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Easy no-bake Napoleon cake

DESSERTS ≈ 5 hours 30 minutes 6 servings 25 October 2026 · 0 comments
Easy no-bake Napoleon cake

This easy Napoleon cake needs no baking: use ready-made puff pastry cookies for the layers. My family loved it and said they would not have guessed how it was made. The cake is moist without being soggy and slices neatly without crumbling.

Prep
20 minutes
CookingCooking
10 minutes
Resting
5 hours
Total
5 hours 30 minutes
INGREDIENTS
Servings
original yield — 6 servings
Store-bought puff pastry cookies 400 g
Custard
Eggs 2
sugar 1 glass
starch (I use potato starch) 1 tbsp
milk 1.5 glass
Butter (room temperature) 100 g
vanilla essence to taste
TIP

The cake turns out quite sweet. If this is critical, then you either need to take unsweetened cookies or reduce the amount of sugar in the cream.

To prepare the cream, you will need a convenient saucepan with a handle or a saucepan. I have been cooking on an open stove for a long time: the process goes faster and the cream does not burn. If you are in doubt, it is better to play it safe. Prepare the cream in a water bath. The cooking time will increase slightly, but nothing will burn, guaranteed.

NUTRITION PER 100 G
305
kcal
5 g
protein
13 g
fat
43 g
carbs
INSTRUCTIONS
01
STEP 1 — Break the eggs into a saucepan. Add sugar and starch there. I take a full heaped tablespoon of starch.

Break the eggs into a saucepan. Add sugar and starch there. I take a full heaped tablespoon of starch.

02
STEP 2 — Beat the eggs, sugar and starch together until smooth.

Beat the eggs, sugar and starch together until smooth.

03
STEP 3 — Pour in milk

Pour in milk

04
STEP 4 — and place on the stove over medium heat. With continuous stirring, cook until the first lazy gurgles. The cream should not boil.  By this time the cream should have thickened well. The consistency is similar to thick sour cream. It falls off the spoon, not flows.

and place on the stove over medium heat. With continuous stirring, cook until the first lazy gurgles. The cream should not boil. By this time the cream should have thickened well. The consistency is similar to thick sour cream. It falls off the spoon, not flows.

05

Continuing to stir, remove the cream from the heat. Add butter and vanilla flavoring. Mix thoroughly until the butter completely melts. That's it, the cream is ready. All that remains is to cool it down.

06
STEP 6 — I used palmier cookies. Other baked puff pastry cookies or strips, including sesame-topped ones, also work.

I used palmier cookies. Other baked puff pastry cookies or strips, including sesame-topped ones, also work.

07
STEP 7 — Arrange a layer of cookies in a springform pan and spread with custard. Repeat, alternating cookies and custard; I made 3 layers. Cover and refrigerate for 5-6 hours or overnight.

Arrange a layer of cookies in a springform pan and spread with custard. Repeat, alternating cookies and custard; I made 3 layers. Cover and refrigerate for 5-6 hours or overnight.

08
STEP 8 — It turns out this cake.

It turns out this cake.

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