Napoleon Cake

This cake is an old favourite.  It consists of a number of layers starting at the bottom with puff pastry, mock cream, jam, plain sponge, jam, mock cream, puff pastry and finally, icing.

It may seem complicated, but the result is something special.

Ingredients:

• • 2 sheets of ready rolled puff pastry

  • 1/2 cup raspberry jam

For the cake

• • 2 eggs

  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

  • 1/3 cup castor sugar

  • 1/3 cup SR flour

  • 2 tab cornflour

For the mock cream

• • 1/2 cup sugar

  • 1/3 cup water

  • 125g unsalted softened butter

For the icing

• • 1 cup icing sugar

  • 1 tsp soft butter

  • red food colouring

  • 2 tsp milk (approx)

Method:

Make the cake layer

• 1. Preheat your oven to moderate temperature

  2. grease and line a 23cm square cake pan with baking paper 

  3. cream the eggs and vanilla in a small bowl and continue beating while you gradually add the sugar, making sure the sugar is dissolved before adding more

  4. sift the flours and gently fold into the egg mixture

  5. pour into the prepared cake pan and bake in a moderate oven for about 15 minutes.

  6. turn out and allow to cool completely

Bake the pastry

• 1. line 2 trays with baking paper and place the puff pasty sheets, one to a tray

  2. bake the pastry until crisp and golden - it will take about 10 minutes

  3. leave the pastry on the trays and gently flatten with the bottom of the now empty cake tin

  4. using the cake tin as a template, trim the pastry to fit the cake if necessary

  5. allow to cool on the trays

Prepare the Mock Cream

• 1. combine the sugar and water for the mock cream in a small microwave save jug

  2. stir and heat until the sugar has completely dissolved

  3. allow to cool

  4. beat the butter at high speed until it turns white

  5. gradually beat in cooled syrup

Assemble the cake

• 1. Place one of the pastry sheets on a serving plate

  2. spread with half the mock cream

  3. spread half the jam on top of the cake and invert the cake onto the mock cream layer

  4. spread the rest of the jam on top of the cake layer and then spread the remaining mock cream on top of the jam

  5. position the second pastry sheet on top of the mock cream

Prepare the icing

• 1. to make the icing, sift he icing sugar into a microwave safe bowl

  2. mix in the butter and enough milk to form a stiff paste

  3. add food colouring until you have a solid pink colour

  4. microwave for 10 seconds and stir

  5. repeat until you have a runny icing mixture

  6. pour onto the top of the cake.

  7. cut into rectangles to serve

Tips:

The cake should be stored in the fridge but not frozen.  Cut the cake using a serrated knife or an electric knife.