Buttery, flaky pastry layers generously filled with sweet cream filling…This Russian cake “Napoleon” is the sweetest taste from my childhood.
I can’t imagine my childhood without this cake called “Napoleon”.
You see, my mom is a talented baker, and I think I got the love for baking from her. Among many sweet treats, she used to bake this particular cake quite often, for us, for friends, and for coworkers. It’s her signature cake, if you will, and we absolutely loved it. One bite of this cake sends me right back to my happy childhood!
I don’t bake this cake as often as I should though, but it’s definitely one of my top favorites. The cake consists of five flaky, buttery pastry layers with sweet buttercream filling. It’s rich, buttery and oh-so-delicious! Best paired with a cup of tea without sugar.
This recipe is right from my mom’s oldest recipe notebook. You know, the old and worn-kind, filled with lots of handwritten recipes, mostly Russian sweets and treats. Her recipes are short and not as detailed, much like the one your grandma would’ve passed down.
I shared this recipe back in 2013. Last month, my mom made this cake for me, when she was here to help me with my newborn. So I took the opportunity to re-shoot the photos and re-share the recipe with you again.
We’ll start with making buttery, flaky pastry layers. Just like making a pie crust, we’ll incorporate cold butter into the flour and mix it with egg mixture until nice dough forms. It’s ok to have a small pea-size butter pieces here and there. It’s actually desirable for ultra-flaky layers.
Resting the dough in the fridge helps us to easily roll it out into nice and thin circle. We’ll bake each layer separately in a hot oven for a few minutes. And once the pastry layers are baked and cooled, we will trim the edges to form perfect circle. Save those extra trimmings for later!
Ok, this sweet cream filling is what really makes this cake. It’s buttery, smooth and fluffy. Not your regular buttercream here. The technique is rather strange, but it yields the most delicious, silky smooth filling.
We’ll generously fill each layer with said filling and let it rest for at least 5 hours, or preferably overnight. That’s the thing, it requires major patience. But it’s essential to give the filling enough time to soak into the flaky pastry layers and soften them for that perfect bite.
Hope you enjoy this recipe!

Russian Cake "Napoleon"
Ingredients
For pastry layers:
- 1 large egg
- ¾ cup 180ml water
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 18 tablespoons 250gr unsalted butter, cold
- 3 cups 375gr all-purpose flour
For filling:
- 1 cup 240ml milk (whole or 2%)
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ cups 300gr sugar
- 1 cup 225gr unsalted butter
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- To make the pastry layers, mix together the egg, water, baking soda and salt.
- Blend cold butter cubes with flour. Add egg mixture and mix until well combined. Divide the dough into 5 equal pieces. Wrap each ball in a plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30-60 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
- Roll each dough ball into 10-inch circle on slightly floured surface. Transfer it onto a baking sheet and pierce it with a fork everywhere. Bake each layer for 10-12 minutes, or until golden brown.
- To make the filling, mix flour and milk and whisk until well combined. Bring it to boil on medium heat, stirring frequently. Once the milk mixture is thick, let it to cool completely.
- Beat softened butter and sugar until sugar is mostly melted. Add vanilla extract. Add cooled milk mixture and beat everything on high speed until well combined.
- To assemble the cake, once every layer is baked and cooled, trim each layer, using a 9-inch round plate. Save the leftover crust edges.
- Spread the filling between each layer and stack them up on top of each other. Then frost the entire cake with the remaining filling.
- Crush the saved crust edges into crumbs, using rolling pin or blender. Sprinkle the crust crumbs all over the cake.
Marina says
Thank you for the recipe. I will certainly try to make it.
I grew up in Russia and the Russian Napoleon Tort (cake) was always the centerpiece of any special occasion/celebration. My mother would wake up very early to start baking, sheet by sheet. At the same time, she would be making the most amazing cream that I was allowed to taste after she was done with all preparations. The smell, the taste and the anticipation of the most delicious piece of cake is still one of the best memories of my childhood. By the way, the cake always tasted much better the next day.
Shinee says
Hi, Marina! You basically described my childhood as well. 🙂 Except my mom used to make this cake late at night, and we, kids, went to bed looking forward to morning to have some for breakfast! And agreed, it’s always taste better the next day. Hope you will make it soon, and let me know how it turns out.
Carina says
Quick question, I accidentally put the milk mixture in when it was still hot and it made the mixture very liquid like, what can I do to fix it?
Shinee says
Hi, Carina! Sorry to hear the trouble. I’d suggest to put it in the fridge to harden a bit, and then try whipping it again. Since the milk mixture was hot, it melted the butter and that’s why it god liquid. So I’m hoping cooling it in the fridge might save it. Hope it turns out. Let me know.
Carina says
Sorry for the late reply, I let it sit in the fridge for a while but unfortunately it didn’t really turn out well, I had to remake the frosting but thank you for responding
Shinee says
Oh bummer, but good to know. Thanks for coming back and letting me know, Carina. Hope you enjoyed the cake despite the trouble.
The Reader's Tales - A Swiss lifestyle blog says
Wow, what an elegant dessert! Delicious!
Shinee says
Thank you!
Karly says
This cake is so gorgeous! Thanks for linking up with What’s Cookin’ Wednesday!
