Napoleon Cake with Beer: A Surprising Twist on a Classic

Experience a delightful twist on the classic Napoleon Cake with this recipe featuring a surprising ingredient: beer! The beer, added to the dough instead of the cream, creates extra flaky and delicate layers. The taste remains rich and delicious, and the secret ingredient will remain undetectable if you don’t reveal it. Try this unique and delicious dessert for yourself!

Ingredients (Serves 10):

For the Cream:

• Cornstarch: 3 tbsp (24g)
• Milk: 1 liter (4.2 cups)
• Egg yolks: 5-6
• Sugar: 200g (1 cup)
• Vanilla sugar: 1 tsp (5g)

For the Dough:

• Butter: 250g (1 cup)
• Light wheat beer (preferably unfiltered): 180ml (3/4 cup)
• Flour: 640g (5 cups)
• Baking powder: 1 tsp (5g)

Instructions:

Prepare the Dough:

1. Sift the flour and baking powder onto a working surface.
2. Grate the very cold butter into the flour or cut it into cubes.
3. Cut the butter into the flour until it resembles coarse crumbs.
4. Pour in the chilled beer and quickly knead into an elastic dough. Adjust with more beer if too dry or more flour if too wet.
5. Divide the dough into 8-10 portions, wrap each in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 1 hour to develop the gluten, making it easier to roll out.

Roll Out the Dough:

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C (390°F).
2. Take one portion of dough from the fridge and place it between two sheets of baking paper. Roll it out very thinly (about 1.5mm thick).
3. Remove the top sheet of paper, place a large plate upside down on the dough, and cut out a circle.
4. Carefully roll the dough onto a floured rolling pin and transfer it to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Arrange the trimmings next to it.
5. Prick the dough with a fork and bake until golden brown. Let it cool on a wire rack. Repeat with the remaining dough.
6. Crumble the trimmings for later use.

Prepare the Cream:

1. Mix the cornstarch with 100ml (1/2 cup) of cold milk until smooth.
2. Beat the egg yolks with the sugar and vanilla sugar until light and fluffy. Combine with the cornstarch mixture and beat again.
3. Heat the remaining milk in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Add the egg mixture and cook over low heat, whisking continuously, until thickened. Let cool.

Assemble the Cake:

1. Layer the baked dough circles with the cream, reserving 3-4 tbsp of cream for the topping. Place a cutting board and a weight on top and refrigerate for 8-10 hours.

Finish the Cake:

1. Before serving, remove the weight and plastic wrap. Cover the top and sides with the reserved cream and sprinkle with the crumbled dough trimmings. Decorate as desired.

Nutrition (Per Serving):

Calories: 505.13 kcal
Protein: 9.36g
Fat: 22.97g
Carbohydrates: 65.20g

Pro Tip:

Add chopped walnuts to the cream for extra flavor. For a decorative touch, place whole walnut halves on top before serving.

Note:

You can cut the cake layers after baking for easier handling. Simply bake the dough in any shape, then trim to the desired size with a sharp knife.