The dessert is baked, cut, and drizzled with a little chocolate and vanilla frosting marble effect on top.
This recipe is easier to make than you may think and so impressive.
We use store-bought puff pastry although you can make your own from scratch from our Red Raspberry Turnover recipe.
The recipe directions are step by step and printable at the bottom of this post for your convenience.
Step By Step Napoleon Pastry
- Unfold the puff pastry cut and bake
- make the custard filling
- assemble
- make frosting thin enough to drizzle over the top with both chocolate and vanilla frosting
Tips:
- Thaw your frozen puff pastry (preferably in the fridge, overnight
- only unfold when thawed
- flour your surface
- use a paring knife to cut the dough
- to get the highest puff out of the dough cut and refrigerate until ready to bake and use
Puff Pastry
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper set aside.
Unfold the puff pastry sheet and trim edges to a 9-inch square.
Cut pastry into nine rectangles.
You can refrigerate again until custard is completed cooking.
Transfer pastry dough to the prepared baking sheets; prick pastry.
Bake in a preheated oven for 18-23 minutes, or until golden. (Or bake according to package directions.) Carefully remove pastries from the baking sheet. Cool on a rack.
6 egg yolks beaten
2 cups of milk
2 tablespoons of butter melted
1 full piece of orange peel (optional)
3/4 cup sugar
6 tablespoons of flour
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
Melt butter in a pan add flour stir till smooth no, lumps add milk, beaten egg yolks, sugar, butter, peel if using, vanilla...stir constantly until thick and creamy, if it gets too thick add a little more milk. Remove immediately from the pot as it will continue to cook and then pour into a bowl. Cool with a piece of wax paper over the top and a teaspoon of sugar this will keep the skin from forming on top.... cool completely.
Spread about 1 1/2 tablespoons of the pastry cream on the bottom layer and precede as follows:
Top with middle pastry layers. Spread another 1 1/2 tablespoons of pastry cream on each middle layer. Finally, top with remaining pastry layers.
You can stack as many as you like I used six for each pastry.
Spread glaze over top of napoleons, then drizzle with melted chocolate. Chill up to 1 hour before serving.
First of all, you can use white and dark chocolate chips melted or make a powdered sugar frosting.
Either one will work fine.
Use canned or homemade chocolate or vanilla frosting or you can melt white of dark chocolate to drizzle on top:
1/2 cup chocolate chips melted (I used a microwave-safe dish in the microwave) or make a chocolate frosting (see below recipe) using half the vanilla and adding 3 teaspoons of unsweetened cocoa powder to half the vanilla frosting recipe.
2 cups powdered sugar
1 tablespoon butter
2 to 3 tablespoons of hot water
Mix sugar, butter, and water till a smooth consistency, the frosting should be loose, not thick.
After the pastry is layered, slather white thick frosting over the top, drizzle with melted chocolate and swirl with a knife to get the marbled effect.
For a printable recipe card see below and hit the print button.
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Transfer pastry dough to the prepared baking sheets; prick pastry.
Bake in a preheated oven for 18-23 minutes, or until golden. (Or bake according to package directions.) Carefully remove pastries from the baking sheet. Cool on a rack.
Custard Filling:
6 egg yolks beaten
2 cups of milk
2 tablespoons of butter melted
1 full piece of orange peel (optional)
3/4 cup sugar
6 tablespoons of flour
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
Melt butter in a pan add flour stir till smooth no, lumps add milk, beaten egg yolks, sugar, butter, peel if using, vanilla...stir constantly until thick and creamy, if it gets too thick add a little more milk. Remove immediately from the pot as it will continue to cook and then pour into a bowl. Cool with a piece of wax paper over the top and a teaspoon of sugar this will keep the skin from forming on top.... cool completely.
Assembly:
Spread about 1 1/2 tablespoons of the pastry cream on the bottom layer and precede as follows:
Top with middle pastry layers. Spread another 1 1/2 tablespoons of pastry cream on each middle layer. Finally, top with remaining pastry layers.
