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Neapolitan Cake

Neapolitan Cake

Few desserts capture nostalgia and wow‑factor quite like a Neapolitan Cake, bringing together real strawberry, vanilla, and chocolate layers with dreamy buttercreams in a bakery‑quality, beginner‑friendly recipe.
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Prep Time 45 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
0 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Servings: 12 slices
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 260
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Dry ingredients
  • 1⅔ cups all‑purpose flour sifted
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • ¼ tsp baking soda heaping
  • 1 tsp baking powder heaping
Wet ingredients
  • ¾ cup unsalted butter room temperature
  • 3 egg whites room temperature
  • ½ cup sour cream room temperature
  • ½ cup milk whole milk
Flavor enhancers
  • 2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder for chocolate layer
  • 6 oz strawberries for reduction, sliced
  • 3 tbsp lemon juice
Buttercream
  • 1 cup unsalted butter softened
  • 3 lb confectioners’ sugar sifted
  • 2 tbsp vanilla extract
  • ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder for chocolate buttercream
  • 2 tbsp strained strawberry preserves
  • 1 splash whole milk to adjust consistency
  • to taste pink food coloring optional

Method
 

  1. Combine sliced strawberries and lemon juice in a saucepan over medium heat. Mash and simmer for 10 minutes, then strain through a fine mesh sieve. Refrigerate until thickened.
  2. Preheat oven to 350 °F (175 °C). Grease and flour three 6‑inch pans. Sift dry ingredients together, whisk wet ingredients separately, then combine until just mixed.
  3. Split batter into three bowls. To one add cocoa powder, to another add ¾ of chilled strawberry reduction, and leave one plain for vanilla.
  4. Bake vanilla & chocolate layers for ~30 minutes; strawberry may need extra 5–8 minutes. Test doneness with a toothpick, then cool completely.
  5. Beat softened butter 5 minutes until fluffy. Gradually add sugar, vanilla and a splash of milk. Divide into three portions: vanilla, chocolate (with cocoa), and strawberry (with reduction & coloring).
  6. Pipe alternating rings of buttercream onto bottom layer, stack, apply crumb coat and chill. Then pipe rows of petals or rosettes around cake for decoration.
  7. Serve chilled or at room temperature. Use a hot knife for clean cuts. Store in an airtight container in the fridge up to 5 days; freeze unfrosted layers up to 2 months.

Notes

Room‑temperature ingredients help even baking. Use high‑quality cocoa and real strawberries. Beet juice can substitute food coloring. Cake layers and buttercream can be made ahead.