured correctly
1/2 lb (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 tsp vanilla powder, optional
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

You will need:

1 large sheet of parchment paper.

How to Make Napoleon Cake Cream:

1. Whisk 2 eggs and 1 cup light brown sugar in a medium sauce pan – do not beat, just mix.

Two photos of mixture for Napoleon cake

2. Whisk in milk and flour and put the pot on medium-low heat

Two photos of milk and flour being added into mixture for Napoleon cake

3. Cook the mixture, stirring occasionally – (stir more often towards the end so it doesn’t get lumpy) until it becomes thick, like pudding (approx 15-17 minutes).

A mixture in a bowl being whisked

4. Remove from heat and let it cool for 15 to 20 minutes. Prep the puff pastry in the mean time. 

5. Once the mixture has cooled a little, add softened butter to the cream and beat the mixture on medium/high speed for a few minutes. Add 1/2 tsp vanilla powder. The cream is ready.

Two photos of four sticks of butter added into a mixture and whisked into it

How to Make Napoleon Cake Layers:

Preheat the oven to 400 ˚ F.

1. Roll 1 of the puff pastry sheets onto a large sheet of parchment paper until the dough is double in size and nearly see-through. Thinner is better!

A piece of bread on a cutting board, with Cake and Pastry
Puff pastry on parchment paper

2. Cut the rolled out sheet into 4  equal squares (about 6″x6″ each).

Puff pastry on parchment paper cut into four equal pieces

3. Poke Holes all over the top of the pastry or it will puff up. Make sure to really poke all the way through the dough.

Puff pastry with holes poked into it with a fork

4. Place the parchment paper with dough onto a large cookie sheet. Bake at 400˚ F for 12-13 minutes or until tops are golden. These are easy to burn so keep an eye on them! Set pastry aside, and place the same parchment paper on a cool surface. Re-use the paper to roll out and bake the next sheet of pastry. Repeat steps 1 through 3 for the second sheet of pastry dough.

Four baked pieces of puff pastry on a baking pan

5. Once the frosting is finished, assemble the cake by placing 2 sheets of pastry side by side and spreading a generous amount of cream over the top. Repeat with all of the pastry. Before glazing the top, gently press down on the cake to make it more compact.

Two slices of puff pastry with cream spread on them on a white plate

6. To make the topping, Trim the edges of the cake to make it more uniform. Crumble the cut-off sections and sprinkle over the top. (If cut-off pieces do not crumble easily, you may need to bake them until they are browned). Sprinkle 1/2 cup of chopped walnuts evenly over the top.

This Russian Napoleon Cake is the sweetest taste from my childhood. Buttery, flaky pastry layers generously filled with sweet cream filling - a must try!

Notes: My photos are for a double size of this cake. This recipe is for a smaller rectangular cake. You can make a larger cake by exactly doubling the ingredients.

Cover and refrigerate the napoleon cake overnight then let it stand at room temperature about 2 hours to soften prior to serving. This cake is best served the following the next day after the cake layers have had a chance to soften from the cream overnight.

Natasha's Kitchen Cookbook

Napoleon Cake Recipe

4.97 from 30 votes
Author: Natasha of NatashasKitchen.com
This Russian Napoleon Cake is the sweetest taste from my childhood. Buttery, flaky pastry layers generously filled with sweet cream filling - a must try!
This Napoleon cake is simple and incredibly good. It is best served the following day after the cake layers have had a chance to soften from the cream.
Prep Time: 1 hour
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes

Ingredients 

Servings: 8 -10
  • 1 lb package of Puff Pastry, Pepperidge Farm brand, thawed according to package instructions.
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup light brown sugar, or 1/2 brown sugar, 1/2 white sugar
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 2 Tbsp flour
  • 1/2 lb unsalted butter,, or 2 sticks butter, room temperature
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla powder, optional
  • 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Instructions

  • Whisk eggs and sugar in a medium sauce pan - do not beat, just mix.
  • Whisk in milk and flour and put the pot on medium-low heat.
  • Cook the mixture, stirring occasionally - (stir more often towards the end so it doesn't get lumpy) until it becomes thick, like pudding (approx 15-17 minutes).
  • Remove from heat and let it cool for 15 to 20 minutes. Prep the puff pastry in the mean time.
  • Once the mixture has cooled a little, add softened butter to the cream and beat the mixture on medium/high speed for a few minutes. Add 1/2 tsp vanilla powder. The cream is ready.

