This classic Russian napoleon cake is made with thin puff pastry layers and a rich, sweet cream, then topped with fresh berries.

Whether it’s this cake recipe, our berries and cream wreath, or even our cream cheese danishes, puff pastry sheets are great to use for dessert and are so versatile.

A slice of layered pastry cake on a plate topped with fresh fruits.

How to Make Napoleon Cake-

If you want a stunning cake but don’t want to make your bake your own layers, this napoleon cake recipe is a great idea! Layers of store-bought puff pastry sheets rolled out thin with a sweet cream between the layers.

Not only is this cake so stunning, but it’s incredibly approachable! The steps are simple and result in a perfect cake.

Make the Napolean Cake Layers:

  1. Thaw sheets- You’ll want to place your pastry sheets overnight or a few hours in advance so the pastry sheets may thaw. Don’t use frozen sheets.
  2. Cut pastry- On a floured surface, lay out the sheets and cut them into three strips where the indents are from the packaging.
  3. Roll out – Now take one strip at a time and roll it out to about 9”x12” size, and with a fork, poke holes everywhere for even baking. (The sheets will be thin, which is what we want.)
  4. Bake sheets- Bake the sheets 2 at a time for 6-8 minutes, until golden in color.
  5. Bake all sheets- Continue baking two sheets at a time, keeping the rest refrigerated; you’ll have six sheets in total.
  6. Cool layers- Cool the layers.
How to prepare the puff pastry sheet for this simple layered pastry cake.

Make Cake Cream-

  1. In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and butter until smooth.
  2. Add the condensed milk, powdered sugar, and marshmallow puff cream; beat until incorporated.
  3. Add the cool whip and fold it in with a spatula.
The classic cream used in a Napoleon Cake is custard cream. If that is what you want, you can use the custard cream we use in our french crepe recipe. You will need to double the portion.
How to make a creamy buttercream for this layered Napoleon cake recipe.

Assemble the Napolean Cake-

And now the fun part! Let’s assemble the cake!

  1. Once the layers have cooled, trim the edges so they are all straight. Add the leftover pieces and crush them in a bag.
  2. Spread some cream over the platter to keep the cake from moving. Add a layer and cover with cream. Continue until all the layers and cream are used up.
  3. Cover the sides and the top with the leftover crumbs. Allow cake to sit at least 2 hours at room temp or refrigerate for 4 hours. Add berries and enjoy.
How to assemble this delicious layered pastry cake with fruits.

Make-ahead-

This napolean cake is great to make in advance for a party.

  • 1 day in advance: Make the cake one day in advance, wrap it tightly, and refrigerate it. Then, top with berries before serving.
  • 2 or 3 days early: Bake the layers, cool them, and keep them tightly refrigerated. Prepare the cream and keep it refrigerated. Then, assemble and allow the cake to set.

Storing-

  • Refrigerator- Keep the cake covered tightly and refrigerated for up to 3 days.
  • Freeze- The cake may easily be frozen. Cover tightly and freeze for 2-3 months. Thaw in the fridge and enjoy.
Layered pastry cake with fruits on a cake stand topped with fruits and powdered sugar.

More Cakes to Try-

If you tried this Napolean Cake Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below! – We appreciate it!

Napoleon Cake Recipe

Author: Valentina
Print
5 from 2 votes
A classic Russian Napoleon Cake made with thin layers of puff pastry and a sweet cream topped with fresh fruit.
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
0 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Servings: 14 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 lb package puff pastry, thawed (pepperidge farms, 2 sheets)

cream-

Instructions

Make layers-

  • Dust countertop with flour. Add sheet and dust top with flour. Cut a sheet into three sections (rifrigerate the third one). Work with two at a time, keeping the rest refrigerated.
  • Roll out each section into about 9"x12" rectangle. Poke top with a fork for even baking.
  • Bake at 400°F for 6-8 minutes, until golden in color.
  • Repeat process with the next two sections and finally the last two. Cool sheets completely before assembling.

Prepare cream-

  • Beat cream cheese and butter until smooth.
    Add condensed milk, powdered sugar, and marshmallow puff creme; beat until incorporated.
    Last, add cool whip; beat on low speed.

Assemble cake-

  • Once layers have cooled, trim edges so they are straight and crush or decor.
  • Add the first layer onto a cake stand, cover with cream. Repeat with all of the layers. Cover top and sides with remaining cream.
  • Coat the sides and around the edges on top of the cake with the leftover crumbs or the entire cake can be covered with the crumbs.
  • Dust with posted sugar. Keep refrigerated at least 2 hours (or overnight).
  • Top with berries before serving.

Nutrition

245kcal Calories22g Carbs2g Protein16g Fat5g Saturated Fat11mg Cholesterol119mg Sodium46mg Potassium0g Fiber7g Sugar120IU Vitamin A0.2mg Vitamin C25mg Calcium0.8mg Iron
Nutrition Facts
Napoleon Cake Recipe
Amount Per Serving
Calories 245 Calories from Fat 144
% Daily Value*
Fat 16g25%
Saturated Fat 5g31%
Cholesterol 11mg4%
Sodium 119mg5%
Potassium 46mg1%
Carbohydrates 22g7%
Fiber 0g0%
Sugar 7g8%
Protein 2g4%
Vitamin A 120IU2%
Vitamin C 0.2mg0%
Calcium 25mg3%
Iron 0.8mg4%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
(The nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.)