Neapolitan Cake
Let’s talk neapolitan ice cream. Yay or nay? I was seriously terrified of neapolitan ice cream when I was a kid. I would only entertain vanilla or chocolate as possible ice cream options, so if I was at a birthday party and someone whipped out a carton of neapolitan, I had a legit meltdown. You could scoop me the chocolate and/or vanilla, but oh my goodness, if you got even a speck of strawberry into my ice cream, I lost my mind. I don’t know why I was so opposed to strawberry; I’ve always loved strawberries! However, something about strawberry ice cream just didn’t seem right to my little mind.
Of course, I eventually got over it (fresh strawberry ice cream is now one of my favorites!). So over it, in fact, that I made an entire cake based on the neapolitan flavors.
To say that this cake was a labor of love is a massive understatement. I had seen some neapolitan cakes online, but they all consisted of cake from a box mix, and freezing the other half, neither of which I wanted to do. So, off to create single-layer cakes for each flavor. Trust me when I tell you that this was easier said that done. Over the course of three days, I must have made 9 or 10 different cakes, trying to get them just right.
The good news? It finally happened, and if you like strawberry, chocolate and vanilla, you are going to go bonkers over this cake. I thought that the flavors would be perfect for a fancy-pants Mother’s Day cake, and decided it needed some fancy-pants frosting work, as well.
I remembered seeing a ruffle cake online and definitely felt that a frilly finish was perfect for Mother’s Day. I mirrored the cake layers with the frosting on the outside, going with strawberry, then chocolate, then vanilla. It makes for a super impressive cake and is a lot less difficult than I imagined (albeit a bit time consuming).
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I describe in the instructions below how to achieve this look, but I also had my Chief Culinary Consultant take a short video of me while I was frosting the cake to give you a visual:
I’m so glad that I’ve grown up enough to appreciate the combination of strawberry, chocolate and vanilla.
We’ll just ignore all of my other weird food tendencies ;-)
One year ago: Vanilla Bean Ice Cream
Two years ago: Strawberry Cream Cheese Crumble Tart
Four years ago: Toffee Pretzel Bark
Neapolitan Cake
Ingredients
For the Strawberry Cake Layer:
- ⅓ cup (81.33 ml) whole milk
- ⅓ cup (113.33 g) strawberry jam
- 3 egg whites, at room temperature
- ½ teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) strawberry extract, optional
- 4¾ ounces (134.66 g) all-purpose flour, approximately 1¼ cups
- 6 ounces (170.1 g) granulated sugar, approximately ⅔ cup
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) salt
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into cubes
- Red or pink food coloring, optional
For the Chocolate Cake Layer:
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- ¾ cup (93.75 g) + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- ⅓ cup (28.67 g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- ¾ teaspoon (0.75 teaspoon) baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon (0.75 teaspoon) baking soda
- ½ teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) salt
- 1 egg
- ½ cup (122 ml) whole milk
- ¼ cup (54.5 ml) vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup (125 ml) boiling water
For the White Cake Layer:
- ½ cup (122 ml) whole milk, at room temperature
- 3 egg whites, at room temperature
- 1½ teaspoons (1.5 teaspoons) vanilla extract
- 1 cup (125 g) + 2 tablespoons cake flour
- ¾ cup (150 g) + 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) salt
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened but still cool, cut into small cubes
For the Vanilla Frosting:
- 1½ cups (340.5 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 3¾ cups (450 g) powdered sugar
- 3 tablespoons heavy cream
- 4½ tablespoons (4.5 tablespoons) vanilla extract
For the Strawberry Frosting:
- 1 cup (227 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 2½ cups (300 g) powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons strawberry jam
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) strawberry extract, optional
- Red food coloring
For the Chocolate Frosting:
- 1 cup (227 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 2½ cups (300 g) powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 ounces (113.4 g) semisweet chocolate, melted and cooled
Instructions
- Make the Strawberry Cake Layer: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease one 8-inch round cake pan, line the bottom with a round of parchment paper, grease the parchment, then flour the inside of the pan, tapping out excess; set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the milk, jam, eggs and extract (if using); set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, mix the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt on low speed to combine. With the mixer still on low speed, add the butter and combine until the mixture resembles coarse sand, about 1 to 2 minutes. Add two-thirds of the milk mixture to the flour mixture and beat at medium speed for 1½ minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the remaining milk mixture and beat for 30 seconds. Scrape down the bowl again and beat on high for another 20 seconds. With the mixer on low add a few drops of food coloring until the desired color is reached (I used 8 drops of red food coloring.)
