Make Ahead
Olia Hercules' Napoleon Cake
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9 Reviews
freshbread
February 10, 2018
Hmm... I have a delicious pastry cream, but it's a soup! It has cooled for 30 minutes on the counter, and then 90 minutes in the fridge. Anyone else run into this problem? I'll pop it in the freezer and see if that helps... will report back.
Khristina W.
January 28, 2018
A tip that would have been useful for me when making this recipe was that you should prick the surface of the dough with a fork before baking. My pastry layers puffed up a lot, which made constructing the cake challenging. In the end the cake tasted good, but I was disappointed that the cake's appearance wasn't as neat as it could (should) have been.
Anna W.
May 6, 2016
I just finished making this fabulous cake. I used sheets of parchment paper during the rolling out, and also the baking of the pastry, and I used a knife to trim the pastry to a circle right before putting them into the oven. Also, I decided to cover the top layer with a sugar glaze, and piped on lines, so as to make it look even more like the traditional French Napoleon. It's in our fridge right now, and we all can't wait to cut into it!
Andrea
December 30, 2015
Looks and sounds wonderful. Does it keep at all in fridge or freezer?
Sarah J.
December 31, 2015
Yes, it will keep for about 2 days in the fridge (maybe longer), though the texture will change (more pudding-like, less crunchy). As for freezing, I'd make the pastry ahead of time, freeze it (raw), then thaw it overnight in the fridge and proceed with the rest of the recipe.
Ruth
December 30, 2015
Can I use purchased puff pastry as a shortcut? Or does it spoil everything that makes this seem so lovely?
Sarah J.
December 31, 2015
Yes, you can! I found similar recipes online that call for storebought puff pastry. The result may have a slightly different, less crispy texture but will be doubtlessly delicious.
breadwhisperer
December 30, 2015
Just made the dough. Are the measurements correct? It seems like a lot of flour for that amount of butter and water. (Pie dough is normally a 3:2:1 ratio.) I had to add a lot more ice water to get it to come together.
Sarah J.
December 30, 2015
Yes, the measurements are correct! The first time I made it, I did have to add a little extra liquid to have it come together (but not the following times). It will definitely turn out just fine if you supplemented with a little extra liquid!
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