You can stack as many as you like I used six for each pastry.
Spread glaze over top of napoleons, then drizzle with melted chocolate. Chill up to 1 hour before serving.
Topping:
First of all, you can use white and dark chocolate chips melted or make a powdered sugar frosting.
Either one will work fine.
Chocolate
Use canned or homemade chocolate or vanilla frosting or you can melt white of dark chocolate to drizzle on top:
1/2 cup chocolate chips melted (I used a microwave-safe dish in the microwave) or make a chocolate frosting (see below recipe) using half the vanilla and adding 3 teaspoons of unsweetened cocoa powder to half the vanilla frosting recipe.
Vanilla Frosting
2 cups powdered sugar
1 tablespoon butter
2 to 3 tablespoons of hot water
Mix sugar, butter, and water till a smooth consistency, the frosting should be loose, not thick.
After the pastry is layered, slather white thick frosting over the top, drizzle with melted chocolate and swirl with a knife to get the marbled effect.
Pin for later
For a printable recipe card see below and hit the print button.
Napoleon Pastry Dessert
Yield: 6
Prep time: 15 MinInactive time: 20 HourTotal time: 20 H & 15 M
Napoleon cake is made of flaky, buttery puff pastry layered between sweet vanilla custard.
Ingredients
- Puff Pastry
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper set aside.
- Unfold the puff pastry sheet and trim edges to a 9-inch square.
- Cut pastry into nine rectangles.
- Note: You can refrigerate again until custard is completed cooking.
- Transfer pastry dough to the prepared baking sheets; prick pastry.
- Bake in a preheated oven for 18-23 minutes, or until golden. (Or bake according to package directions.) Carefully remove pastries from the baking sheet. Cool on a rack.
- Custard Filling:
- 6 egg yolks beaten
- 2 cups of milk
- 2 tablespoons of butter melted
- 1 full piece of orange peel (optional)
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 6 tablespoons of flour
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- Melt butter in a pan add flour stir till smooth no, lumps add milk, beaten egg yolks, sugar, butter, peel if using, vanilla stir constantly until thick and creamy
- If this gets too thick add a little more milk.
- Remove immediately from the pot as it will continue to cook and then pour into a bowl.
- Cool with a piece of wax paper over the top and a teaspoon of sugar this will keep the skin from forming on top. and cool completely.
Instructions
- Assembly:
- Spread about 1 1/2 tablespoons of the pastry cream on the bottom layer and precede as follows:
- Top with middle pastry layers. Spread another 1 1/2 tablespoons of the pastry cream on each middle layer. Finally, top with remaining pastry layers.
- You can stack as many as you like I used six for each pastry.
- Spread glaze over top of napoleons, then drizzle with melted chocolate. Chill up to 1 hour before serving.
- Topping:
- First of all, you can use white and dark chocolate chips melted or make a powdered sugar frosting.
- Either one will work fine.
- Chocolate
- You can use canned thinned down chocolate and vanilla frosting or melted dark and white chocolate
- 1/2 cup chocolate chips melted (I used a microwave-safe dish in the microwave) or make a chocolate frosting using half the vanilla (see below recipe) and adding 3 teaspoons of unsweetened cocoa powder to half the vanilla frosting recipe.
- Vanilla Frosting
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 2 to 3 tablespoons of hot water
- Mix sugar, butter, and water till a smooth consistency, the frosting should be loose, not thick.
- After the pastry is layered, slather white thick frosting over the top, drizzle with melted chocolate and swirl with a knife to get the marbled effect.
Pin for later
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This looks wonderful. I love the way the topping is oozing down the sides.
ReplyDeleteLovely presentation Claudia! These are my favorite kind of desserts!
ReplyDeleteFabulous dessert!
ReplyDeleteDear Claudia, That looks absolutely wonderful! When I saw the picture I said, "oh my". I must try the recipe. My son would love it. Blessings, Catherine xoxo
ReplyDeleteAh- MAZING & beautiful!
