Quick Recipe Version (TL;DR)
Quick Ingredients
- All-purpose flour 500 g (4 cups), fine sea salt 10 g (1 1/2 tsp)
- Unsalted butter 400 g (14 oz) cold + 115 g (1 stick) for cream
- Lemon juice 1 tbsp; ice water 240 ml (1 cup), plus 1–2 tbsp if needed
- Whole milk 1 L (4 cups); granulated sugar 200 g (1 cup)
- Large eggs 4 + large egg yolks 4
- Cornstarch 80 g (2/3 cup); vanilla bean paste 2 tsp (or extract)
- Powdered sugar 100 g (3/4 cup) for finish; apricot jam 2 tbsp optional
Do This
- 1. Make rough puff: Toss flour/salt with cold butter chunks; add lemon juice and ice water; bring together; chill 30 minutes.
- 2. Laminate: Roll into a long rectangle and do 4 single letter folds, chilling 20 minutes after every 2 folds.
- 3. Bake layers: Preheat 400°F/200°C. Roll very thin; dock, sandwich between parchment and a second sheet pan, bake 10 min; uncover and bake 8–12 min more until deep golden. Trim to 9-inch squares; save scraps for crumbs. Make 10 sheets.
- 4. Cook vanilla pastry cream: Heat milk with half the sugar and vanilla. Whisk eggs, yolks, remaining sugar, cornstarch, salt; temper with hot milk; cook to thick bubbles 1–2 min; whisk in 115 g butter; strain; chill completely.
- 5. Assemble: Alternate pastry and about 1/2 cup cream for 9 layers of cream, ending with a thin layer of cream on top.
- 6. Finish: Crumb sides with crushed pastry scraps; dust top with powdered sugar (and a thin swipe of warmed apricot jam if you like).
- 7. Press and rest: Weight cake and chill 12–24 hours before slicing with a serrated knife.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Shatteringly crisp, deeply golden puff pastry layers that mellow into a slice-stable, custardy dream overnight.
- Silky vanilla pastry cream that’s rich but not heavy, with a clean vanilla finish.
- Home-baker friendly: clear steps, exact measurements, and options for store-bought puff pastry.
- Elegant make-ahead dessert perfect for holidays, birthdays, and dinner parties.
Grocery List
- Produce: 1 lemon; 1 vanilla bean (or vanilla bean paste/extract)
- Dairy: Unsalted butter (515 g total), whole milk (1 L), large eggs (8, 4 whole + 4 yolks)
- Pantry: All-purpose flour, granulated sugar, powdered sugar, cornstarch, fine sea salt, apricot jam (optional)
Full Ingredients
Rough Puff Pastry (yields ten 9-inch sheets)
- All-purpose flour: 500 g (4 cups), plus extra for rolling
- Unsalted butter: 400 g (14 oz), very cold, cut in 1/2-inch cubes
- Fine sea salt: 10 g (1 1/2 tsp)
- Lemon juice: 1 tbsp
- Ice water: 240 ml (1 cup), plus 1–2 tbsp as needed
Store-Bought Shortcut (use instead of homemade pastry)
- All-butter puff pastry: 1.1 kg (2 1/2 lb), thawed but cold (about 5 standard sheets). Roll each sheet thin and cut to make 10 squares, 9 inches each.
Vanilla Pastry Cream
- Whole milk: 1 L (4 cups)
- Granulated sugar: 200 g (1 cup), divided
- Large eggs: 4
- Large egg yolks: 4
- Cornstarch: 80 g (2/3 cup)
- Fine sea salt: 1/4 tsp
- Vanilla bean paste: 2 tsp (or 1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped, or 2 tsp pure vanilla extract)
- Unsalted butter: 115 g (1 stick), cut into pieces
- Optional: 1 tsp dark rum or brandy
To Bake, Assemble & Finish
- Extra flour for rolling: 2–3 tbsp
- Powdered sugar: 100 g (3/4 cup), for dusting
- Apricot jam: 2 tbsp, warmed and strained (optional glaze)
- Reserved puff pastry trimmings, crushed into fine crumbs
- Parchment paper and 2 rimmed sheet pans (for baking under weight)
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Make the rough puff dough
Whisk flour and salt in a large bowl. Toss in the 400 g cold butter cubes. Using fingertips or a pastry blender, flatten and break the butter into shaggy, flour-coated sheets roughly the size of walnut halves—keep distinct pieces; do not cream the butter. Drizzle in lemon juice and most of the ice water. Fold with a fork until the dough holds together when pressed; add the remaining water 1 tbsp at a time only if dry spots remain. Turn onto the counter, gently press into a 1-inch-thick rough rectangle, wrap, and chill for 30 minutes.
