Best “Napoleon” Cake Ever!

Quick Puff Pastry

 400 g. butter, cold

 2 eggs
 150 ml water, cold
 6 cups sifted all-purpose flour (650 g) or 4 1/2 cups un-sifted all-purpose flour
 3 tbsp vodka/cognac
 1 tbsp vinegar (9%)
 Pinch of Salt

Egg Yolk Custard

 7 egg yolks
 6 cups milk
 1 1/2 – 2 1/4 cup sugar
 1 tbsp vanilla extract
 1 cup all-purpose flour (sifted)
 150-200 g butter (I added 400)

Instructions

Make Quick Puff Pastry

Whisk together eggs and salt, stir in cold water, 1 tablespoon vinegar & 3 tablespoons vodka.
Add flour to the cup of your food processor. Add cold, cubed butter and pulse or process until the crumbs are
pea size.
Add the egg mixture into the flour mixture and continue processing until the dough starts sticking to itself a
bit, but is not formed yet.
Pour the content of the food processor bowl onto work surface and start gathering and sticking the dough
together with your hands, trying to work it as little as possible. Form a ball and knead it for a couple of
seconds until a dough forms. Do not work with it too much, not to melt the butter with the warmth of your
hands.
Shape the dough into a log and then cut it into 4 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a ball, cover with plastic
wrap and refrigerate for 1-2 hours.

Work on the frosting

Combine egg yolks & sugar in a bowl and whisk them together, adding 50 milliliters of milk to make it easier.
Add the flour and whisk again, forming very uniform, clump free batter. Add another 50 milliliters of milk to
make it easier.

Heat the remaining milk in a pot until boiling, all the while stirring to keep the bottom from scorching.
Transfer the egg & flour mixture into a larger pot (about 3 quarts).
Tamper the egg yolk mixture by slowly pouring the hot milk in, all the while mixing.
Pour the mixture back into the pot and bring it to boil over medium heat, continuously (!!) stirring and
keeping the bottom of the pot from scorching. Once boiling, cook for 2-3 minutes.
Add vanilla extract & stir. Add butter, allow to melt and stir to for a smooth custard.
If your custard had clumps, run it through a fine sieve or pulse it with an immersion blender (handheld) until
smooth.

Allow the custard to cool by pouring it into a jelly roll baking sheet and covering it with plastic wrap (plastic
wrap should touch the custard, to keep the skin from forming). Do not refrigerate, just bring to room
temperature.

Bake the cake layers

Preheat oven to 400F. Set the rack in the middle.

On a back of a jelly roll or a 12 inch baking sheet, roll out 1/2 of 1 dough ball, until about 12.5 inches in size,
by dusting the surface with flour as needed.
Prick with a fork all over, to prevent uneven rising. Bake for 5-7 minutes, until lightly golden. Repeat with the
rest of the dough, to make 8 layers.
As soon as the cake layer baked and out of the oven, place a 11 inch plate or lid on top of each cake layer and
cut around, collecting the scraps into a separate bowl and being careful to keep the cake layers from cracking.
Crumble the cake scraps. Set aside.

Assembly

Place a dab of frosting on a serving platter. Place first cake layer and press to adhere.
Surround the cake layer by a cake ring & secure with a ribbon or a cake strip. The rest of the cake will be
assembled inside the ring.
Place about 6 large spoons of frosting and smooth it around. Repeat with the rest of the frosting and cake.
(This can be done as you bake the cake, meaning that cake layers can be just slightly cooled when you start
assembling the cake. Warm cake layers will speed up absorption). Sprinkle couple tablespoons of shredded
scraps on top of the cake.
Run a knife between the cake and the ring. Remove the ring. Take some crumbled scraps into the palm of your
hand and press them against the sides of the cake, all around. Sprinkle the rest of the cake crumbs on top of
the cake. The cake scraps are not only for decoration, but also to keep a skin from forming on the custard.
Serve chilled.
The King of Napoleons