How to Make Napoleon Cake Layers:

  • Preheat the oven to 400°F.
  • Roll 1 of the puff pastry sheets onto a large sheet of parchment paper until the dough is double in size and nearly see-through. Thinner is better!
  • Cut the rolled out sheet into 4 equal squares (about 6"x6" each).
  • Poke Holes all over the top of the pastry or it will puff up. Make sure to really poke all the way through the dough.
  • Place the parchment paper with dough onto a large cookie sheet. Bake at 400°F for 12-13 minutes or until tops are golden. These are easy to burn so keep an eye on them! Set pastry aside, and place the same parchment paper on a cool surface. Re-use the paper to roll out and bake the next sheet of pastry.
  • Repeat steps 1 through 3 for the second sheet of pastry dough.
  • Once the frosting is finished, assemble the cake by placing 2 sheets of pastry side by side and spreading a generous amount of cream over the top.
  • Repeat with all of the pastry. Before glazing the top, gently press down on the cake to make it more compact.
  • To make the topping, Trim the edges of the cake to make it more uniform. Crumble the cut-off sections and sprinkle over the top. (If cut-off pieces do not crumble easily, you may need to bake them until they are browned). Sprinkle 1/2 cup of chopped walnuts evenly over the top.

Notes

My photos are for a double size of this cake. This recipe is for a smaller rectangular cake. You can make a larger cake by exactly doubling the ingredients.
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Russian, Ukrainian
Keyword: Napoleon Cake
Skill Level: Medium/ Difficult
Cost to Make: $$

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Natasha Kravchuk

Welcome to my kitchen! I am Natasha, the blogger behind Natasha's Kitchen (since 2009). My husband and I run this blog together and share only our best, family approved and tested recipes with YOU. Thanks for stopping by! We are so happy you're here.

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Recipe Rating




Comments

  • Jerry
    October 11, 2023

    I just ordered all the stuff for this recipe. Wife Marina’s birthday is next week. She *loves* Napoleon. I plan to make the cream in my Thermomix cooking blender. It’s got a “thicken” mode which starts out at a low temperature and slow stirring. Then it gradually raises the temperature and speeds up so the sauce will not be lumpy.
    Don’t know whether to use the “egg based sauce” mode or the “flour based sauce” mode, because it’s got both of them.

    Reply

    • NatashasKitchen.com
      October 12, 2023

      Hi Jerry! I am not familiar with using a Thermomix cooking blender to know how to advise. Sorry I can’t be more help.

      Reply

  • Sam
    September 25, 2023

    Cake was delicious, however it should be disclosed that the brown sugar changes the color in the cream, you get a lot of questions why it looks brown, also when recipe is updated to reflect doubling the recipe in the printing section it changes the butter quantity to the wrong amount, also the wording could be better “1/2 pound or 2 sticks” makes it easier to understand the recipe.

    Reply

    • Natasha
      September 25, 2023

      HI Sam, thank you for pointing that out. I completely agree with you and it should read 1/2 lb or 2 sticks of butter – I have updated the recipe card to make that more clear.

      Reply

  • Oksana
    August 19, 2022

    Your cream filling for the no bake napoleon is delicious. Could it be used with this puff pastry napoleon recipe?

    Reply

    • NatashasKitchen.com
      August 19, 2022

      Hi Oksana! I think that would work fine. 🙂

      Reply

  • Marina
    December 23, 2021

    Love your recipes. All come out exactly as pictured! Will custard from your no-bake Napoleon work with these layers?

    Reply

    • Natasha
      December 24, 2021

      Hi Marina, I haven’t tried that custard here so I can’t say for sure. Possibly?

      Reply

    • Marina
      December 26, 2021

      Tried. Came out really good! Wish could attach the picture. One thing to note- it seems the quantity of that other custard is at least double of what you have in this recipe. I had enough to generously layer the cake and cover all the sides. If use the custard from this recipe, will there be enough to cover the sides?
      Thank you again!

      Reply

  • Nadia
    October 2, 2021

    Love all of your recipes, especially this one

    Reply

  • Inna
    August 7, 2020

    Made this cake many times. But this past time made it without the nuts and added a can of cooked condensed milk to the cream. It was so so good! Everyone loved it so much!

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      August 7, 2020

      So wonderful to hear that! Thank you for your great feedback, Inna.

      Reply

  • Amanda Rodrigues
    June 21, 2020

    I made this today for Father’s day. I am Brazilian and my husband is Ukrainian, and we live in US. I will tell you that Ukrainians have very high standards for food lol but everyone loved the cake. I made it 48 hours ahead and it was great. Thanks for the wonderful recipe Natasha. Every time I try something from your website it always turns out awesome. BTW I am loving the tips you are sending to be a better cooker 💓

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      June 22, 2020

      Wow, that is a great compliment. Thank you so much for sharing that with us and for giving this recipe an awesome review!

