neapolitan cake

Neapolitan Mini Bundt Cakes

Namaste Foods Organic All Purpose Baking Mix (Make sure to measure your cups accurately.)

tsp baking soda

tsp xanthan gum

+ 1 tbsp granulated sugar

Grapeseed Oil

Egg (room temperature)

coconut milk

apple cider vinegar

cocoa powder

vanilla

enjoy life mini chocolate chips

tsp coconut milk

sugar

strawberry flavoring

Say hello to tasty and cute! This Neapolitan Cake has strawberry, vanilla, and chocolate cake batters swirled together for an ice cream parlor-themed treat. I used four 6-inch round cake pans, but three 8-inch pans could be used instead. The cake batter recipe is adapted from Rebecca Sutterby’s White Almond Sour Cream Cake, which uses a box of white cake mix as an ingredient. Unlike her recipe, I use no cooking oil in my version. The texture is still moist and soft with a slightly sturdier crumb. You can use any brand boxed cake mix you prefer.The ice cream decors pictured are made with the multicolor cones from Mellow Cones candies. I removed the marshmallow candy topping and piped in a Neapolitan buttercream swirl (see blog post for shopping link). If you can’t find Mellow Cones, use miniature ice cream cones, which can be found at most US grocery stores next to the ice cream toppings.

Neapolitan Cake

all-purpose flour

white cake mix (16.25 oz.)

salt

sour cream

water

eggs

vanilla extract

McCormick strawberry extract

neon pink gel food color (such as Chefmaster)

unsweet dark cocoa powder (sifted)

fine grain salt

unsalted butter

pink soft gel food color (such as Chefmaster)

semisweet chocolate chips (melted and cooled slightly)

ice cream cones (or the cones from Mellow Cones candies)

white nonpareils

bright pink candy melting wafers (about 1/2 bag)

white candy melting wafers

heavy cream

strawberry candy flavoring oil (such as Lorann)

pink jimmies

Preheat oven to 350F. Coat four 6-inch round cake pans with flour-based baking spray (or grease and flour pans).

Whisk together the first 4 ingredients in the bowl of an electric mixer. In a four-cup measure with a pour spout, whisk together the sour cream, water, eggs and vanilla extract. With the mixer running on low speed, gradually pour the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients. Scrape the bowl down and mix again. Divide the cake evenly between 3 bowls.

To the first bowl, add the strawberry extract and pink food color; mix well.

To the second bowl, stir in the dark cocoa powder and water. Mix until the chocolate is incorporated and the color is consistent with no white streaks remaining.

Leave the third bowl untinted.

Place dollops of each flavor of cake batter alternately into each prepared cake pan (or pipe them in as I did, see video for action). Use a butter knife or another blunt kitchen tool to swirl the batters together.

Bake for 25- 30 minutes, or until the cake springs back in the center when pressed. Turn the cakes out and cool completely on a wire rack. Level the cakes using a serrated knife or cake leveler.

Marbled Neapolitan cake layers

Place a saucepan filled 1/3 full of water over medium heat. Bring to a simmer.

In a large stainless-steel bowl, combine the egg whites, sugar, and salt. Set the bowl over the simmering water and cook while whisking intermittently. Cook until the mixture is hot (110°F) and you can no longer feel sugar granules when the mixture is rubbed between your finger and thumb. Transfer the hot mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on high speed for 10 minutes or until a thick, shiny meringue forms that holds stiff peaks. The bowl should feel cool to the touch. If it doesn’t, refrigerate the meringue in the bowl for 10 minutes. Return the bowl to the mixer and swap the whisk attachment for the paddle attachment.

Beat the room temperature butter into the meringue one cube at a time on medium-low speed, waiting to add the next cube when the previous cube disappears. The batter will deflate with the butter addition, and may even look curdled (if the butter was the slightest bit cold this happens), but this is normal. When all of the butter is added, beat the mixture on high speed until light in color and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Beat in the vanilla extract.

