Meringue Napoleon Cake is the perfect dessert for your next special occasion or celebration. This decadent, Eastern European cake will have your guests drooling!
Meringue Napoleon Cake consists of three layers: crispy cake, meringue and dulce de leche cream! Oh, and did I forget to mention the added crunchiness from toasted walnuts? That’s right, this cake isn’t skimping on flavor!
Despite its extravagant look, this cake is actually not that difficult to make. All it requires is a bit of time and patience. Other than that, you will look like an expert pastry chef to your friends and family!
Napoleon Cake
Napoleon Cake has become a beloved dessert in Russia. Often served during New Years, this treat is an every once-and-awhile dessert. But, where did it come from? The Napoleon cake as we know it today was inspired by the French cake “mille-feuille”. The first version of this cake was created in 1912 to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the defeat of Napoleon and his troops.
Since then, the cake has underwent many changes and iterations. Including this one! I put a spin on the classic recipe by adding chopped nuts to the layers and a tangy meringue. Like with most revered treats, you will see chefs taking liberties with the recipes and making them their own. I’m excited to share my creation with you!
What is Napoleon Cake Made of?
So how does this layered cake actually come together? Well, first you are going to make your cake flour. The dough is infused with sour cream and rolled out thin. The kicker? You will top each cake layer with meringue and nuts before baking them in the oven! After your cake layers cool, you will spread your dulce de leche cream between each one, giving the cake a sort of “glue” to keep together. The final step is frosting the entire outside of the cake, decorating it with nuts and allowing it to set in the refrigerator overnight.
Tips for Making Meringue Napoleon Cake
Making Napoleon Meringue Cake may seem like a challenge, but trust me, if you follow all the steps you will be sitting pretty (and your cake will be too!).
Use Room Temperature Butter
Using room temperature butter is the way to go. It is the easiest to incorporate and makes for the most even of baking for your cake layers.
Save Some Time
While you have a batch of cake layers baking, roll out the next and get it prepped. It will save you time when baking several layers for this cake.
Allow Cake Layers to Cool Completely
Before you attempt to frost or stack your layers, make sure that they are completely cooled. This will prevent sticking and melting, which can ruin all the hard work you have done to make this delicate cake!
Make Napoleon Cake Layers In Advance
If you want to save some time, feel free to make your cake layers in advance. Make sure to store them in an airtight container in the fridge. They will last 2-3 days before you need to assemble and frost them.
Make Napoleon Cake in Advance
This cake must have at least 24 hours to set in the fridge before serving. However, you can make it 2-3 days in advance and still preserve the flavor. Remember, the longer it sets, the better it keeps its shape and tastes!
Storing Napoleon Cake
Keeping Unrefrigerated Napoleon Cake
Only allow the cake to sit at room temperature for 1 hour before serving. This will allow the cream to soften. If you allow it to sit out any longer, it will melt and become flimsy.
Refrigerate Napoleon
Keep Napoleon Cake refrigerated for up to 2-3 days before serving. Make sure its sealed it an airtight container so it doesn’t absorb the smells and flavors of other foods in your refrigerator.
Cake Recipes to Try:
Recipe
Ingredients
Meringue Napoleon Cake Layers
- 150 g butter
- 150 g margarine
- 3 cup flour
- 3 tbsp sour cream
- 3 egg yolks
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 6 egg whites meringue
- 2 cup sugar meringue
Meringue Napoleon Cake Cream
- 28 oz Dulce De Leche
- 1 lb room temperature butter
- 2 cup toasted walnuts crushed
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream very cold
Instructions
Napoleon Cake Layers
- Into a large bowl, place flour, butter and margarine. Using your hands or a butter cutter, mix everything together, until the mixture resemblance small crumbles.
- Mix in sour cream, baking soda and egg yolks. Mix until the dough is just combined, do not over mix.
- Whip egg whites together with sugar, until the texture is thickened.
- Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces.
- Roll the pieces into thin layers. Using a shape of your choice (I used a lid from a pot) cut through the dough. Apply 1/4 of an inch of meringue and sprinkle with nuts.