Step 2: Laminate with quick turns
On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into a long rectangle about 8 x 24 inches. Brush off excess flour. Fold like a letter (three layers). Rotate 90 degrees. This is one turn. Repeat once more for a total of 2 turns. Wrap and chill 20 minutes. Do 2 more turns (4 turns total), maintaining swift movements to keep butter cold. Chill 30 minutes before rolling for baking.
Step 3: Roll ultra-thin layers
Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C) with racks in the upper and lower thirds. Line two sheet pans with parchment. Divide the dough into 10 equal pieces (about 95–100 g each). Working with one piece at a time (keeping the rest refrigerated), roll to a very thin square slightly larger than 9 inches, about 2 mm thick. Dock all over with a fork. Transfer to a parchment-lined pan and chill 5 minutes while you roll the next sheet.
Step 4: Bake flat, crisp pastry sheets
Lay a second sheet of parchment over the docked dough and place another sheet pan on top to prevent excessive puffing. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove the top pan and parchment, rotate the tray, reduce oven to 375°F (190°C), and bake 8–12 minutes more until deeply golden and crisp. Cool on a rack. Repeat with remaining dough. Trim each sheet to an exact 9-inch square using a cardboard template or ruler; reserve all trimmings and crush into fine crumbs for finishing.
Step 5: Cook the vanilla pastry cream
In a medium saucepan, heat milk with half the sugar and the vanilla over medium heat until steaming. Meanwhile, whisk eggs, yolks, remaining sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a bowl until smooth and pale. Slowly whisk in about 1 cup of the hot milk to temper, then return the mixture to the saucepan, whisking constantly. Cook over medium heat, whisking, until thick bubbles break the surface; continue whisking 1–2 minutes to fully cook the starch. Off heat, whisk in the 115 g butter (and rum, if using). Strain into a shallow dish, press plastic wrap directly on the surface, and chill until cold, at least 2–3 hours.
Step 6: Prepare to assemble
When the pastry cream is fully chilled and spreadable, give it a brief whisk to smooth. Arrange 10 trimmed pastry sheets. Line your serving board or a 9-inch square cake board with parchment for easy cleanup. Have a scale or measuring cup ready to portion about 1/2 cup (120 ml) cream per layer to keep the cake even.
Step 7: Build the Napoleon tort
Place the first pastry sheet on the board. Spread about 1/2 cup pastry cream edge to edge. Top with the second sheet and repeat, creating 9 layers of cream and ending with the 10th pastry sheet on top. Spread a very thin veil of cream on the top and a modest coat on the sides. Press the reserved pastry crumbs onto the sides to coat. For a classic finish, dust the top generously with powdered sugar; optionally, brush a whisper-thin layer of warmed apricot jam over the top before dusting for gentle sheen.
Step 8: Weight, rest overnight, and slice
Cover the cake with parchment, set a flat cutting board on top, and add 2–3 pounds (1–1.5 kg) of weight (cans or a skillet). Refrigerate 12–24 hours; this allows the cream to marry with the pastry so slices hold beautifully. To serve, warm a serrated knife under hot water, wipe dry, and cut straight down with gentle sawing motions. Wipe the blade between cuts for the cleanest layers.
Pro Tips
- Bake pastry sheets to a deep golden color—pale pastry will soften too much and lose the signature contrast.
- Weight the pastry during the first part of baking (sheet pan over parchment) to keep layers flat and stackable.
- Use a cardboard template to trim every sheet to exactly 9 inches; uniform layers = stable slices.
- Spread cream fully to the edges of each sheet to avoid hollow gaps and ensure neat, sealed sides.
- Resist slicing early. The overnight chill is non-negotiable for clean layers and the classic texture.
Variations
- Caramelized Top: Dust the top sheet with powdered sugar and briefly torch until glassy and amber for a mille-feuille–style crackle.
- Chocolate Stripe: Reserve 50 g pastry cream and whisk in 20 g melted dark chocolate; pipe thin diagonal lines on top and feather with a toothpick.
- Berry Jam Layer: Spread 1–2 tablespoons seedless raspberry or strawberry jam under the middle cream layer for a bright, tangy ribbon.
Storage & Make-Ahead
Assembled cake keeps refrigerated, covered, for 3 days; best from 12 to 48 hours after assembly. Baked pastry sheets (trimmed) keep airtight at room temperature up to 5 days or frozen up to 2 months; re-crisp 5 minutes at 350°F/175°C if needed. Pastry cream keeps refrigerated up to 3 days; stir until smooth before using. Avoid freezing the assembled cake.
Nutrition (per serving)
Approximate: 675 calories; 49 g fat; 67 g carbohydrates; 12 g protein; 360 mg sodium. Values will vary with optional finishes and exact portion size.
