Napoleon Cake Made in a Skillet

Cooking method

1. Step 1:

   

   How do you make a Napoleon cake in a skillet? Gather the ingredients for the dough. Use all-purpose flour. The fat content of the milk only affects the final calorie count, so use whatever you have. Use a large or medium egg. The butter should be soft and at room temperature. Use baking soda slaked with vinegar.

2. Step 2:

   

   In a clean bowl, cream the egg with the sugar using a spoon or fork.

3. Step 3:

   

   Add the vegetable oil and the softened butter, and mix.

4. Step 4:

   

   Pour in the milk, add the salt, and mix. Then quickly stir in the vinegar-slaked baking soda. Add the flour in small batches, stirring so no lumps form.

5. Step 5:

   

   Now knead the dough by hand. Watch how it comes together and add more flour if needed. You want an elastic, non-sticky dough that's moderately firm (but not too stiff!) and holds its shape well.

6. Step 6:

   

   Divide the dough into 18–22 pieces, depending on your skillet's size (mine is 8 inches / 20 cm across).

7. Step 7:

   

   Dust your work surface and rolling pin well with flour. Roll each piece of dough into a thin round sized to your skillet.

8. Step 8:

   

   Carefully wrap the round around the rolling pin and transfer it to a dry, hot skillet. Cook it on both sides — it takes just a moment. You can lift an edge to check how it's browning. The layers should be very thin and dry out well in the pan, right down to a slight crunch and a few browned spots. That way they won't be rubbery, and they'll soak up the cream nicely.

9. Step 9:

   

   While each layer is still warm, quickly trim the edges into a neat, perfectly round circle. Save the trimmings — we'll crush them into crumbs later.

10. Step 10:

    

    Gather the ingredients for the cream. NOTE! This custard is made WITHOUT FLOUR. If you're not confident you can pull this off, or you're used to making custard with flour, go ahead and make the cream your usual way. The butter should be soft and at room temperature so it whips up well.

11. Step 11:

    

    In a separate bowl, cream the eggs with the sugar and vanilla sugar.

12. Step 12:

    

    Set a heavy-bottomed saucepan on the stove, pour in the milk, and heat it over low heat. Milk is usually brought to a boil, but not everyone can then pour it into the eggs without getting scrambled bits. So unless you're a pro who could make custard in your sleep, don't let the milk boil — just heat it until it starts to steam. It should be hot, but not boiling.

13. Step 13:

    

    Pour the warm milk into the egg mixture in a very thin, slow stream while whisking constantly and quickly. If you rush, the eggs will curdle and the custard will turn out lumpy (with or without flour). Ideally, whisk the eggs as fast as you can while adding the milk very slowly. Pour the mixture back into the saucepan and cook the custard over low heat, stirring constantly (!), until it thickens.

14. Step 14:

    

    Turn off the stove, take the saucepan off the heat, and let the custard cool. To keep a skin from forming, press plastic wrap directly onto its surface. Cool the custard to room temperature or below — if it's warm inside, it'll melt the butter and the mixture will turn runny. Add the soft, room-temperature butter to the cooled custard.

15. Step 15:

    

    Beat the mixture well with a mixer. It should turn light and fluffy and double in volume.

16. Step 16:

    

    Add the condensed milk and vanilla to the cream and beat again until smooth. It's best not to add all the condensed milk at once — depending on how thick the cream is, you may need less. So keep an eye on the consistency. Be careful not to over-beat, or the cream will separate. As soon as it's smooth, stop the mixer.

17. Step 17:

    

    On a wide, flat cake plate, start stacking the layers on top of one another, spreading each with cream. !!! The layers must be fully cool, inside and out. Double-check — warm layers will melt the butter in the cream, and it'll turn runny, separate, and ooze out right as you're assembling.

18. Step 18:

    

    Crush the trimmings and sprinkle the crumbs over the top and sides of the cake. Let the cake sit at room temperature for 2–3 hours so the layers soak up the cream, then refrigerate it overnight. Before serving, you can decorate it with mint, berries, or fruit. I dusted mine with powdered sugar.