Vegan Napoleon Cake

Name: Vegan Napoleon Cake
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 540 min
Ingredients: 1 ¼ cup unsweetened soy milk (, divided); 1 cup full fat coconut milk; ½ cup maple syrup; 1 ½ tbsp vanilla extract; ¼ cup cornstarch; 1 397g pack of vegan puff pastry (, thawed); All-purpose flour (, for dusting)

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Winter, Christmas/Thanksgiving, Russian/Ukrainian inspired, Veganized Childhood Classics, Puff Pastry

NF RSF

9 hours Prep: 30 mins Cook: 30 mins Refrigeration Time: 8 hours

Serves 8

Made of layers of vegan puff pastry and a scrumptious sweet vanilla cream, this cake is a true crowd pleaser for any special occasion.

Ingredients

1 ¼ cup unsweetened soy milk , divided
1 cup full fat coconut milk
½ cup maple syrup
1 ½ tbsp vanilla extract
¼ cup cornstarch
1 397g pack of vegan puff pastry , thawed
All-purpose flour , for dusting

For the cream:

Step 1
Add soy milk, coconut milk, maple syrup, vanilla extract and the cornstarch to a saucepan. Stir until the cornstarch is diluted. Heat over medium heat and bring to a gentle simmer, stirring constantly.
Step 2
Once simmering, reduce heat to medium low and let cook until thickened, while still stirring.
Step 3
Remove from the heat and transfer to a bowl. Refrigerate until cool.

For the puff pastry layers:

Step 1
Preheat oven to 400ºF and line two baking sheets with a reusable silicone mat or parchment paper.
Step 2
Divide puff pastry into 4 pieces.
Step 3
Flour a surface and roll out one of the pieces until the dough is 1mm thin.
Step 4
Use a 8-inch cake pan to cut out a circle. Place on the prepared baking sheet. Poke with a fork. Set the excess puff pastry aside.
Step 5
Repeat the process with the rest of the puff pastry pieces. Be sure to flour your surface and rolling pin as needed to prevent the dough from sticking.
Step 6
Put the excess puff pastry together into a ball and form an extra layer.
Step 7
Add the extra pieces of puff pastry onto one of your baking sheets, you will use them to decorate your cake.
Step 8
Bake the for 10 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through. You might have to do this in two batches since you are working with two baking sheets.
Step 9
Let the puff pastry layers cool completely.

Assemble:

Step 1
Once the layers and the cream are cool. It is time to assemble.
Step 2
First, mix the cream until smooth again.
Step 3
Cut in half any puff pastry layers that are too thick or that have puffed up a lot.
Step 4
Place the first layer of puff pastry onto a serving plate.
Step 5
Spread about 3-4 tablespoons of cream onto it. Cover with another layer of puff pastry.
Step 6
Repeat the process until your last layer, which you will top with cream.
Step 7
Decorate your cake with those excess pieces of puff pastry by crumbling them on top of your cake.
Step 8
Cover and refrigerate overnight.
Step 9
Take out of the fridge for 1 hour before serving.
Step 10
Keep in the fridge for up to 5 days (although let’s be real, it going to be gone within 24 hours).

Common Questions & Swaps

Recipe adapted from Veggie Society’s Vegan Custard Puff Pastry Napoleon Recipe.

Feel free to use any unsweetened non-dairy milk instead of soy milk. The only milk I would only not recommend using is coconut milk as you would end up with a cream that is a little too rich (since the recipe already requires a cup of it).
In terms of sweeteners, you could replace the maple syrup with agave syrup.
If you would like to make this recipe less sweet, feel free to reduce the maple syrup to 1/3 cup (although I think 1/2 cup is perfect!).
Where do you find vegan puffed pastry? You can find it in most grocery stores, just be sure to look at the ingredient list. It should not contain any dairy. I personally use Tenderflake’s Puff Pastry.
Could I replace the cornstarch with arrowroot or tapioca powder? I have tried this recipe with arrowroot powder and I found the cream to be too stretchy and liquid. As for tapioca powder, I have not tried it so cannot vouch for it, but I feel like it could work.

Slice of vegan napoleon cake on a glass plate

Closeup of texture of vegan napoleon cake

Napoleon cake with slice taken out surrounded by golden Christmas decorations

Slice of napoleon cake on glass plate with full cake in the background

The wait is over… this cake that has marked my childhood memories has officially been veganized and is ready to be shared with the whole world.

Yep, kind of a dramatic intro but, I am not joking you guys… this cake is the type of cake that you dream about for weeks after you’ve tried it.

It is the type of cake anyone who has tasted it wants the recipe. It is the type of cake that will make your best friend love you even more and the type of cake that even the most complicated of children will want for their birthdays.

You don’t have to take my word for it, you just have to watch the recipe video for this cake that I published on my YouTube channel. In it, my friend Aisha tasted this Vegan Napoleon Cake for the very first time in front of the camera and all she could say was: oh my God.

That is the kind of reactions that this cake can cause. So if you are not ready for praise, then maybe opt for another recipe… this one might not be for you.

I feel like this blogpost is rather over the top compared to what I usually write, but honestly, I have no shame about it lol. You have no idea how long I have been longing for a cake like this… You see, I grew up with my mom making Napoleon Cake for birthdays, for Christmas and for the holidays. This cake was a family tradition for the longest time. Until… I became vegan.

At that moment, my mom did not know how to veganize this cake and I was frankly intimidated to try making it myself. Then, out of nowhere, my younger brother asked if my mom or I could make this cake for his 20th birthday. I jumped on the occasion to challenge myself and started my internet scouting.

One of the first recipes I came across was from Florentina at https://veggiesociety.com/. She made her version of a Vegan Custard Puff Pastry Napoleon Recipe. Her recipe was so easy and required so few ingredients that I was sold. I would try to replicate this cake but with a few tweaks to make it more like my family’s version.

In Florentina’s recipe, a thick layer of cream is sandwiched between two layers of flaky puff pastry so her cake looks very similar to a mille feuille cake. However, the way I grew up eating Napoleon Cakes was with multiple layers of puff pastry alternated with smaller quantities of cream.

So I went on a mission to make my version of my family’s Napoleon Cake and I have to say it was a SUCCESS!

This cake…
melts in your mouth
tastes like it took you a week to make
also tastes like you hired a private chef to make it for you
requires only a few ingredients
is 100% vegan, dairy free and egg free
is PERFECT for celebrations.

This recipe is so good, that I kind of wanted to keep it to myself, but I thought, it’s the holidays after all and I should spread the joy of cooking and delicious desserts with the world, so here it is guys. I really really really hope you try making this recipe, because I know that if you do, you will love it!

If you happen to snap a photo of your creation, be sure to tag me on Instagram (@muriellebanackissa)!

Happy holidays!