Easy No Bake Greek Napoleon Cake (Mille Feuille Dessert)
Greek, cakes
This Greek Napoleon Cake or Milfey as we call it is a beloved classic dessert known for its thin and flaky puff pastry layers and smooth, luscious pastry cream filling in between topped with a layer of thick whipped cream. This Napoleon recipe is rich in flavor, light in texture, and perfect for any occasion. The perfect puff pastry cake!
What are Napoleon Cakes?
There are many variations out there of this classic dessert. The most common being French and Russian. The primary difference is that French Napoleon (mille-feuille) is a crisp, three-distinct thin layers of pastry and cream with a sweet glaze, and the Russian Napoleon is a much taller cake with many more very thin, flaky pastry layers, which soften over time from the moisture of the creamy filling and are often topped with crumbled pastry along with the sides of the cake instead of a glaze. This Greek no bake version is similar to both version in that there are very distinct layers but also the biscuit layers soften overtime. We like to dust the top with powdered sugar and cinnamon - no glaze in this version. Hope you enjoy!
No Bake Napoleon Cake Recipe Ingredients
- PUFF PASTRY BISCUITS: These are so handy to have to make this an easy no bake dessert. I find them at places like Walmart all the time. I have also ordered them online. If you don’t have access to these puff pastry biscuits please read on in the post about simple alternatives.
- EGGS: You will need 2 large eggs and 4 egg yolks for this recipe. I recommend that they are room temperature.
- SUGAR: Just enough sugar to sweeten up the custard and the whipped cream, not overly sweet at all. Granulated sugar is what I use for the pastry cream/custard.
- CORN STARCH: Corn starch helps thicken the pastry cream.
- VANILLA EXTRACT: A must for the pastry cream and the whipped cream. I use pure vanilla extract for best flavor.
- POWDERED SUGAR & CINNAMON: For dusting and decoration. I also usually use it for the whipped cream although granulated sugar can be used in its place.
- HEAVY CREAM: Use cold heavy whipping cream for best results. This helps the custard cream hold its structure and creates a stable texture. Avoid using light cream, condensed milk, sour cream, cream cheese, or half-and-half, which won’t whip properly. It is used in the pastry cream and for the whipped cream topping.
- WHOLE MILK: This is what makes most of the custard. Whole milk is a must for best flavor.
I Don’t Have Puff Pastry Biscuits, What Else Can I Use?
- You can use honey graham cracker as the biscuit layer. You will need approximately 9 full sheets of graham crackers (one sleeve) or more as needed to line the base of your baking pan plus another layer and some extra to crush for garnish.
- You could bake your own puff pastry. Of course you can make your own homemade puff pastry but store-bought is so much easier. You will need 1 lb of store-bought puff pastry sheets - frozen & thawed. Roll each sheet into approx 9x13 or just larger than your baking dish. Transfer to baking sheet lines with parchment paper. Pierce the puff pastry with a fork all over. Bake on the center rack of at 350 degrees F for 45 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from the oven and cool for 15-20 minutes on the pan, and then carefully lift it and place on a cooling rack to cool completely. If they puff too much, they can be poked further during cooking to release the extra air and they can also be trimmed with a serrated knife to even and flatten out the sheet after cooking. Once the puff pastry has cooled feel free to leave it into one large sheet per layer or slice or break it onto smaller portions for each layer.
- Another type of biscuit that would work really well here are Palmier or “elephant ear” cookies that you can easily find at Costco or online. They are made with puff pastry and sugar and are a great alternative to the ones I have picture. Because they aren’t shaped to fit as well as the rectangular biscuits you may have to break some to have them fit and cover each layer.
How To Make This easy Napoleon Cake (detailed instructions in recipe card below)
Prepare Pastry Cream:
- Whisk together the eggs, and cornstarch until smooth.
- Heat milk, cream, sugar and vanilla
- Temper eggs - Slowly add a little of the hot milk mixture at a time to the egg mixture while whisking continuously.
- Whisk cream until thick - Pour the whole mixture back into the pot. Gently whisk continuously until thickened.
- Cover and cool cream. Directly cover the cream with plastic wrap to prevent a top layer of dry skin from forming. Before using, give it a mix to smooth out the texture if needed.
Prepare Whipped Cream:
- Beat heavy cream with vanilla and sugar until stiff peaks.
Assemble Dessert:
- Layer the bottom of baking dish with puff pastry biscuits, followed by half of the custard, another layer of biscuits, remaining custard, finished off with layer of whipped cream.
Chill Before Serving:
- Chill covered for at least 4-6 hours or overnight. See more about setting times below and in recipe notes. Right before serving crumble up some extra puff pastry biscuits and sprinkle over the top of the cake. Dust top with powdered sugar and cinnamon if you wish then slice and serve.
Napoleon Cake Tips
- Slice Napoleon Cake with a sharp, serrated knife: When cutting this type of cake, be sure to use a sharp knife to maintain the soft layers and prevent compressing the cake. A serrated knife works best.
- Refrigerate Napoleon Cake over night: As this cake sits, the cream filling softens the layers of crispy, puff pastry. The longer it sits, the better!
- When preparing the pastry cream make sure to stir it often on the stove, and whisk constantly towards the end so it doesn’t get lumpy.
How long should I chill Napoleon Cake before serving?