Ingredients
Quick Puff Pastry:400 g. butter, cold,2 eggs,150 ml water, cold,6 cups sifted all purpose flour (650 g) or 4½
cups un-sifted all purpose flour,3 tbsp vodka/cognac,1 tbsp vinegar (9%),Pinch of Salt,Egg Yolk Custard
Custard:7 egg yolks,6 cups milk,1½ - 2¼ cup sugar,1 tbsp vanilla extract,1 cup all purpose flour (sifted),150-
200 g butter (I added 400)
Instructions
Make Quick Puff Pastry
1. Whisk together eggs and salt, stir in cold water, 1 tablespoon vinegar & 3 tablespoons vodka.
2. Add flour to the cup of your food processor. Add cold, cubed butter and pulse or process until the
crumbs are pea size.
3. Add the egg mixture into the flour mixture and continue processing until the dough starts sticking to
itself a bit, but is not formed yet.
4. Pour the content of the food processor bowl onto work surface and start gathering and sticking the
dough together with your hands, trying to work it as little as possible. Form a ball and kneed it for a
couple of seconds until a dough forms. Do not work with it too much, not to melt the butter with the
warmth of your hands.
5. Shape the dough into a log and then cut it into 4 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a ball, cover with
plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1-2 hours.
Work on the custard
1. Combine egg yolks & sugar in a bowl and whisk them together, adding 50 milliliters of milk to make
it easier.
2. Add the flour and whisk again, forming very uniform, clump free batter. Add another 50 milliliters of
milk to make it easier.
3. Heat the remaining milk in a pot until boiling, all the while stirring to keep the bottom from scorching.
4. Transfer the the egg & flour mixture into a larger pot (about 3 quarts).
5. Tamper the egg yolk mixture by slowly pouring the hot milk in, all the while mixing.
6. Pour the mixture back into the pot and bring it to boil over medium heat, continuously (!!) stirring and
keeping the bottom of the pot from scorching. Once boiling, cook for 2-3 minutes.
7. Add vanilla extract & stir. Add butter, allow to melt and stir to for a smooth custard.
8. If your custard had clumps, run it through a fine sieve or pulse it with an immersion blender
(handheld) until smooth.
9. Allow the custard to cool by pouring it into a jelly roll baking sheet and covering it with plastic wrap
(plastic wrap should touch the custard, to keep the skin from forming). Do not refrigerate, just bring to
room temperature.

Bake the cake layers

1. Preheat oven to 400F. Set the rack in the middle.
2. On a back of a jelly roll or a 12 inch baking sheet, roll out ½ of 1 dough ball, until about 12.5 inches in
size, by dusting the surface with flour as needed.
3. Prick with a fork all over, to prevent uneven rising. Bake for 5-7 minutes, until lightly golden. Repeat
with the rest of the dough, to achieve 8 layers.
4. As soon as the cake layer is baked and out of the oven, place a 11 inch plate or lid on top of each cake
layer and cut around, collecting the scraps into a separate bowl and being careful to keep the cake
layers from cracking.
5. Crumble the cake scraps. Set aside.

Assembly
1. Place a dab of frosting on a serving platter. Place first cake layer and press to adhere.
2. Surround the cake layer by a cake ring & secure with a ribbon or a cake strip. The rest of the cake will
be built inside the ring.
3. Place about 6 large spoons of frosting and smooth it around. Repeat with the rest of the frosting and
cake. (This can be done as you bake the cake. The cake layers can be just slightly cooled when you
start assembling the cake. Warm cake layers will speed up absorption). Sprinkle couple tablespoons of
shredded scraps on top of the cake.
4. Run a knife between the cake and the ring. Remove the ring. Take some crumbled scraps into the palm
of your hand and press them against the sides of the cake, all around. Sprinkle the rest of the cake
crumbs on top of the cake. The cake scraps are not only for decoration, but also to keep a skin from
forming on the custard. Serve chilled.
King of Napoleons goes Rectangular!

Instructions
Roll & Bake
1. The trick is in making your cake rectangular instead of round. If you don’t care about the shape,
just follow the instructions for making the King of Napoleons cake, but instead of rolling out 8
round layers, split your dough in 4 pieces, then roll each one on floured working surfaced to a
13x19 size. This will be slightly larger than the baking sheet, but the cake shrinks while baking,
so it will be OK. Bake on an inverted (upside down) 12x18 baking sheet. Bake as directed for 5-7
minutes or until slightly golden. Trim the sides of each cake layer with a knife or a pizza cutter to
about 17x11. Reserve the scraps. They will be used for decorating later.

To layer:
1. Reserve 1½ cup frosting, set aside.
2. Use the remaining custard to layer the 4 sheets of cake, topping the top layer with custard as
well. Use a ruler and cut the cake in half. Stack one half on top of the other half. Spread the
reserved custard all over the cake.
3. Crush the cake scraps that we reserved earlier and press them against the sides of your cake,
then sprinkle some on top.

Decorate:
1. Top the cake with berries of choice & mint leaves. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.