Best 5 Napoleon Tort Recipes

NAPOLEON CAKE

Steps:

• Combine the flour and salt on the counter or food processor. Add the cold butter, cut into chunks, into the flour and use a knife to work it into the flour, until there are pea sized bits of butter throughout the dough.
• In a medium bowl or large mixing cup, whisk the water, vinegar, vodka, and beaten eggs until evenly mixed. The vinegar and the vodka help to make the cake layers really tender and flaky. The vodka gives the dough more liquid and makes it easier to work with and roll out, but when the cake layers bake, the vodka will cook out, which makes the cake layers more crisp. You won't be able to taste the vinegar or vodka in the cake at all.
• Make a well in the center of the flour on the counter and pour in the liquid ingredients. Gently but quickly mix the dough, just until it comes together. Knead just a little, working the flour into the dough. Work as quickly as you can, so that the chunks of butter don't completely melt into the dough. The chunks of butter will melt as the cake layers bake and will form air pockets in the cake layers and give them that wonderful thin, flaky, puffed texture.
• Form the dough into a disc shape. Wrap the dough into parchment paper or aluminum foil and place it into the refrigerator. Chill for a few hours or overnight.
• Make the pastry cream. Follow the instructions in this post. The recipe is slightly different, but the technique is exactly the same, so use the ingredient amounts from this post, following the instructions in the other post.
• Chill the pastry cream in the refrigerator until completely cool, a few hours or overnight.
• I usually make the cake layer dough and the pastry cream the day before I am planning on making the cake.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Prepare 2 large rimmed baking sheets, so you can bake the cake layers quicker, if you interchange them, putting one in the oven, rolling out the next layer and then immediately putting it into the oven as soon as the first layer bakes and so on. Also prepare 10-12 pieces of parchment paper as big as the baking sheet.
• Divide the dough into 10-12 layers. If you want an 8-9 inch cake, you will probably end up with 12 cake layers. If you want the cake to be 10 inches, you will have 10 cake layers. Also, I often make 2 smaller, shorter cakes out of this recipe, instead of one large, tall cake. In which case, you will have 2 (8-9 inccakes that are 6 layers high, and 2 (10 inch cakethat are 5 layers high. You can easily halve the recipe for this cake.
• Roll out each portion of cake dough right on top of a piece of parchment paper, sprinkling a bit of flour on it before rolling out the cake layers. Roll out thin circles.
• Place a 8-10 inch round plate, cake pan, springform pan, etc. on top of the rolled out dough.
• Use a small paring knife to cut out an 8-10 inch circle, all around the outside of the circular object that you are using. Leave the dough remnant just where they are. Transfer the rolled out cake layer along with the parchment paper to the prepared baking sheet. Use a fork to prick some holes all over the center of the cake layers to keep them from puffing up unevenly.
• Bake in the preheated oven for about 8 minutes, until lightly golden.
• Repeat will all the cake layers. Set aside to cool. Save the cake dough scraps that baked along with the cake layers. You will use those later as crumbs to decorate the cake.
• Before you start making the frosting, make sure the pastry cream and the butter are both at room temperature. If one or the other is too cold, the frosting will not be smooth and consistent, but will have a curdled appearance, with bits of butter flecks throughout the frosting that you will not be able to fix.
• In a large bowl or a standing mixer a using a hand mixer, cream the butter, powdered sugar and vanilla extract, mixing until smooth and fluffy.
• Add the pastry cream, a few heaping Tablespoons at a time, mixing on low speed, gradually increasing to medium speed, until all of the pastry cream is incorporated into the buttercream.
• In a separate bowl, whip the heavy cream until soft peaks form. Fold in the whipped cream into the pastry cream.
• Line your edge of your serving plate/cake stand with aluminum foil. This is a trick I use to keep the edge of the plate clean. Place a dollop of frosting into the center of the plate, just to keep the cake from sliding around.
• Top each cake layer with a generous amount of frosting and spread it around evenly. You will need to use all of the frosting for the cake, so divide it evenly between all the cake layers. The frosting should be approximately the same thickness as each cake layer.
• Repeat will all the cake layers and frosting.
• Smooth out the frosting over the sides and top of the cake. Place the cake layer scraps into a large ziplock bag. Use your hands or a rolling pin to crush them into fine crumbs. Press the crumbs over the sides of the cake and sprinkle them evenly over the top of the cake. Keep it simple like that, or decorate with fresh berries, chocolate shavings, nuts, etc.
• Gently pull out the aluminum foil out from underneath the cake.
• It is best to refrigerate the cake overnight, so that the frosting soaks into the cake layers and gets really soft and tender. It will get slightly shorter as the frosting seeps into the cake layers.
• Keep the cake refrigerated. It helps to let it stand a room temperature for 30 minutes or so before serving.

MILLE FEUILLE (NAPOLEON PASTRY SHEETS)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with a silicone sheet.
• Separate dough at the seams into 4 squares and place on prepared baking sheet. Score the dough all over with the tines of a fork to prevent it from rising too much when baking. Lightly sprinkle dough sheets with white granulated sugar.
• Cover with a sheet of parchment paper and 3 sheets of aluminum foil. Nest another baking sheet on top to apply some pressure to the dough while it bakes.
• Bake in preheated oven 15 minutes; remove top pan and foil and gently peel off the parchment paper. Return pan to oven and bake until pastry is beautifully browned, 10 to 15 minutes. (Optionally, you can bake about 7 minutes after uncovering, then flip sheets over and bake until brown on the other side, another 7 minutes.)
• Transfer to cooling rack and cool completely before cutting.
• Square the sheets by trimming uneven edges off sheets using a sharp serrated knife with light sawing motion to keep the pastry from breaking. Cut each rectangle crosswise into 3 equal smaller rectangles. Use 3 small rectangles per pastry.