      Reply

  • Ali
    April 12, 2020

    Hi…how long is the cream good in the fridge till I use it for the cake? I want to do it ahead of time as much in advance as possible. Thankyou

    Reply

    • Natasha
      April 12, 2020

      Hi Ali, this cake is best when it is made and assembled a day ahead. I usually add the cream right away. I think it would be ok to refrigerate but if it firms up, you might let it sit at room temperature before using or until it’s soft enough to spread over the cake layers.

      Reply

  • Tanya
    January 23, 2020

    Hi. Keen to try this. How long will it last in the fridge (assembled)? And, how far in advance could I make the cream before assembling? TIA.

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      January 24, 2020

      Hi Tanya, If it’s a day ahead, I’d put the cream in the fridge and bring it back to room temperature before using it – or just until it’s spreadable. We have made this more than 24 hours prior to serving and it was perfect. I have not tested it days ahead however.

      Reply

  • Angela Deleu
    March 29, 2019

    Hi Natasha,can I use regular white sugar instead?thank you

    Reply

    • Natasha
      March 29, 2019

      Hi Angela, I have only tested it with 1/2 light brown and 1/2 white sugar or all brown sugar – the brown sugar has molasses which adds nice color to the cream, but it should still work with all white sugar.

      Reply

  • RG
    December 13, 2018

    Can I add vanilla essence instead of vanilla powder? If so, how much?

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      December 13, 2018

      Hi RG, I haven’t tried that with vanilla essence so I won’t be able to advise. If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe

      Reply

  • Deb Woon
    December 11, 2018

    Hi can I use a thick store bought ready made custard and had thick cream to it, instead of making the pastry cream?

    Reply

    • Natasha
      December 11, 2018

      Hi Deb, without experimenting with the specific custard cream myself, it is difficult to recommend that. You might add the cream to it in a small batch to make sure it incorporates and doesn’t curdle. If you experiment, please let me know how it goes.

      Reply

  • Lisa D Wightman
    June 10, 2018

    This was beyond delicious!!! I can’t wait to make it again and possibly use a coconut or chocolate or custard.

    Reply

  • Viktoriya T.
    April 2, 2018

    First, i want to say that cake tastes delicious) and quite easy to make)
    Yum!!!
    My 9 year old daughters favorite cake is Napoleon) so she helped me make it. We all liked how it tasted. Thank you!
    Question:
    Should i put it in the fridge right after assembly? Or let it sit on the counter room temp so it softens? Cuz it doesnt say in the directuons. I put it straight in the fridge and it didnt get soft until i took it out and let it sit in the counter for a bit. Hope it makes sense)
    Ps. Hristos Voskres!🙂

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      April 3, 2018

      Hi Viktoriya, He is Risen Indeed! 🙂 To answer your question, we usually cover and refrigerate the napoleon cake overnight then let it stand at room temperature about 2 hours to soften prior to serving. I added that tip in the instructions. I’m so glad you loved the cake!

      Reply

  • Viktoriya T.
    March 25, 2018

    Dear, in your printer version decription, you wrote:
    this spartak cake…..
    Did you mean:
    This napoleon cake?
    Love your recipes!
    Be blessed)

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      March 25, 2018

      Hi Viktoriya, thank you for catching that 😀. I just updated the recipe.

      Reply

  • Anie
    February 15, 2018

    Hi Natasha, I have a party on Saturday evening. Can I make it Thursday night for Saturday? That’s like 2 days ahead.

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      February 16, 2018

      Hi Anie, That will work great since this cake is best served after the cake layers have had a chance to soften. I would keep it covered and refrigerated until Saturday.

      Reply

  • Tanya
    August 27, 2017

    Hi Natasha ! I absolutely love this recipe! I been adding a extra step to mine and love it. I beat heavy whip topping with little sugar. Then frost the cake with the original and the whip topping. Then add fresh berries on top. After a few hours, it’s well adsorbed and super yummy! Thank you, you make being a mom such much easier! 😀

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      August 27, 2017

      It’s my pleasure Tanya! I’m glad you love the recipe! Thanks for sharing your excellent review with other readers!

      Reply

  • Julie Borlak
    July 22, 2017

    Hi Natasha, do i have to cut the pastry in 4’s if im doubling the recipe, or can i just do whole sheet for 1 layer?

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      July 22, 2017

      Hi Julie! I have found that the pastry bakes the most evenly when I cut it into 4’s. If you do try 1 whole sheet of pastry, make sure you poke all around with a fork so it doesn’t rise unevenly.

      Reply

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