- Bake at 350 °F for about 10 minutes or until golden brown.
Cream for Napoleon
- For the cream, whip cold heavy whipping cream until it creates soft peaks.
- Using a separate dish, whip room temperature butter together with dulce de leche.
- Using a spatula, fold in whipping cream with the butter cream.
Finalizing Napoleopn Cake
- To form the cake, apply small amount of cream to the plate and put a first layer on it, you don’t want for the cake to slide around. Apply cream in between each layer, flat sides are easier to apply cream to.
- Once finished with the last layer, place meringue on the inside.
- Using your fingers, slightly press on the cake. Apply the rest of the cream to the outside.
Hands down 🙌 my new favorite cake 😋 I love how easy this recipe is and I had everything in my pantry/fridge. I would share a picture but it was eaten so quickly! 😘
Larisa, I love this cake as well. It is on the sweet side but we still love it!
For the egg whites are we bitting it as if was merengue or half way till it reaches its peaks?
Until it reaches soft peaks.
If I use butter instead of margarine will it change texture or the taste a lot?
Hey Ina, I have never tried using butter. This is the recipes I got and it always worked well for me. I didn't want to try anything new. Let me know how it comes out if oyu do try it with butter.
Do you cut your layers so that they’re 9 inch diameters?
Yes, I used 9-inch diameter. You can use a plate to cut out a perfect circle shape.
I am a bit confused how much layers you should end up having if making one larger cake? Did you have have 12 in yours? Also how thin do you roll out dough? Thank you!
If you want cake to be wider, divide the layers into 7 pieces and roll them out as thin as possible. If you want it taller, do 12 pieces.
One more question, what's the earliest that this cake can be put together without the layers getting too soggy? Do you think it will be crunchy if I make it 36-48hrs before serving time?I??
If you dont want it to be crunchy, I think it would be hard to cut it. I think making it 1-2 days ahead would be fine.
Thank you! I'll start on it on Saturday:)
Awesome! I already made two of mine.
Hi, thanks for such a yummy cake recipe, looks delicious and I cant wait to make it for our Christmas table! I was wondering if I can omit the margarine and use all butter instead?
Thanks!!
I havent tried that, I dont think it would turn out the same. I am actually stopping by a store today to buy margarine for the cake. 🙂
Okay, I'll look into it some more and decide if I want to risk making it with all butter 🙂 thank you!
Let me know if you do.
Hey! Im so sorry, i forgot to tell you that i made it will all butter and girl, it was sooooo good!!!!! love this cake! Thank you!!
Oh yeyy! thanks for leaving a comment. I think it will be useful for others as well!
I am planning to make this cake. Please tell me how long do you whip your cream? With a kitchen aid mixer which setting and how long? Also the butter with dulce de leche -which setting and for how long?
Thanks!
Whipping cream is usually whipped in under 10 minutes on medium-high(about a 7 on kitchen aid) speed. Just when you start seen soft peaks, you are done. For combining butter and dulce the leche, is about 10 minutes. It all depends on the butter and the texture of dulce de leche, whip until you see it well combined together.
Thanks for your reply. With the meringue, what is the whipping time to "thickened"? And what speed?
I don't have too much experience with meringue and would appreciate all the tips I can get for success.
For meringue, you need to whip it for about 30 minutes on medium speed. You will see it forming stiff peak and it should be ready.
How far in advance do you recommend baking and assembling the cake? Can it be in the fridge a day before the party?
Thanks!
Hi Jessica, a day before the party is perfect. It will give cake time soak up all the flavors together. Keep it refrigerated.
The butter and margarine suppose to be eo torts tire or cold for cake dough?
Also do you bake one cake layer at a time or few at a time?
Thanks!
Please explain this means, I am assuming it's a typo " eo torts tire or cold"
If you can bake a few layers at the time, you can. I did it one at the time because my oven didn't fit in more.
Oh sorry! It is a typo. Butter/margarine is suppose to be room temperature or cold for the dough. Thanks. Finally I got my ingridients and planning on doing the cake today 🙂
It should be at a room temperature.
