It's not all that uncommon for countries to have dishes that were dedicated to or represented a certain time period in their history. For example, many of America's casseroles, which were overwhelmingly popular during the mid-century of the 1900s, are still staples to this day but came from a time when frugality and ingenuity were necessary. In Ireland, the potato gained its fame due to the rate at which it grew and when the famine struck, it devastated the economy to the point where people were forced out of their homelands due to a lack of food.
Throughout history, food has consistently been intertwined by marking major moments and events and in Russia, Napoleon cake is exactly that. For just over one century now, Russians have been celebrating New Year's Eve as the biggest holiday of the year but not only because it symbolizes the end of one year and the start of another. Up until 1928, the Russian people were not permitted to celebrate Christmas, therefore New Year's Eve became the most celebrated holiday until 1991 when Bolshevik rule no longer excluded it. There's one more aspect to this holiday, though, that shouldn't be left out: the baking and eating of the Napoleon cake.
The Cake's Significance In Russia's History And Its Reputation
The cake itself was first announced in 1912 as that had marked one century since the defeat of Napoleon. It was said that on the anniversary of this date, a new pastry would be created in celebration of the victory, and thus, Napoleon cake was born. The celebrations that take place every year for New Year's Eve now, which include classic tradition such as tree trimming and decorations, also include a slice of this towering cake, said to be representative of the downfall of Napoleon's reign. The dessert itself was inspired by French pastry, specifically, French mille-feuille, which are triangles of pastry that are filled with vanilla pastry cream. These pastries also had a purpose when they were first created and were also made to symbolize the shape of Napoleon's hat, also post-defeat.
So, how did this elegant French pastry become the cake that it is in Russia? The transformation transpired out of a need for affordability and availability, as pastries such as these were deemed to be too 'bourgeois' by the Soviet Union, which came about after the revolution of 1917. Therefore, recipes needed to be adjusted and richer ingredients swapped out for what was deemed lesser. No longer were cooks permitted to use butter or eggs, rendering any true pastry far out of reach for the average home cook. The answer to this was to adopt cakes, as the Soviets said it was "a symbol of Soviet luxury which must be available to all," according to the co-author of CCCP Cookbook, Pavel Syutkin.
The Cake Itself And Its Many Layers
Some might know the cake that's made today as one that is similar to a crêpe cake, with so many layers that it's a challenge to count them all. The lack of original ingredients that would have created such a fine, light, and buttery pastry led to the transformation of this dessert into a cake, with its many airy, thin layers and cream-filled interiors. This is not to be confused with a Napoleon, which is a layered pastry that has crispy phyllo dough layers sandwiched between a cream filling and topped with marbled icing. Despite the need from which it grew, the cake itself is quite delicious, featuring no less than eight layers but often having upwards of 20. In Russia, each chef has their own take on the cake with many still using traditional recipes and others incorporating a more modern twist on things, such as adding liqueur or other flavorings.
It's rare that anyone could attend a New Year's Eve celebration without encountering one of these cakes as the celebration of ringing in the new year and the defeat of Napoleon still seem to go hand-in-hand. If nothing else, it is a testament to Russia's history and how much its people still adore this cake and all that it represents, loving it so much that it continues to be made and eaten to this day. To make the cake is simple, and involves simple ingredients: butter, sugar, milk, eggs, vinegar, starch, salt, wheat flour, ice water. Any leftover dough gets crumbled over the top to form a crispy topping, and with less than ten minutes of total baking time and a quick assembly, it's easy to see why this cake has hung around as long as it has.