Hi everyone its Dina from SimpleHomeCooked.com
And today we are making an easy Napoleon cake
layers of buttery puff pastry filled between a rich vanilla custard
This easy dessert has been a family favorite for many many years and I hope it becomes a favorite for you as well
Let's get started by adding four egg yolks into a large mixing bowl
Then add one cup of granulated sugar. Now whisk that all together until it's nice and smooth
Then go ahead and add two tablespoons of all-purpose flour
Give it a thorough mix then add another two tablespoons of flour and stir it again
Next we'll be adding half a cup of whole milk. You'll want to do this in three separate pours with mixing in between
Adding all the milk at once can cause it to clump up. So we want to avoid that
Now in a saucepan add 3 cups of whole milk bring the heat to medium high and let it come to a simmer
Take the hot milk off the burner and gradually pour it into the egg mixture
You'll want to make sure to whisk constantly so the eggs don't scramble from the heat
Now pour the custard back into the saucepan and stir it over low heat
You'll want to keep mixing until the custard has thickened. This can take up to 15 minutes. So be patient
Once your custard is nice and thick cover it with plastic wrap
You'll want the plastic wrap to be touching the custard in order to avoid any skin from forming
Now set it aside and let it cool down to room temperature
While that cools let's bake the puff pastry sheets. On a lightly floured surface
Unwrap the thought puff pastry sheets and roll them out to a 12 by 16 inch rectangle
Now transfer the puff pastry sheet onto a baking sheet and generously poke it with a fork
Then bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 to 25 minutes or until it's golden brown
Now repeat this step with five more puff pastry sheets then set them aside to cool now
Let's get back to that custard. Remove the plastic wrap and transfer the cooled custard into a large mixing bowl
Next you'll want to add eight tablespoons of softened unsalted butter
But don't add it all at once. Add about two tablespoons at a time with mixing in between
This will ensure that your butter doesn't separate
Now add half a teaspoon of vanilla extract and 4 ounces of thawed Cool Whip. Give it a good mix and your custard is done
Now before we start assembling the cake take one of your puff pastry sheets and crumble it into fine crumbs
I always go for the ugliest one, obviously. We'll be using this crumbled sheet to decorate the outside of the cake
So once that's crumble just set it aside. If you're a perfectionist like me and you want all the edges to be smooth
I like to trim a tiny bit of the edges off with a knife, but that's totally optional
Okay, now let's get this cake together. Begin layering each puff pastry sheet with a generous layer of the vanilla custard
Once you've got all five sheets assembled cover the top and sides of the cake with the remaining custard
Now you can coat the entire cake with the puff pastry sheet that we crumbled earlier
Let the Napoleon cake sit for a few hours before serving
The Napoleon cake has been sitting for a few hours
So it had plenty of time for the puff pastries to really absorb all that delicious custard
So if you guys make this cake do not eat it right away. It's gonna be too dry
It's not going to taste nearly as delicious. So let's give it a few hours
You really want all that pastry cream to absorb through all the layers of the cake. I'm telling you it's a well worth the wait
Alright enough talk. Let's go for the taste test
Okay, it's going to be a bit of a struggle come on
That is so delicious. This cake takes me back to my childhood when my aunt would make this on Sundays
It's not a traditional Napoleon since the cake layers are not made from scratch, but it's faster
It's easier and it tastes just as delicious
So if you guys give this cake a try tag me on Instagram
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