This cake is good! We enjoyed every bite. Now I can't wait to make it again!
Thank you for all the tips.
Oh! Awesome Jessica! I was just looking at this cake, thinking that I need to make it very soon.
oooo girl this cake is delicious! I made the meringue with only 3/4 cups of sugar (it was way too sweet the first time), and substituted roasted, salted cashews. and OMG! So good! Thanks for sharing the recipe.
Yes, this cake is on a sweet side. That means you just can't eat too much of it at once. I am craving thing cake, will have to bake for the holidays.
Hi. What if I decreased every ingridient in half, would it make the cake way smaller?
No, it will be a pretty secret size cake.
So if I follow exact recipe will the cake be as tall as the golden cake? If I decrease in half will it be about half size as golden key cake?
If you stick to original recipe I think it would be a little taller or same as Golden key cake.
Hi I was wondering about the layers do you bake the cake part and the meringue togther right lol it's a weird question and so how long if together and do you think cake will be ok in a car if I'm traveling ? Thank you
You would need to bake both together. Apply 1/4 of an inch of meringue and sprinkle with nuts to the raw cake layer. I think it will be ok, as long as it's not in a warm place.
this cake known also as Mapkiza.
Yes, I heard that is what it's called 🙂
I love this cake, made it twice already, so good, thank you!!! And also added meringue on top of the cake, ?
Totally forgot to mention, I love your sweater!
Wow, I love the decorations. Thank you for sharing picture of the cake!
How long do you mix the sugar and egg whites to get the merguine needed?
It all depends on the mixer you use. I used kitchen aid on high, it was ready in about 15 minutes.
Silly question, but how do you bake the pieces all together?, or each peace separatly ?
Each piece has to be baked separately 🙂 no question is a silly question 🙂
Looks delicious!!
Can I omit the margarine and use all butter?
I haven't tried that but was planning to try it this week. Let me know how it turns out, if you try before me. I will let you know as soon as I try 🙂
Sure will. I may start on it in the next few days. Will let you know just as I do. 🙂
ok, we may just stat at the same time 🙂
Ok so I'm making this cake right now.. It's not turning out for some reason.. The cake part of it is still raw after baking
You mean the dough part? Or the meringue?
Dough
Make sure that the dough is rolled out very thin. You can roll it out on a parchment paper and move it to a baking sheet all together to make it easier. Also, double check on oven settings. I can't think of why it wouldn't bake.
Ok. Thx. I ended up baking the dough for 10 minutes then adding the meringue on top and baking another 10 minutes and they turned out like in your picture. The first couple I made the meringue "rasplil" and covered the dough.. Maybe that's why it did not bake through? Idk.. It worked the other way:) thx for your fast replys!
I tried to stay by the phone while you are baking. I know how confusing it can get and this is the worst time for things to fail 🙂 I am glad things worked out!
Will the meringue still be crunchy the next day?
Yes, it will be crunchy. I prepared the cake the day before and it was delicious.
One of our favorites, only known as 'Мечта' in our family, which is true, it does taste like a dream... But we only use dulce de leche and butter for the cream. I can see that whipping cream will make the cream lighter and fluffier, but wouldn't it start 'melting' the meringue? Whipping cream and meringue do not usually make good friends... 🙂
There is such a small amount of whipping cream that it doesn't effect meringue. It's stays crunchy. Dream is definitely a good name for this cake 😉
How much whipping cream do i need for the cream? Thank you.
1 cup of heavy whipping cream. Thanks for catching that 🙂
Our family has been making this cake for at least the last 15 years, it's our favorite! We don't usually put whip cream in the frosting, but i bet it tastes delicious with it.
I will totally hang on to this recipe for 15+ years! It's such a good cake. You use condensed milk and butter for the cream?
🙂
Oh wow, it looks so good. Thanks for sharing pics. I will definitely try your version.
I love this cake! I put cherry pie filling and Nutella cream in mine 🙂
Oh wow, that sounds delicious. What do add to Nutella cream?
Whipped cream 🙂