napoleonka

plural napoleonkas · alternative Napoleonka

1. countableuncountableA Polish type of cream pie made of two layers of puff pastry, filled with whipped cream, crème pâtissière, thick milk kisel enriched with melted butter, or sometimes egg white cream, and usually sprinkled with powdered sugar, but can also be decorated with cream or covered with a layer of icing.

   Meals conclude with a dessert such as sernik (cheesecake), makowiec (poppy seed pastry), or napoleonka (cream pie).

   2022 December 13, Katy Lyons, “Introduction”, in Polish Recipes, New York, N.Y.: Barnes & Noble Press, →ISBN, page 2

   2 more examples

   And he grabbed her hand and told her his name and said he didn’t like szarlotka, what he really liked was napoleonka, he was just like John Paul II in that he could eat eighteen pieces of napoleon cake at one sitting. / “Is that right?” said younger Babcia, with her hands on her hips. / “Yes, it is,” said younger Dziadek. “You should make a whole napoleonka, just for me, to make up for missing nine break times.”

   2025 August 26, Helen Oyeyemi, “Friday”, in A New New Me: A Novel, New York, N.Y.: Riverhead Books, →ISBN

   Precutting now will be easier than cutting the top layer after assembly since napoleonka is filled with a semi-soft cream.

   2025 October 14, Laurel Kratochvila, “Napoleonka: Cream Slice”, in Dobre Dobre: Baking from Poland and Beyond, San Francisco, Calif.: Chronicle Books, →ISBN

plural Napoleonkas

1. countableuncountableAlternative letter-case form of napoleonka.

   The Kremówka is a variant of the Napoleonka cream pie, a puff pastry which is popular throughout Poland.

   2020 winter, Daniel Pogorzelski, “Destination Poland: Małopolska Voivodeship”, in Mark S. Dobrzycki, editor, Zgoda, volume 165, number 4, Chicago, Ill.: Polish National Alliance, →OCLC, archived from the original on 14 Mar 2022, page 43, column 1

   5 more examples

   In the afternoons I was to have a snack and used to buy myself a seven-layer, chocolate torte cake called a Napoleonka, which was a kind of “work of art”.

   2005 November 25, Isabelle Choko, translated by Irene Rothenberg, “Childhood in Łódź, Poland: Winter 1938-39”, in Isabelle Choko, Frances Irwin, Lotti Kahana-Aufleger, Margit Raab Kalina, Jane Lipski, Stolen Youth: Five Women’s Survival in the Holocaust, Jerusalem: Yad Vashem, →ISBN, page 11

   Lots of little ones and their moms (and dads) came out on Mother’s Day to enjoy the Sunday Market and these Napoleonkas, made by Pastry Chef Katie Fair of Kuchnia + Keller. These Napoleonkas are Katie’s take on the classic Polish treat (similar to French Napoleons) and had children eagerly tugging on their mother’s shirts asking, “Can I make this for you?” The event and Napoleonkas were enjoyed by all.

   2018 May 14, Kory Cheshier, “Pastry Chef Katie Fair's Strawberry Napoleonkas”, in Edible Nashville, Nashville, Tenn.: Edible Communities, archived from the original on 18 Jul 2025

   ‘Philip Guscott? I’ve come from your sister-in-law. Pani Zofia Guskov.’ There was a pause, and then Philip stepped forward and opened the door. He seemed suspicious and to be debating whether to send him away. ‘And I’ve brought some Napoleonka?’ He held the bag up, smiling. ‘Have I pronounced that correctly?’ Philip’s eyes immediately lit up. Who could resist cake?

   2020 May 24, Eva St. John [pseudonym; Liz Hurley], “Charles – Beta Earth”, in The Quantum Curators and the Fabergé Egg (The Quantum Curators; 1), Mudlark’s Press, →ISBN

   It was tomato soup with rice, and it was delicious, but quite filling. That was followed by roast chicken with potatoes, and shredded vegetables, and then a dessert called Napoleonka, a sort of cream pastry with more cream on top.

   2021 November 15, David Gelernter, “Starting Work in Warsaw”, in Leizar: A Struggle Across Generations, →ISBN

   Plenty of countries have developed their own version of the mille-feuille. […] Hong Kong's "Napoleon" has buttercream and walnuts, and Poland's "Napoleonka" is very similar to Australia's two-layered, custardy iteration.

   2022 November 9, Ben Groundwater, “What is a vanilla slice? Where to find the best of Australia's version of the French dessert”, in The Sydney Morning Herald, Sydney, N.S.W.: Nine Entertainment, →OCLC, archived from the original on 04 Jan 2025