Napoleon cake Recipe - Russian Style Mille feuille

heavy cream

🥗Healthier: Greek yogurt

💰Cheaper: whipped topping

Greek yogurt reduces calories while maintaining creaminess

butter

🥗Healthier: coconut oil

💰Cheaper: margarine

Coconut oil offers a dairy-free option with similar texture

Place 2 eggs in a measuring cup and add 1 teaspoon of salt and 1.5 tablespoons of vinegar.

Add approximately 220 milliliters of ice-cold water and mix well to have a total of 375 milliliters of liquid.

Place the liquid in the fridge.

Sift 750 grams of flour onto the table.

Grate 600 grams of frozen butter into the flour, mixing frequently.

Make a well in the flour and add the liquid mixture, mixing without kneading the dough.

Fold the dough onto itself, lifting the sides and falling towards the middle to create layers.

Gather any leftover pieces of dough and add them to the main dough, shaping it into a rectangle.

Wrap the dough in plastic wrap or place it in a plastic bag and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, preferably 10 to 12 hours.

Combine 1 liter of milk and 300 grams of sugar in a saucepan and heat over medium until sugar dissolves and mixture simmers.

In a separate bowl, mix 4 eggs with 120 grams of flour or cornstarch.

Gradually add the hot milk to the egg mixture while stirring constantly.

Return the mixture to the saucepan and cook, whisking constantly until thickened.

Remove from heat and stir in 20 grams of butter until melted, then transfer to a bowl and cover with plastic wrap directly on the surface to cool completely.

Remove the dough from the fridge and divide into three parts: two equal pieces and one smaller piece for decoration.

Roll one piece of dough into a rectangle that fits a 60 by 40 centimeter baking tray.

Wipe the baking tray with a damp cloth and use a rolling pin to transfer the dough to the pan, trimming the edges.

Make small incisions in the dough and bake in a preheated oven at 200 to 220 degrees Celsius for about 20 minutes.

Check for doneness by inserting a spatula under the edge; if it stays flat, it's ready to remove from the oven and cool.

Repeat with the second piece of puff pastry, baking the third piece longer until completely dry for crumbling.

For the custard buttercream, place 300 grams of soft butter in a stand mixer and whip until fluffy.

Gradually add the cooled custard into the butter, one tablespoon at a time, along with 10 grams of vanilla sugar or vanilla extract, whipping until light and fluffy.

Assemble the cake by cutting each crust in half to get four layers, spreading one quarter of the cream over the first layer, and continuing to layer with cream between each crust.

Cover the top and sides with the remaining buttercream.

Crumble the smaller piece of puff pastry into crumbs and mix with 1 tablespoon of vanilla powdered sugar, then sprinkle over the top and sides of the cake.

Transfer to a serving plate, cut into pieces, and serve as individual slices.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level:

Allergens