Remove 1 cup of buttercream to a bowl and cover; reserve for later.

Place a cake layer on a cake board or server. Fill with a thin layer of buttercream. Repeat steps with remaining cake layers. Coat the sides of the cake with an even layer of buttercream. Use a bench scraper or cake smoother to even the surface and smooth the top. Chill the cake until firm, about 20 minutes.

Divide the reserved 1 cup of icing between 3 small bowls (1/3 cup each bowl).

To the first bowl, add the pink food color and strawberry extract. Mix well to combine.

To the second bowl, add the melted chocolate chips and stir well. Leave the third bowl plain.

Place a sheet of plastic wrap on a work surface. Place a line of strawberry buttercream on the plastic in an approximate 6-inch line. Place a line of chocolate frosting next to the strawberry so that it touches. Place the vanilla frosting next to the chocolate in the same way. Roll the frosting up into a tube shape (see video for action) and twist the ends. Snip one end of the tube and place it cut-side-first into a piping bag fitted with a large open star decorator tip.

On a piece of scrap parchment paper, or a paper towel, pipe 2-3 small swirls of frosting until all three colors begin to extrude from the piping tip.

Swiss meringue buttercream

Stand the miniature ice cream cones upright in small shot glasses.

Pipe swirls of the Neapolitan frosting into the miniature ice cream cones; top each with white nonpareils. Refrigerate until set, about 10 minutes.

Mini ice cream decors

Place the pink and white melting wafers in a microwave-safe bowl. Pour in the heavy cream. Heat the mixture for 1 minute at 100% power. Let the mixture stand 1 minute then whisk together. Stir in the strawberry flavoring oil. Let cool until barely warm but still pourable, about 7 minutes.

Remove the chilled cake from the refrigerator and spoon the strawberry ganache drip over the top of the cake. You may not have to use all of the ganache, depending on how heavy a drip you desire (I used about 3/4 of the mixture).

Strawberry ganache drip

Place the ice cream cones on top of the ganached cake with the pointed ends meeting in the center of the cake. Toss pink sprinkles and white nonpareils onto the sides and top of the cake.

Refrigerate the cake until 1-2 hours before serving. Allow cake to come to room temperature before serving for the best flavor and texture.

Decorate!

Prepare to be delighted by this drool-worthy Neapolitan Ice Cream Cake! It features a moist chocolate cake layer, sweet strawberry ice cream, refreshing vanilla bean ice cream and a light whipped cream topping.

Neapolitan Ice Cream Cake

(130 grams) all-purpose flour

(207 grams) sugar

+ 2 tbsp (43 grams) natural unsweetened cocoa powder

(120 milliliters) buttermilk

(120 milliliters) vegetable oil

tsp vanilla extract

(120 milliliters) boiling water

oz cream cheese, room temperature

(104 grams) sugar

tbsp milk

tsp strawberry extract

oz Cool Whip, thawed (or homemade whipped cream)

red food coloring

vanilla bean paste

(180 milliliters) heavy whipping cream, cold

(58 grams) powdered sugar

Put all dry ingredients in a large bowl and whisk together.

Add eggs, buttermilk and vegetable oil to the dry ingredients and mix until smooth.

Add vanilla to boiling water and add to mixture.

Pour into one 8-inch pan and bake 40-42 minutes.

Remove from oven and let cool for 5-10 minutes in pans, then remove to cooling rack to finish cooling.

Once cooled, cut off cake dome with a long serrated knife.

Make the Chocolate Cake

Once the cake has cooled, make the strawberry ice cream. Combine the cream cheese and sugar in the bowl of a mixer until smooth. Add the milk and strawberry extract and mix until completely combined.

Fold in the cool whip and food color, then set aside.

To make the vanilla ice cream, combine the cream cheese and sugar in the bowl of a mixer until smooth. Add the milk, vanilla bean paste and vanilla extract and mix until completely combined.

