Vegan Layered Cake "Napoleon"
One of my favorite layer cakes - Russian traditional cake "Napoleon". I was so happy to discover veganized alternative! My non-vegan friends couldn't guess what the cream was made of - they thought I made it with milk just for them or gave up being vegan :D !
Servings: 16 people
Calories: 338kcal
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
Click here for detailed nutritional information on this cake. A 150g slice (if made with regular sugar and a cup of butter) contains 338 kcal, making it very similar to the original Napoleon cake. Those accustomed to the taste of store-bought cakes will enjoy this version too.
However, I prefer a lighter option. By reducing the oil to ¼ cup and replacing sugar with erythritol (and cutting it down to ½ cup), the calorie count drops to 220 kcal for the same 150g slice. The cake remains just as delicious!
Serving: 150 g Calories: 338 kcal
Carbs: 37.9 g Protein: 5.3 g Fat: 17.6 g
Fiber: 2.1 g Calcium: 27.4 mg Iron: 0.7 mg
Serving: 150 g Calories: 338 kcal
Carbs: 36.9 g Protein: 6 g Fat: 8.3 g
Fiber: 2.3 g Calcium: 30.3 mg Iron: 0.8 mg