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for 20 minutes, then turn the cake out onto a wire rack to cool completely..
- Make the Chocolate Cake Layer: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease one 8-inch round cake pan, line the bottom with a round of parchment paper, grease the parchment, then flour the inside of the pan, tapping out excess; set aside.
- Whisk together the sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in large bowl. Add the egg, milk, oil and vanilla; beat on medium speed for 2 minutes. Add the boiling water and mix on medium-low speed until combined (batter will be thin). Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
- Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool for 20 minutes, then turn the cake out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
- Make the White Cake Layer: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease one 8-inch round cake pan, line the bottom with a round of parchment paper, grease the parchment, then flour the inside of the pan, tapping out excess; set aside.
- Whisk together the milk, egg whites and vanilla extract in a medium bowl; set aside.
- Mix the cake flour, sugar, baking powder and salt with an electric mixer on low speed until combined. Add the butter and continue beating on low until the mixture resembles coarse sand, 1 to 2 minutes.
- Add all but ¼ cup of the milk mixture to flour mixture and beat at medium speed for 1½ minutes. Add the remaining milk mixture and beat for an additional minute.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 27 to 35 minutes. Cool for 20 minutes, then turn the cake out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
- Make the Vanilla Frosting: Using the wire whisk attachment of your stand mixer, whip the butter on medium-high speed for 5 minutes, stopping to scrape the bowl once or twice. Reduce the speed to low and gradually add the powdered sugar. Once all of the powdered sugar is incorporated, increase the speed to medium-high and add the vanilla, mixing until incorporated. Whip at medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes, scraping the bowl as needed.
- Make the Strawberry Frosting: Using the wire whisk attachment of your stand mixer, whip the butter on medium-high speed for 5 minutes, stopping to scrape the bowl once or twice. Reduce the speed to low and gradually add the powdered sugar. Once all of the powdered sugar is incorporated, mix in the strawberry jam, heavy cream, vanilla extract and strawberry extract (if using), then increase the speed to medium-high and whip at medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes, scraping the bowl as needed.
- Make the Chocolate Frosting: Using the wire whisk attachment of your stand mixer, whip the butter on medium-high speed for 5 minutes, stopping to scrape the bowl once or twice. Reduce the speed to low and gradually add the powdered sugar. Once all of the powdered sugar is incorporated, increase the speed to medium-high and add the heavy cream and vanilla, mixing until incorporated. Add the melted chocolate and whip at medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes, scraping the bowl as needed to incorporate all of the chocolate.
- Assemble the Cake: Place the strawberry cake layer on a serving plate and spread with about ½ cup of the strawberry frosting. Top with the chocolate cake layer and spread with ½ cup of the chocolate frosting. Top with the white cake layer and apply a crumb coat to the entire cake. Refrigerate until the crumb coat has set, about 30 minutes.
- Frost the Cake: Fit three separate pastry bags with a #103 decorating tip. Fill each bag separately with the strawberry, chocolate and vanilla frosting. Starting with the strawberry frosting, hold the bag vertically, with the tip perpendicular to cake; use a swift back-and-forth motion 1-inch wide to make the ruffle, moving up the side of the cake as you go, going up about one-third of the way up the cake. Continue around the entire cake, then repeat with the chocolate, then the vanilla. Use the same technique to make a ruffle design on the top of the cake.
- The cake can be kept at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 4 days. It can also be frozen, with slices wrapped individually, for up to 1 month.
Notes
Did you make this recipe?
Leave a review below, then snap a picture and tag @thebrowneyedbaker on Instagram so I can see it!
I made 2 of these this afternoon, I figured might as well, doesn’t take much more work to make two, and I’ll bring one to the office tomorrow to make Monday a little bit less…Monday. ThIs was a lot of fun to make, and it’s just such so visually pleasing. Just looking at it gives you joy:) and yes, it is delish:)
I just wanted to thank you for this recipe! My son requested a neapolitan cake for his birthday, and like you i couldn’t find any that didn’t start with a mix. I was so happy to find your site- the cake turned out beautifully and everyone loved it! They thought I bought it from a professional bakery :-)
Hi there
This cake look totally amazing- do you have the ingredients converted for the uk please?
How many cupcakes would each cake batter recipie make?
Hi Adriana, You should get about 12 cupcakes from each cake batter recipe.
I really loved how the whole cake turned out but i wanted the strawberry cake to taste a little stronger than it did. If i added some more strawberry extract or starwberry jam would it completely ruin the recipie?