Shinee says
Thanks, Karly!
Katie says
This dessert looks so elegant and delicious – totally sounds like my jam! Thanks for sharing this, found you at Friday Favorites, pinning for later!
Shinee says
Thank you, Katie, for stopping by!
Barrie says
This is gorgeous and pure! No-nonsense in this recipe- I love it and I will defintiely try it- sounds like I’ll need to do it while the kids are somewhere else though!
Shinee says
Thank you, Barrie!
Meg says
This looks like a lot of work, but I think it would be fun to try. It looks amazing, and I love things that hearken back to my Russian heritage. Thanks!
Shinee says
Meg, you’re right. It takes a bit of effort, rolling and baking each layer! But it’s totally worth it.
Melanie says
I have never heard of this cake but it looks and sounds divine. I hope I don’t offend the tradition of this cake, but I was wondering if it has ever been tried with adding a raspberry or other fruit purée to the cream or with an extra layer of a fruit purée, and what the fruit would to do the consistency of the cake.
Shinee says
Hi, Melanie! Very interesting point. I change and alter a lot of recipes, but I never thought of adding anything to this one! I think it won’t be the same with fruit flavor in it though. Maybe I just have a hard time imagining it. 🙂
Leona says
Hello, I have a Lithuanian Bakery in my town. They make a Napoleon torte that is virtually the same only it has a layer in the middle with Apricot preserves. It’s my favorite birthday cake. VERY delicious. So yes you can add fruit.
Shinee says
Leona, thank you for sharing it. Apricot preserves sounds delightful! I’ll have to try adding fruit preserve in my Napoleon cake next time! 🙂
Courtney says
Wow, this looks beautiful!
Shinee says
Thanks, Courtney!
Shannon says
Wow, this looks amazing. I’m going to have to work up the ambition to try this.
Shinee says
It’s so worth it, Shannon. Hope you give it a try. Thanks for stopping by!
Thalia @ butter and brioche says
My russian grandmother makes the best napoleon cake too, and she also makes an incredibly delicious white chocolate mikado which is pretty similar to this. I wish I had a slice right now, thanks for the nostalgia!
Shinee says
Agreed, this cake brings nostalgia like none other! I bet your grandmother’s was amazing!!
Jhuls | The Not So Creative Cook says
This cake looks absolutely good!!
Shinee says
Thanks, Jhuls!
Kristina & Millie says
ohhh so delish! so light! this Russian cake Napoleon is mouthwatering! I will have to try this soon! Thanks for the recipe!
Shinee says
Thanks!!
Larisa says
My Russian family make mikada in Australia. We make Napoléon too but the mikada version is the one we make most. It’s similar with the layers but the layers are more like a biscuit shortbread, almost crunchy. The layers are cooled, brushed with tea & filled with a sort of chantilly cream filling. It must be left over night too to let the layers absorb. The outside can be sprinkled with the crumbs or toasted flaked almonds. Your cream filling sounds good but seems difficult to make, but I’m going to give it a try
Shinee says
Hi, Larisa! I’ve never heard of mikada, but it sounds wonderful!! I love the idea of brushing on tea on the shortbread layers! Can’t wait to try it. (If you have a recipe, I’d be happy to try yours. 😉 ) Yeah, this filling is an old-fashioned version and a little involved, but I think it’s totally worth it! Let me know if you try it.
KitchenNostalgia says
I love your cake! It looks very pretty and I’m sure it’s delicious, too 🙂
Shinee says
Thank you!!
Celeste | The Whole Serving says
Why doesn’t it surprise me, whenever I see a delicious recipe in the link-up, it is yours. This looks so beautiful and delicious.
Shinee says
Aww, you’re too sweet, Celeste! Thank you!
Medha @ Whisk & Shout says
Wow, what an elegant dessert! Love all those stunning pastry layers 🙂 Delicious!
Shinee says
Those layers are simply yum! Thanks, Medha!
Od says
Oh Gosh, I remeber I found the pretty same recipe of this cake on my fathers 20+ year old notebook 🙂 Definitely the best recipe of the best cake!
Shinee says
Yep, the best cake from childhood! Thank you, Od!
Jargalan says
The best recipe of Napoleon /Mille-feuille/ cake ever! 🙂 Chamaig tanidagdaa ch yum uu, recipe.nuud chin hamgiin down to earth, oir sanagdahiin kkkkk
Shinee says
Thank you, dear! Ene manai eejiin jor, lag goe napoleon. 🙂
gantyta says
cream ni bolohgui bna shingen yun bolood bn yah ve
Shinee says
Hmm, yagaad shingen bolood bgaa yum boloo? Suu, guril 2oo butsalgaad nileen utguruulsen biz dee? Mun mikserdsen maslondaa hiiheesee umnu utgursun suugee sain hurguj bgaad hiisen biz dee? Haluunaar ni hiisen bol maslo chini hailaad shingersen yum bolov uu?
Enkhtuya Sarangerel says
Vvнийг хийж vзнээ.таны блог их гоё юм аа. баярлалаа.
Shinee D says
Blogoor mini zochilsond bayarlalaa, Enkhtuya Sarangerel! Hiij uzcheed yamar bolsonoo heleerei. Amjilt! 😉