ReplyDeletedelicious dessert looks wonderful with the pastry
ReplyDeleteGorgeous & I'm sure delish too!
ReplyDeleteI've never tasted this dessert, but it looks absolutely gorgeous. Great
ReplyDeleteBye dear, hope you have a good Sunday
Looks awesome, great design
ReplyDeleteGosh, Claudia, this is such a gorgeous dessert! That top photo is stunning!
ReplyDeleteHappy Sunday, my friend!
Lovely. Great instructions & photos, too.
ReplyDeleteThis looks incredibly sinful -- I cannot wait to try this later in the week. I have decided that I am going to do something "just because" each week, from now on. And I think I will start with this!
ReplyDeleteSheesh, that looks really good!!!!
ReplyDeleteOh my God,my mouth is watering!Perfect dessert,great photos!Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteThis is one of my favorite desserts and your version of it looks and sounds delicious. I hope you have a great day. Blessings...Mary
ReplyDeleteThis looks heavenly!!
ReplyDeleteHappy Sunday :)
Decadent-I'm speechless, (and now my mouth is watering).
ReplyDeleteHoly creaminess! That is my type of a dessert! I love this recipe..thank you, Claudia, for sharing!
ReplyDeleteThe icing looks so good! Beautiful dessert, Claudia. Happy Sunday :) xoxo
ReplyDeleteOh this looks and sounds amazingly delicious! Awesome dessert Claudia!
ReplyDeleteThis is a dessert I find too intimidating to make myself - I'm inspired! You make it look so easy. It's perfect!
ReplyDeleteYour napoleon looks amazing, loving the custard filling and the top is so pretty!
ReplyDeleteClaudia, they look scrumptious! Your pastry cream sounds great! Have to try your version!
ReplyDeleteI think I just saw a slice of heaven... this is going in my dessert folder for sure,one of your many ones....
ReplyDeleteThis looks like another fabulous recipe. My husband LOVES Napoleons and I can't wait to try this. Yum!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful napoleons. I love the convenience of store-bought puff pastry. Makes impressive desserts like this so much easier :) Yum!
ReplyDeleteClaudia this is so deliciously delightful...looks pretty gorgeous as well :) Might just be my new favorite dessert :)
ReplyDeletei love that dessert,i'm happy to have it i'm going to make it.thank u claudia
ReplyDeleteOh my oh my Claudisa, I'll do anything for this one! Gosh, I am salivating! Slurp... Have to make this. Thanks for sharing & enjoy your day, darling.
ReplyDeleteCheers, Kristy
Claudia you brought back so many memories with your recipe :)When I was growing up my mom used to make this cake on my birthdays . Thank you!
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely gorgeous dessert! Yum!
ReplyDeleteThis looks so tasty!
ReplyDeleteOh wow! This looks so creamy and delicious!
ReplyDeleteHow beautiful! I can just imagine how sweet and crunchy it is, too! : )
ReplyDeleteHi Claudia, sharing this great memory maker on my Wednesday post,thanks!
ReplyDeleteClaudia, this is AWESOME! I love desserts with puff pastry and this is such a great one!
ReplyDeleteGosh i can't believe you made it yourself! It looks great, just like a really bakery! I love it!!
ReplyDeleteI would love to eat this.
ReplyDeleteThis is my idea of Heaven! I love pastry cream and sandwiched between flaky pastry? YES PLEASE!
ReplyDeleteIncredibly delicious looking pastry! Thanks so much,I have never made these, but really want to try them now.
ReplyDeleteSo I'm watching Eat Pray Love and in the movie she eats a napolean and it made me wonder what it was so I googled and found this wonderful sinfully delicious dessert!
ReplyDeleteRest assured this will be made in my kitchen!!
Yum Yum Yum! The picture looks divine!!!
These look like they came from a bakery!! Well done, my friend!!!
ReplyDelete