Napoleon cake is made with 16 layers of crisp pastry and custard. It is similar to the French puff pastry, but layers of custard alternate with puff pastry. Every chef's recipe is different - this recipe for Napoleon cake creates a 10-layer cake, saving a bit of time and avoiding the potential pitfalls of higher desserts.

It's a little time-consuming to make, but the rewards of this soul-satisfying dessert are well worth it. This is an impressive cake that is sure to impress your guests. You'll get some egg whites, but don't throw them away. Make an egg white omelet or two and a delicious meringue pie.

Apparently, the pastry took its name from the French emperor Napoleon, but exactly how and why this happened is unknown.

There are three other theories to explain how Napoleon got his name :1) The traditional zigzag pattern of white and chocolate frosting on the pastry looks like a series of N's. 2) The pastry was invented by a Danish chef and was first used during state visits by French emperors. 3) The pastry was originally invented by an Italian chef in Naples who named it Napoletano after his city, which was later changed to "Napoleon" in English.

Either way, this delicate little pastry is worth a try. Here's a recipe you can try.

Ingredients

For the pastry layer:

2 ounces (1/4 cup) unsalted butter, softened

1 tablespoon granulated sugar

1 cup room temperature sour cream

2 large egg whites, at room temperature, beaten until stiff

A pinch of salt

2 1/2 cups (180 g) all-purpose flour

To make the custard filling:

5 cups whole milk

10 large egg yolks, room temperature

1 large egg white, room temperature

Two and a half cups granulated sugar

6 tablespoons all-purpose flour

8 ounces (1 cup) unsalted butter

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

Steps

Making the pastry layer

1. In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar together until creamy.

2. Add sour cream, beaten egg whites and salt.

3. Gently fold in the flour, a spoonful at a time, until the dough is soft and pliable. You may not need them all.

4. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours to make it easier to roll out.

5. When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Butter a baking sheet and dust with flour.

6. Divide the dough into 10 pieces. Roll out the dough, one at a time, directly onto the baking sheet and into an 8-inch round.

7. Bake each circle until golden brown, 6 to 10 minutes. Prick the dough with a fork if it bubbles while cooking.

8. When each layer is cooked, remove from the pan and cool on a wire rack. Repeat until all the dough is baked.

Make the custard filling

1. Collected materials.

2. Heat the milk in a large saucepan, but do not boil.

3. In a large bowl, beat the egg yolks, egg whites and sugar together until creamy.

4. Add 6 tablespoons flour and mix well.

5. Pour the mixture into a warm (but not piping hot) saucepan and beat first with a whisk until smooth, then with a wooden spoon, over a constant low heat until thick and creamy.

6. Add the butter and vanilla and beat until smooth.

7. Remove from heat and set aside to cool. Stir frequently as the mixture cools.

Assemble the berry and cream cake

Steps ：

1. Place a layer of cooked dough on the bottom of an 8-inch cake pan and cover evenly with a layer of cooled custard filling.

2. Continue making the cake in this way, spreading the custard over the pastry to complete the 9th layer.

3 . Crumble the tenth and final layer of puff pastry and spread it over the cake. Refrigerate for 5 to 6 hours.

4. When ready to serve, run a butter knife around the edges of the cake, remove the rings and, using a cake carrier or two spatulas, carefully transfer the cake to a platter.

5. Use an electric knife to cut nice clean cake and serve.