One of the best pastries we ever had was from a Dutch baker, who unfortunately no longer bakes to sell; it was for our youngest granddaughter’s baptism almost nine years ago. Mine will always be an imitation, but on occasion, we enjoy a version of it. This is the small 6-8 serving adaptation. [For the large pastry, double all the ingredients and use a large round cake pan. I also make more of an effort at decorating the large cake and usually cover the top pastry layer with vanilla glaze.]
I rolled the dough into a 24X18 inch rectangle. I cut out three rounds to fit my round cake pans and the fourth round I pieced together from two of the largest pastry remnants. This pastry cake is best if consumed on the same day, but still requires a couple of hours of chilling time to slice it neatly. Only then can you appreciate how wonderful this pastry cake really is.
NAPOLEON PASTRY CAKE
1/2 batch of Hungarian Flaky Pastry 1/4 cup seedless raspberry jam
1/2 batch of Pastry Cream
1 cup Stabilized Whipping Cream
icing sugar for sprinkling
• Make pastry cream and set aside to cool.
• Next make 1/2 batch of flaky pastry
• Chill for twenty minutes.
• Line two 9-inch baking pans with parchment paper.
• Preheat the oven to 400F.
• Roll out the dough to a thin 24X18 inch rectangle.
• Cut four pastry rounds to fit the parchment lined baking pans. One round will have to be pieced together from pastry remnants.
• Place the pastry rounds in the two prepared pans.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 4-5 minutes or until golden brown. Keep an eye on them, flaky pastry buns very quickly.
• Halfway through, deflate the parts that swell up by pricking them with a fork.
• Remove from oven and place the pastry rounds on a wire rack to cool.
• Repeat with the remaining pastry layers.
• Meanwhile make the stabilized whipping cream.
• Beat the chilled pastry cream until smooth.
• Fold the whipped cream into the pastry cream. This combination of whipped cream and pastry cream is what we call Bavarian cream.
• Use Bavarian cream promptly. It sets rather quickly.
• Place a pastry layer on a serving platter.
• Lightly spread with raspberry jam.
• Lay a pastry layer on the top.
• Spread a moderately thin layer of Bavarian cream on the top.
• Place the next a pastry layer on top.
• Spread another layer of Bavarian Cream on the top.
• Place the last pastry on the top.
• Spread the remaining Bavarian cream on the sides and sprinkle the top with icing sugar.
• Chill the cake for a couple of hours. After that, it will slice neatly.
