Description
This Neapolitan cake recipe takes its inspiration from the classic Italian ice cream combination, which itself has roots in 19th-century Naples. The beauty of this cake lies not just in its visual appeal but in the way each layer brings something different to every bite. The chocolate layer provides deep, rich cocoa flavor that grounds the entire cake. The vanilla layer offers a sweet, pure taste that acts as a flavor bridge. The strawberry layer adds a fruity brightness that cuts through the richness and keeps each bite feeling fresh and exciting.
What makes this homemade Neapolitan cake truly special is the gradient of pink buttercream frosting on the outside, paired with those beautiful piped swirls on top. The decoration might look professionally done, but I promise you, with a little patience and the right technique, anyone can achieve these results. The key is in the assembly and taking your time with the frosting.
The cake itself is wonderfully moist and tender, with a fine crumb that holds together beautifully when sliced. Each layer maintains its distinct flavor while complementing the others perfectly. Whether you’re celebrating a birthday, anniversary, or just want to bring some joy to your dessert table, this Neapolitan cake delivers both on taste and presentation.
Ingredients
Ingredients for Your Homemade Neapolitan Cake
cake layers:
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1½ cups whole milk, room temperature
flavoring the layers:
- ¼ cup Dutch-process cocoa powder (for chocolate layer)
- 2 tablespoons hot water (for chocolate layer)
- ½ cup strawberry puree (for strawberry layer)
- Pink gel food coloring (for strawberry layer)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste (for vanilla layer)
buttercream frosting:
- 2 cups (4 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
- 8 cups powdered sugar
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
- Cocoa powder for chocolate buttercream
- Strawberry puree and pink food coloring for pink buttercream
- Vanilla extract for vanilla buttercream
decoration:
- Macarons in coordinating colors (optional)
- Fresh strawberries
- Chocolate spheres or candies
Instructions
Preparing Your Kitchen
Before you start this Neapolitan cake recipe, prepare three 8-inch round cake pans by greasing them thoroughly with butter and lining the bottoms with parchment paper circles. I also like to dust the sides with flour, tapping out the excess. This extra step ensures your layers release perfectly. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and position your oven racks so you can bake all three layers at once if possible, or be prepared to bake in batches.
Making the Base Batter
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. In your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or using a hand mixer), cream the softened butter and sugar together on medium-high speed for about 4-5 minutes. The mixture should become light, fluffy, and pale in color. This step is crucial for creating that perfect cake texture in your Neapolitan cake.
Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. The mixture might look slightly curdled after the eggs are added – don’t worry, this is normal. Beat in the vanilla extract. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture in three additions, alternating with the milk in two additions, beginning and ending with the flour. Mix just until combined after each addition. Overmixing at this stage will result in a tough cake.
Dividing and Flavoring
Now comes the fun part! Divide your batter equally among three bowls. I use a kitchen scale for accuracy, but eyeballing it works fine too. Each bowl should have approximately 2⅓ cups of batter.
For the chocolate layer, mix the cocoa powder with hot water to create a smooth paste, then fold it gently into one bowl of batter until no streaks remain. Pour this into one prepared pan.
For the strawberry layer, fold the strawberry puree into the second bowl of batter, then add a few drops of pink gel food coloring until you achieve a beautiful pink hue. The strawberry puree will thin the batter slightly, which is perfect. Pour into the second pan.
The vanilla layer is simplest – just fold in the vanilla bean paste to the third bowl and pour into the last pan.
Baking Your Neapolitan Cake Layers
Bake all three layers for 28-32 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs. The tops should spring back when lightly pressed. Let the cakes cool in their pans for 10 minutes, then turn them out onto wire racks to cool completely. This cooling step is essential – trying to frost warm cake is a recipe for disaster in any Neapolitan cake recipe.
Once cooled, I like to wrap each layer in plastic wrap and chill them for at least an hour, or even overnight. Cold cake layers are much easier to work with and less likely to crumble during assembly.