Russian Napoleon - let the baking begin!

Hey guys,

Me and my Ukrainian friend Nastja met - especially for this blog - to prepare the fantastic "Napoleon", a very popular 15-layer Russian  cake. Originally, it is a French pastry, but in Russian literature, a cake named Наполеон (Napoleon) is first mentioned as early as in the first half of the 19th century! As I experienced it during my semester in Russia, the cake is a must-have at all sorts of Party, no matter if in Family or with friends.

How to make Napoleon cake:

 

Dough ingredients: Margarine: 0,5 kg, Flour: 1kg, 1 egg, Vinegar: 1 spoon, Water: 150 ml (half a glass)

Cream ingredients: Milk: 1L, 4 eggs, a can of condensed milk, 0,5 kg of butter, half a cup of sugar, a pack of vanillin.

Making the dough

1)      Mix an egg, 150 ml of water and a tablespoonful of vinegar until smooth

2)      Pour 5 cups of flour on the table, then add 0,5 kg of softened margarine. (slightly heated or room temperature) Toss them together with your hands until smooth.

3)      Combine the mixtures from the cups, knead the dough and leave on the table for 20-30 min.

4)      Cut the dough into ten pieces.

5)      Roll out the dough pieces into the desired shape and bake them in the oven at a temperature of 220-250 degrees.

Cream:

1)      Heat 750 ml of milk until boiling.

2)      At the same time, whisk four eggs, half a glass of sugar and four cups of flour together in a separate cup. Stir until smooth, then add the remaining 250 ml of milk.

3)      Pour this mix into boiling milk while mixing quickly. (on low heat) You have to stir until it is brought to the boil again, then add a pack of vanillin, and leave it to get cold.

4)      Beat 0,5 kg of melted butter and condensed milk together with the mixer.

5)      Add the mix from the step three and beat it together.

Grease cake layers with cream. Press them together to adhere. After you assemble the cake, make a crumb coat on the sides and the top of the cake. Remove any loose crumbs from the top of the cake. Put it into Refrigerator.

 

Just try it - and you will get a little closer to Russian culture :).