The Eastern European Napoleon torte
The Napoleon torte is one of the best-loved cakes in Russia, Ukraine and much of the former Soviet Union. It is made from many thin sheets of puff or quick rough-puff pastry, often eight to twelve or more, baked until crisp and stacked with a vanilla custard, a crème pâtissière or a custard buttercream, sometimes enriched with condensed milk. The trimmings are crushed and pressed over the top and sides, giving the cake its sandy, crumbled finish.
The key step is the rest. The cake sits in the refrigerator for at least eight hours, often overnight, so the custard soaks into the pastry and the layers turn tender and almost creamy, while keeping a faint flakiness. A popular story connects the cake to the 1912 centenary of Napoleon's retreat from Russia, though the history is uncertain. Families often make it at home for birthdays and New Year's, and the homemade version is the standard bakeries are measured against.
The French mille-feuille
The French mille-feuille, meaning a thousand leaves, is built differently. Three thin rectangles of crisp, caramelized puff pastry are layered with two thick bands of crème pâtissière, sometimes lightened with whipped cream. The top is coated in white fondant and feathered with lines of chocolate, the classic marbled look. American bakeries often call this pastry a Napoleon, and Polish bakeries sell a close relative called kremówka or napoleonka, which uses a thicker layer of cream between two sheets of pastry.
Where the Russian torte is soft and meant to soak, the French pastry should shatter when you cut it, and it is best eaten the day it is assembled.
Judging layers and cream
- Russian torte: look for many thin, even layers in the cross-section, with custard reaching between all of them. A dry or crunchy interior means it was cut too soon; a soggy, collapsed one means too much cream or too long in the case.
- Mille-feuille: the pastry should be dark golden and crisp, the cream thick enough to hold its shape, and the fondant shiny with clean chocolate lines.
- Flavor: real butter and vanilla should come through. A greasy aftertaste suggests margarine-based pastry.
Ordering and storage
Slices of Napoleon usually cost about $5 to $9, and whole cakes run roughly $40 to $85 depending on size. Because the torte needs to rest overnight, bakeries generally need a day or two of notice for a whole cake. Keep both styles refrigerated. The Russian torte keeps three to four days and is often best on the second day; mille-feuille is best within a day before the pastry softens.
