What is a Napoleon cake?
A Napoleon is a layered cake built from many thin sheets of puff pastry with custard cream spread between them — the Eastern European version of the French mille-feuille, whose name simply means "a thousand layers." The pastry is rolled and folded so it bakes up into fine, flaky leaves; the custard is smooth and soft, and it slowly softens the pastry from within.
That slow softening is the whole art of the cake. Too little time and the layers are dry and brittle. Too much time and everything collapses into one damp mass. A good Napoleon sits in the middle: the pastry still gives a faint crackle under the fork, the cream carries it, and each bite has a dozen layers in it at once.
Cut from the side, a slice looks like a stack of pale ribbons. It is not a showy cake. It is a quiet one that rewards attention.
Why does a Napoleon have to be fresh?
A Napoleon has to be fresh because puff pastry and cream are working against each other from the moment the cake is assembled. Pastry wants to stay crisp; custard wants to soak into it. A Napoleon is only ever at its best inside a fairly short window, which is exactly why it is a bad candidate for sitting in a display case for days.
This is what separates a real Napoleon from a supermarket one. A cake made days ago has finished its journey — the layers have given up, and what is left is sweet but flat. A cake made today is still in motion.
We make ours in-house, daily, for this reason and no other. It is the only way the cake makes sense.
What should I drink with Napoleon cake?
An Americano or a cappuccino. Napoleon is rich in a creamy, gentle way rather than a heavy chocolate way, so it pairs best with coffee that has some backbone but does not fight it.
- Americano — clean and straightforward. It resets your palate between bites and keeps the custard from feeling too soft on the tongue. The classic choice.
- Cappuccino — if you want the pairing to feel like dessert with dessert. The milk foam and the custard cream echo each other, which makes the whole thing gentler and more comforting.
- Espresso — short, sharp, and over quickly. Good if you only have ten minutes.
On a hot Broward County afternoon, one of our lemonades — Fresh, Peach, Lime & Mint, or Mandarin — works too. Cold and tart against soft and creamy is a pairing that has never failed anyone.
Where can I get Napoleon cake in Pompano Beach?
At New Level Coffee & Bakery, 698 East McNab Road, Pompano Beach, FL 33060. We are on McNab Road in the north part of Pompano Beach, open every day from 7:00 AM to 6:00 PM, weekends included. You can call ahead at +1 786-606-1786.
People drive in from Lighthouse Point — about five minutes by car — and from Deerfield Beach and Fort Lauderdale, which makes sense for a cake like this. Napoleon does not travel well across the county and back, but it travels perfectly from our counter to a table by the window. Dine in with a coffee, or take a slice to go.
You can find directions on our visit page.
What else is in the case besides Napoleon?
Everything in our cake case is made in-house and sold by the slice. If you are bringing someone who has never had a Napoleon, it is worth ordering a second slice so you can compare.
- Honey Cake (Medovik) — the other great Eastern European layer cake: many thin honey layers with a soft cream filling, traditionally sour-cream based. Read more about Honey Cake in Pompano Beach.
- Strawberry — brighter and fruitier, the natural counterweight to Napoleon's soft custard.
- Pistachio & Raspberry, Chocolate & Blueberry, Honey & Raspberry, and Snickers — for the table that wants to try a little of everything.
If you would rather have something savory first, we also make a Chicken Quiche and beef samsa. A quiche, a coffee, and a slice of Napoleon is a good morning in any order.
Is Napoleon a good cake to share?
Yes — it is one of the better sharing cakes, because it is layered rather than dense. A slice of Napoleon reads as light even though there is a lot going on inside it, so two people can split one and still have room for coffee, or for a second slice of something fruitier.
It also tends to convert people. Napoleon is not a cake most Americans grew up with, and the first bite usually comes with a small pause while someone works out what they are eating. Then they finish the slice. We are top-rated on Google, and a fair number of those visits started with somebody trying a layer cake they had never heard of.