Napoleon cake was one of my two favorite childhood desserts, the other being Medoviy Tort. When I decided to give up dairy, I thought I had to say “goodbye forever” to indulgent treats like ice cream, cakes, and creamy desserts. Who would have imagined that I could recreate all of these delights using plant-based ingredients?
Baking a vegan Napoleon cake turned out to be even easier than the traditional method. With fewer ingredients and no need to worry about curdling cream, it’s a straightforward process. While you wouldn’t necessarily call this cake a health food, if you enjoy sweets occasionally, why not indulge? Plus, it can easily be made low-fat and less sweet—it’s all about your personal preference.
The sweeter, the better?
The original recipe for this cake was shared with me by my sister a few years ago. Since then, I’ve made vegan Napoleon several times, tweaking it to suit my taste by reducing the sugar and oil. I’ve noticed that after eating healthier for a while, flavors—both sweet and savory—become more vibrant and don’t require as much enhancement. It’s hard to explain, and I initially struggled to understand this shift myself.
I used to bake special treats that I loved and share them with friends and colleagues, but their reactions were often lukewarm. I wondered if they didn’t find the sweets delicious because they knew they were vegan, or if my cooking simply wasn’t up to par. However, when I returned to the original recipe and added more sugar and oil, their responses improved. It turned out that not mentioning the cake’s vegan status worked wonders too 😀 ! Now, when I cook desserts for anyone other than myself and my husband, I aim for a sweeter flavor profile, and it’s been successful.
Vegan Layered Cake "Napoleon"
Equipment
- High Speed Blender
Ingredients
For the dough:
- 1 cup Sparkling water
- 1 cup Vegetable oil (coconut oil is the best option, reduce to 1/4 cup for low-fat option)
- 0.5 tsp. Salt
- 3 cups Flour
For cream:
- 120 g Almonds
- 1 l Water
- 1 cup Sugar (replace with 0.5 cup *Erythritol for low-calorie/sugar-free option)
- 1 cup Semolina
- 2 tbsp. Lemon zest
- 4 tbsp. Lemon juice
- 0.25 tsp Vanilla
Instructions
Dough:
- Mix all the ingredients for the dough until you get a soft, rich dough.
- Divide the dough into 8-10 pieces and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Tip: You can use half the amount of oil if you prefer. I aim to use as little oil as possible, and in my experience, the layering and crispness of the dough remain the same even with less oil.
Cream:
- Soak the almonds in boiling water for about 10 minutes. Once softened, peel them easily.
- Blend the peeled almonds with water and sugar in a blender. I use ¾ cup of sugar, which works for us, but if you're making this for someone who enjoys store-bought cakes, feel free to use a full cup.
- You’ll end up with a sweet almond "milk." Pour it into a saucepan (no need to strain). Gradually add semolina while stirring constantly.
- Bring the mixture to a boil and cook the semolina until it’s fully cooked.
- Let this “porridge” cool down.
- Divide the cooled cream into two portions, even if you have a high-powered blender. First portion: Put half of the cream in the blender, add 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, some vanilla, and lemon zest. Blend until smooth. Second portion: Repeat the process with the remaining half, adding another 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, vanilla, and lemon zest. Your cream is ready!
Final stage
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F).
- Roll out each dough piece to about 40x30 cm (the size of a standard baking sheet).
- Bake each layer—about 5 minutes for the first layer and 2-3 minutes for subsequent layers (depending on your oven).
- Once all the crusts are baked and cooled, assemble the cake by spreading the cream evenly over each layer.
- For the top layer, break the darkest crust into crumbs and sprinkle it over the cake.
Nutrition facts
Notes
Decoration: You can get creative with the decoration! Once, I blended half of the cream with frozen raspberries (about a cup or less) and used it to layer the cake. I then topped it with fresh strawberries—it turned out beautifully! *Sweetener: Many people are trying to avoid sugar these days, and I think that’s a smart choice. If you’re looking for alternatives, check out this short video on alternative sweeteners—it might help you make a decision! My husband and I have been using Erythritol , and we like it so far, but we’re also planning to try xylit, which has promising qualities as well.No Oven? No Problem!
The cake you see in the photos below was baked without an oven! At the time, I didn’t have one, so I had to get creative. I was pleasantly surprised to find that the crust turned out just as crunchy and layered as it would from an oven.
Here’s how I did it: I heated a frying pan with a thin bottom and a bit of coconut oil, then turned the heat down to the minimum. I placed a rolled-out layer of dough in the pan and covered it with a lid. After a few minutes, the crust was bubbly. I flipped it over and covered it again for a couple more minutes. When I removed it from the heat, it was a bit soft, but it firmed up as it cooled, developing a lovely roasted texture. If I had an electric stove, it might have worked even better than with a gas stove. Of course, an oven is the easiest and most reliable method for this cake, so I hope you have one!
Do you like this recipe?
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