The more I look at this photo and the more it seems crooked … step back a bit from the screen and help me out! Does it also seem to you that on the left side looking there is more filling, that the shortcrust circle is wider???
Bah, the light coming from the right makes my Rocher Napoleon Cake look all strange!
Well, glossing over the fact that millimeter precision is not my forte, this dessert aside from being cute has a silky cream and is definitely exquisite and was very well-liked by my family!
Initially, I wanted to make the base pastry the pâte sucrée then I opted for the stunning Milan shortcrust by Iginio Massari, which I found fantastic and with which I also prepared these mini tartlets on the blog.
MINI TARTLETS
And the reason I couldn’t make the pâte sucrée was that I realized that I didn’t have almond flour, which is essential for the recipe in the dough ingredients.
The pâte sucrée is prepared with soft butter mixed with powdered sugar and, as I said above, almond, almond flour, hazelnut, or pistachio which enhances the flavor and crispiness.
The aromas used are the classic vanilla pod or almond extract or orange blossom.
To keep the thickness so low and uniform after tracing the cake shape with a template (in my case 3 circles with a diameter of 7 inches each with an inner hole like a donut mold of 3.75 inches), I protected the dough with parchment paper and then put a weight (for me a baking tray) to prevent the dough from deforming during baking.
If you don’t like ROCHER you can place RAFFAELLO because the filling cream is delicate and pairs perfectly with coconut… but if you’ve made truffles with your own hands… perfect, decorate the Napoleon cake with these always delicious sweets!!
Always with the shortcrust pastry I also recommend a classic tart such as:
HEART TART
5-LAYER SOFT TART
P.S. The amount of Milan shortcrust is ample, but I personally freeze it to make cookies or other things later!
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I have opened an open and free recipe channel on WhatsApp with no notifications and no sound, to which you can subscribe by clicking on the link here https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaHbGIn9cDDig7Cw2x0F and every day you can read a sweet and a savory recipe!
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ROCHER NAPOLEON CAKE
The kitchen of ASI
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Medium
- Preparation time: 30 Minutes
- Portions: 6 people
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients ROCHER NAPOLEON CAKE RECIPE
- 2.4 cups all-purpose flour
- 7 oz oz butter (diced)
- 1 pod vanilla
- 1/2 tsp salt (dissolved in 1 teaspoon of water)
- 0.14 cup acacia honey
- 1 egg yolk
- 2/3 cup powdered sugar
- 1 1/2 lemon (zested)
- q.b. mascarpone
- 6.3 oz condensed milk
- 1 cup heavy cream
Tools ROCHER NAPOLEON CAKE RECIPE
- Bowls
- Stand Mixers
FOR THE PREPARATION OF THE ROCHER NAPOLEON CAKE RECIPE
To prepare the shortcrust pastry dough by master Iginio Massari dice the butter, which should be soft but not too pliable.
Place the diced butter in a bowl or in the stand mixer adding also the powdered sugar and acacia honey.
Turn on the stand mixer with the flat beater at the lowest speed or you can knead by hand.
The mixture “should not whip, mind you,” says master Iginio Massari!
Then pour the egg yolk into the obtained dough.
Now dissolve the fine salt in a teaspoon of water and add it to the shortcrust pastry dough preparation by Massari.
Now slice the vanilla pod vertically and incorporate all the seeds extracted with a knife.
Grate the zest of an organic or untreated lemon and add this ingredient to the shortcrust pastry too.
Finish by adding the sifted all-purpose flour kneading by hand or always incorporating with the flat beater and at low speed until the flour is completely absorbed.
Pastry chef Iginio Massari advises taking a small piece of shortcrust between your hands and if it does not stick to your palms it is ready to be used for making tarts and more.
Now you can shape the Milan shortcrust into a cylindrical shape that we will wrap in food wrap and rest for at least a couple of hours in the refrigerator, better if all night “to allow the fats and sugars to stabilize” and the dough is more pliable and usable.
For the Rocher Napoleon Cake I made 3 circles of 7 inches with an inner oven of 3.75 as I wrote in the recipe introduction above!
The Milan shortcrust dough is plentiful and you can if you like make a cake also consisting of 3 layers of 8 inches to your liking!
I place each circle in the baking sheet protected with parchment paper, put another sheet and then a new tray on top so the shortcrust remains flat and does not change in cooking.
I do this for each of the 3 layers and bake at 356°F for about 20 minutes or depending on the characteristics of your oven.
I let the layers of the Rocher Napoleon Cake cool then proceed to prepare the filling cream.
For the soft and delicate filling cream with electric whisks or with a spoon, soften the mascarpone then add the condensed milk in a thin stream being particularly careful not to make the preparation too liquid, so be careful with the dose!
Now add the whipped heavy cream and mix the mixture carefully.
Once the circles are cold, I compose the ROCHER NAPOLEON CAKE by placing the first circle on the serving plate and with the help of the piping bag, I make many cream tufts for the entire circumference of the Milan shortcrust.
I place the second circle, fill it, then finish with the third layer and fill it again.
All that’s left is to decorate the Napoleon cake with the Rocher and serve at the table or leave it in the fridge for a SHORT time so the bases don’t get too soft…
I think it’s a very good cake and it also presents very well, what do you think?? Enjoy your meal!
Annalisa