BEST CHOCOLATE RASPBERRY TORTE

Steps:

• Line three 9-in. round baking pans with waxed paper; grease and flour the pans and paper. Set aside., In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Combine the flour, cocoa, baking soda, salt and baking powder; add to the creamed mixture alternately with milk, beating well after each addition., Transfer to prepared pans. Bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely., For frosting, in a small heavy saucepan, melt chips and butter over low heat. Transfer to a large bowl; cool for 5 minutes. Stir in sour cream. Gradually beat in confectioners' sugar until smooth., For filling, in a small bowl, beat cream until it begins to thicken. Add the preserves, sugar and liqueur; beat until stiff peaks form., Cut each cake horizontally into two layers. Place bottom layer on a serving plate; spread with 1/2 cup filling. Top with another cake layer and spread with 1/2 cup frosting. Repeat layers. Top with another cake layer, 1/2 cup filling and remaining cake layer. Spread remaining frosting over top and sides of cake., For drizzle, place chips and butter in a small bowl. In a small saucepan, bring cream just to a boil. Pour over chocolate; whisk until smooth. Place mixture in a heavy-duty resealable plastic bag; cut a small hole in a corner of bag. Pipe a lattice design over top of cake, allowing some drizzle to drape down the sides. Decorate with chocolate curls and raspberries as desired. Refrigerate leftovers.

NAPOLEON

Steps:

• Make puff pastry strips: Lightly flour a clean work surface. Using a rolling pin, gently roll out dough into a 16-by-18-inch rectangle about 1/8 inch thick, being careful not to press too hard around the edges. Using a pastry wheel or sharp knife, cut rectangle crosswise into thirds, with each strip 6 by 16 inches. Transfer to a baking sheet; dock, or pierce, the dough all over with a fork. Cover with plastic wrap; place in refrigerator 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Transfer to oven; bake until strips are puffed and golden all over, about 14 minutes. Set a baking sheet directly on pastry strips, and continue baking until pastry is cooked through and well browned, about 6 minutes. Remove top baking sheet; bake 4 minutes more. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Using a serrated knife, trim each to 4 1/4 by 12 inches.
• Make the glaze: In a small saucepan, bring heavy cream just to a boil. Place dark chocolate in a bowl, and pour hot cream over chocolate; whisk until chocolate is melted and mixture is combined. Whisk in corn syrup. Strain through a fine mesh sieve into a clean bowl.
• Place white chocolate in a medium heat-proof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Whisk until chocolate is melted, and remove from heat. Let cool.
• Using an offset spatula, spread dark chocolate glaze over one side of the flattest puff pastry strip, making sure to coat entire surface. Place white chocolate in a piping cone; pipe thin lines 3/4 inch apart across width of chocolate-coated strip. To create the distinctive flourish, gently drag the tip of a paring knife or a skewer lengthwise through both coatings, in lines perpendicular to the white chocolate lines. Begin at one of the short ends, and make each line 3/4 inch apart. Alternate the direction each time.
• Place one of the unglazed puff pastry strips on a serving tray. Spread half the pastry cream over the top, leaving a 1/2-inch border all around. Top with remaining unglazed pastry strip; press down gently, and repeat with remaining pastry cream. Top with glazed pastry strip. Transfer to refrigerator, and chill 30 minutes uncovered. Using a long serrated knife, cut into six pieces, and serve.

NAPOLEON TORTE

Steps:

• Dough: Cut butter into flour then blend in the sour cream and water.
• Form 8-12 balls, then flatten into discs, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
• The next day, remove the dough from the refrigerator and let sit 15 minutes or until dough is pliable enough to be rolled out.
• Roll each disc into a paper-thin circle on a lightly-floured surface, then prick all over with a fork and bake at 375F for 7-10 minutes or until golden brown.
• A pizza pan or a stone makes a good surface for cooking your layers.
• Each layer must be cooked individually.
• If your dough gets too soft while you are rolling and baking, put it back in the refrigerator until it is hard enough again.
• Filling#1: Mix sugar, flour and salt in top of double boiler.
• Gradually add hot milk, stirring constantly.
• Keep on heat, stirring until mixture thickens.
• Spoon a small amount of milk mixture gradually (~1/4c) into your egg yolks, mix thoroughly.
• This will prevent your eggs from cooking by gradually raising their temperature.
• After you have spooned the milk mixture into the eggs, pour the eggs into the milk mixture.
• Cook for 2 minutes.
• Cool, then add vanilla and extras if desired.
• Filling#2: Add both cans of milk to top of double boiler and cook, stirring frequently, until thickened (~30min).
• Add egg yolks slowly in a thin stream, stirring constantly.
• Add vanilla.
• Cook and stir for 10 minutes.
• Chill in refrigerator.
• Beat butter until fluffy, then slowly beat in chilled milk mixture.
• Add extras if desired.
• Assembly: Place one layer of pastry on a platter and spread with filling.
• Continue stacking, alternating fillings, until 1 layer of pastry remains.
• Frost top and sides of torte with your remaining filling.
• Crumble the last pastry layer and sprinkle over torte.
• Refrigerate for several hours.