Hi Adriana, I would add more extract, not more jam.
Can i use a 9 inch cake pan rather than 8 inch?
Yes, but the baking time will need to be reduced a bit.
This cake looks amazing. I like the combination of flavors. But it looks like too much work in a day. So what can be prepared ahead. Can I prepare the frosting a day or two ahead and refrigerate it?
Yes, you can do that, you will just need to re-whip it again before you’re ready to frost your cake. You could make the cake layers a day or two in advance and wrap well in plastic wrap once cool.
Made this cake and it looked great. Really enjoyed the cakes themselves. Not so much the frosting but it’s just personal taste ;) Thanks again!
I made this cake and it turned out incredible! Looked beautiful and tasted delicious!
Can I do the strawberry cake with raspberries?
Hi Amelie, Yes, just use raspberry jam. Enjoy!
I made this cake this weekend for a family dinner along with Neapolitan ice cream (also used your recipes). Turned out great and were a big hit. I did have a little denser white cake, but the other two worked out perfectly). Could the density have come from too soft of butter. Your directions say, soft, but still slightly cool. I may have had room temp soft. Is it possible that’s my culprit? Otherwise I’m not sure what I did wrong.
Hi Erik, I’m so happy you enjoyed this cake! The butter may have done it, but I find white cake to be completely finicky (not my favorite thing to bake!).
Made this cake for Mother’s Day. It was wonderful! Will keep this one to pass down to the generations! Thanks for posting it!
OMG
GORGEOUS cake! Perfect job frosting it!
the frosting……. cue gasp. This is a mightly effort and now i’m drooling.
looks great :)
http://www.dancingthroughsunday.typepad.com
Looks very delicious! I like Neapolitan but like the vanilla and strawberry better.
As soon as I saw this cake, I knew I had to make it for myself for Mother’s Day. Yes, I’m that kind of person – don’t want to leave my Mother’s day dessert to chance! Anyway, I made the cake last night with the plan of finishing it today. However, while the strawberry layer turned out perfect the first time around, both the vanilla and chocolate layers were disasters! They overflowed the 9 inch pans baked them in and ended up with huge craters in the middle. So I tried again today. The chocolate layer cratered again, but I just cut and fitted the two chocolate layers together so they’d look like the other two. The vanilla turned out fine, and I think it’s because I used 1 1/2 t baking powder instead of 2 as it called for. I’m at a high elevation and, while I never make adjustments (that’s just how I roll), apparently some were needed in this case. The frosting is delicious and since I’ve tasted cake scraps from my multiple layer attempts, I know the finished product is going to be fantastic! The frosting wasn’t too hard – at first I was doubtful that mine would look as nice as yours, but it really came together nicely.
Bottom line: I can’t wait to eat this tomorrow, it looks amazing, and if you’re at higher altitude, you might want to adjust the leavening.
I should add that I used fresh strawberries instead of jam for both the cake and the frosting – just blended them up with a bit of sugar. No extract. I haven’t tasted the strawberry cake layer yet (since it worked the first time :) but the frosting was really good – much more fresh strawberry flavor than I expected (I might have used close to 4 T of puree).
Such a beautiful cake, Michelle! Sometimes complicated desserts like this are the best – fun to make and such a treat to eat.
So pretty! As far as Neapolitan ice cream, for me, nay. I don’t like mixing my flavors like that. My husband has been trying to get me to agree to get Neapolitan ice cream for years but I’m always resistant and, since he’s opposed to buying more than one carton at a time, he misses out.
I love the neapolitan flavor combination, and this cake looks so beautiful! It looks like it must’ve taken hours just to decorate — you did such a great job!
Impressive! I may just have to try this for a special occasion.
Wow, the cake is stunning! Your photos are flawless – love this post!!
This is stunningly beautiful!! Way too much work for me, I’m too lazy to do all those steps , haha, but I’m sure impressed with it’s beauty!!! Great job!
This is an amazingly beautiful cake!! Such the perfect idea :)
Gorgeous! Love the ruffle video, so helpful.
Blast from the past! I haven’t thought about Neapolitan ice cream in forever. Thanks for bringing it back. This cake is beautiful.
Well done – that’s one gorgeous cake! Above my skill level.
Michelle that just looks so yummy you are great this is a lovely cake creation well thanks for sharing the recipe, the piping wow can see my self with a slice on Mother’s Day.
Such a beautiful cake, your layers are perfect!
“Neapolitan ice cream. Yay or nay?” That question should be illegal! This looks so delicious ^^ Beautiful icing and beautiful pictures too. Great job :)