Chill the cake in the fridge for at least 4-6 hours or overnight or up to two days before serving. This helps the cream set and the layers soften, making it easier to slice. If you want super crunchy layers though in this case you can serve it after 1 hour of chilling - it won’t be as perfectly set but it will be scoop able and still delicious with the contrast of creamy and crunchy. If I’m serving it that way I usually snap the biscuits in half before layering the halves in the baking dish - making it way easier to scoop out portions of it. It really all depends on how soft or crunchy you want the biscuit layers to be - for crunchy set time is shorter. For softer biscuit layers it will need to set at least overnight and gets even softer after day 2.
How to Store leftover Napoleon Cake
Napoleon cake is best served cold and it makes for a great make ahead recipe. As this cake sits, the cream filling softens the layers of crispy, puff pastry like any other type of ice box dessert. Store leftover assembled cake in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3–4 days to maintain its texture and freshness.
Can I Make Any of This Recipe Ahead of Time?
Yes, I recommend making the pastry cream portion ahead of time (like just 1-2 days), you can refrigerate it but then bring it back closer to room temperature and gently whisk it so it’s not lumpy before using in the recipe.
Cheat Version Napoleon Cake
Ok so this already feels like a cheat version of Napoleon cake as it uses puff pastry biscuits and doesn’t require any baking but if I really want to make a speedier version of this recipe I can. Instead of making the pastry cream from scratch you can substitute it by preparing 2 packages of vanilla or French vanilla instant pudding. You also can skip whipping your own cream and instead substitute with 1 tub of cool whip or prepared whipped topping (3 cups = 1 tub). Of course a from scratch version is always going to taste better but in a pinch why not make this cheat (extra cheat) version for a great make ahead dessert!
Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 (125 gram/4.41 oz) packages of puff pastry biscuits (see post for alternative)
For The Pastry Cream
- 4 cups whole milk
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup sugar
- 4 egg yolks, room temperature
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 100 grams (12 tablespoons) corn starch
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1½ teaspoon vanilla extract
For The Whipped Cream:
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream
- 4 tablespoons powdered sugar or granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Directions
For the Pastry Cream
- Heat milk, sugar, heavy cream, and vanilla extract in a small cooking pot or large saucepan over medium-low heat until steamy hot but not boiling.
- In the meantime, in a medium sized bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, eggs, and cornstarch until nice and smooth.
- Pour the hot milk mixture slowly in a thin stream into the eggs while constantly stirring the eggs vigorously with a whisk.
- Then transfer everything back to the cooking pot and place back on burner over medium heat.
- Cook the cream over medium heat and bring to a slow boil, while stirring continuously. The cream will thicken so make sure it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan.
- Lower the flame when it starts to bubble and cook for one or two more minutes while stirring, until it reaches desired thickness. You want a creamy smooth pudding consistency.
- Transfer the cream into a glass bowl, cover with plastic wrap. The plastic should touch the cream, so it won’t create a “skin”. Let it cool down to room temperature and store in the fridge if making ahead.
For the Vanilla Whipped Cream
- Combine all of the whipped cream ingredients in a large bowl
- Beat with electric mixer on high speed until thick and fluffy.
Assembling Your No Bake Mille Feuille Dessert
- Layer your puff pastry biscuits on the base of your dish. Make sure there are no gaps. (leave them whole or snap them in half).
- Spread over half your pastry cream.
- Add another layer of puff pastry biscuits over top pastry cream.
- Spread over the rest of your pastry cream.
- Add your final layer of whipped cream evenly over custard.
- Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4-6 hours or overnight.
- Once ready to serve remove from fridge top with crumbled puff pastry biscuits (For the crumb coat, place a few of the biscuits in a large ziploc bag, seal and crush with rolling pin unit you get fine crumbs) and finish off with a dusting of icing sugar and cinnamon if desired.
- Slice with a serrated knife and serve.
Recipe Notes
- Some recipes call for pouring the custard through a fine mesh sieve but I don’t do that for this recipe. It is smooth and creamy enough. But if you would like to do this you can.
- This is not your typical diplomat cream. It has no gelatine or butter and I don’t whisk whipped cream into the pastry cream either. The recipe layers the pastry cream between layers of puff pastry biscuits and tops the whole dessert with a layer of whipped cream. That being said said if you would like a fluffier custard or pastry cream you can whisk in ½ cup of the whipped cream topping into the pastry cream before layering everything.
- Some recipes for this no bake dessert prepare a more scoop able version of it which requires very little set time. To be able to do this they crumble the puff pastry cookies for each layer instead of layering them whole. This makes a more trifle-like scoop able dessert. You would only need to chill it for 30 minutes before serving it out. It will not be sliceable - more of a scoop able dessert - but still delicious.
- On testing the recipe I actually made a mistake and made the pastry cream with 2 cups of whipping cream instead of 1. The result was that it made for a creamier more decadent Napoleon cake with a slightly thicker layer of pastry cream in each layer. I prefer it for the decadence. But for a more balanced dessert when it comes to the pastry cream and puff pastry ratios, I would stick to the 1 cup of cream for the pastry cream as written in the post.
- I used a total of 24 puff pastry biscuits per layer - 48 in total plus extra to crumble for topping. So I usually use most if not all of the 4 packages of puff pastry biscuits. There are 14 biscuits in each 125 gram pack or 4.41 oz.
