Two-Tone Napoleon Cake

Two-tone Napoleon cake is the familiar layered cake, but here half the layers are classic and half are chocolate, filled with a delicate custard buttercream. Thin, crisp layers, a moderate soak and a striking cross-section: it's assembled in a 16x16 cm square tin and needs to sit overnight. Recommended, definitely worth making.

Two-Tone Napoleon Cake

A layered Napoleon cake made from classic and chocolate layers with a delicate custard buttercream.

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Prep Time 1 hour hr

Cook Time 1 hour hr 20 minutes mins

Chilling 10 hours hrs

Total Time 12 hours hrs 20 minutes mins

Servings: 8 servings

Course: Cakes

Cuisine: Home cooking

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

Classic layers

• 100 g flour
• 65 g butter or margarine
• 30 ml water
• 1 pinch salt
• 0.25 tsp vodka or vinegar

Chocolate layers

• 90 g flour
• 20 g cocoa powder
• 65 g butter or margarine
• 30 ml water
• 1 pinch salt
• 0.25 tsp vodka or vinegar

Cream

• 500 ml milk
• 0.75 cup sugar
• 2.5 tbsp flour
• 1 egg
• 50 g butter
• vanillin

Method

 

1. For each type of dough, sift the flour with salt into a mound, grate cold butter into it and rub together into crumbs with your hands.
2. Pour in warm water mixed with vodka and knead the dough. Shape into a log, cut into 4 pieces, form into balls and chill for a couple of hours. Do the same with the chocolate dough.
3. Roll out each ball very thinly on parchment to fit a 16x16 cm square tin. Save the trimmings on a tray for crumbs, and prick each layer with a fork.
4. Bake the layers at 200-220°C for 7-10 minutes each. Let cool. You should end up with 4 chocolate layers and 4 classic layers.
5. For the cream, pour the milk into a saucepan. In a bowl, mix the sugar, egg, flour and vanillin until smooth, pour in a little warm milk, stir, then return this mixture to the milk in a thin stream.
6. Cook the cream over low heat, stirring constantly, until thickened and bubbling. Transfer to another container, add the butter, stir, cover with plastic wrap pressed directly onto the surface and let cool.
7. Generously coat the layers with cream, alternating colors and without pressing down. Coat the sides and top with crumbs, assemble the cake in the tin, wrap in foil and leave overnight to soak. Decorate as desired.
   

Notes

The recipe is designed for a 16x16 cm square tin.

Tips

• Be sure to chill the dough for a couple of hours - otherwise the layers won't be flaky.
• Roll out each ball of dough right on the parchment, very thin, and prick with a fork so the layer doesn't puff up.
• Bake the dough trimmings separately on a tray - they turn into crumbs for coating.
• Wrap the assembled cake in foil and leave it overnight: during that time it will soak through nicely.