Napoleon Cake (18cm)

Napoleon is the layered puff pastry cake that goes by millefeuille in France and Наполеон everywhere east of it, and the two are not quite the same thing. The French version is served crisp within the hour. The Russian Napoleon is built taller, with far more layers, and then left overnight so the custard cream soaks into the pastry and the whole cake turns soft and yielding. That resting step is what people are actually remembering when they say they want a proper Napoleon.

How it is built

• Sheets of puff pastry rolled thin, baked separately and trimmed
• Vanilla custard cream between every layer
• Crumbled pastry over the top, which is the traditional finish
• A long rest before it goes out, so it arrives soft rather than crisp

Ordering a Napoleon cake in London

The standard cake is 18 cm. Add fresh flowers, berries or a chocolate message for a birthday. We ask for at least 48 hours notice because the cake has to be assembled and then left to settle.

Baked to order in Belgravia and delivered across London and Surrey. For twenty to twenty five people, a tray Napoleon is available through our big cakes page with three days notice.