Make the Strawberry &amp; Vanilla Ice Creams

Line the sides of an 8-inch springform pan with parchment paper. The parchment paper should stick up above the top edge of the pan, since the cake will probably be a little taller than your pan. If you want, put a cardboard cake circle in the bottom of the pan. You should be using the same 8-inch pan you used for the cake. Not all 8-inch pans are exactly the same size. Your cake needs to fit in this pan.

Put the chocolate cake in the bottom of your pan.

Top cake with the strawberry ice cream and spread into an even layer.

Carefully add vanilla ice cream and spread into an even layer.

Allow ice cream cake to freeze completely, 6-8 hours.

When frozen, remove cake from springform pan and remove parchment paper from sides.

To make icing, put mixing bowl and whisk attachment in freezer for about 10 minutes.

Remove bowl and whisk from freezer and whip cream on high until it begins to thicken.

Add vanilla extract and powdered sugar and whip on high until thick and creamy.

Make the Icing &amp; Assemble

A delicious chocolate, strawberry and vanilla cake.

all purpose flour (213 grams)

sugar (200 grams)

baking soda (heaping)

baking powder (heaping)

butter (176 grams, unsalted, room temperature)

milk

cocoa

strawberries (sliced,

lemon juice

lb confectioners sugar

unsalted butter (225 grams, room temperature)

strawberry preserves

Pink food coloring

Add hulled strawberries and lemon juice to a saucepan over medium heat.

After the mixture heats up for a few minutes, mash the strawberries then allow to simmer for about 10 minutes.

Strain mixture into a bowl. Cover and chill for another 10-15 minutes.

For the Strawberry Reduction:

Sift the dry ingredients together in a large bowl.

Mix the wet ingredients together in a medium bowl.

Add the wet to the dry and mix until just combined.

Divide the mixture into 3 bowls.

Add the cocoa powder to one batch and mix.

Add the 3/4 of the strawberry reduction to the second batch and mix.

Transfer the three batters into three 6″ cake pans, which have been buttered and floured.

Bake at 350 degrees F for about 30 minutes or until the centers are springy to the touch. Let the strawberry layer bake 5-8 minutes longer. Test with a toothpick.

For the Cake:

Whip the butter for about 5 minutes using a paddle attachment (stand-up mixer).

Beat in the confectioner’s sugar slowly.

Add the cream and vanilla. Beat until you have an even, fluffy consistency.

Dive buttercream into 3 parts.

Transfer one vanilla batch to a piping bag and snip off the tip.

For the Chocolate Buttercream:

Mix cocoa into one batch of buttercream.

Transfer to a piping bag and snip off the tip.

For the Strawberry Buttercream:

Add the rest of the strawberry mixture to a buttercream batch.

Add in a few drops of pink food coloring if you want the color to be more vibrant.

Mix together until desired consistency.

For the Buttercreams:

Pipe alternating circles between each layer with each buttercream bag.

Add layers

Pipe and smooth out a crumb coat on the outside of the cake with an uneven spatula.

Pipe out petals around the entire cake. Stay consistent with the size of each petal.

For the Assembly:

A three layer Neapolitan Cake covered in vanilla buttercream.

230 grams (1 cup or 2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

200 grams (1 cup) caster sugar or granulated sugar

3 large eggs, room temperature

315 grams (2 and 1/4 cups) plain flour or all purpose flour

baking powder

240 ml (1 cup) full fat or whole milk

full fat sour cream

strawberry extract

Pink food gel or food colouring

cocoa powder, sifted

230 grams (1 cup or 2 sticks) butter, room temperature

vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste

625 grams (5 cups) icing sugar sugar

full fat

Assorted candy and chocolate*

Grease and line three 6-inch round baking pans. Preheat oven to 180 C (350 F) standard / 160 C (320 F) fan-forced. In a large mixing bowl, add the butter, sugar and vanilla and beat with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy.

Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. Sift in flour, baking powder and salt. Add milk and sour cream and beat on a low speed until just combined. Don&#8217;t overmix.

Divide batter evenly into three. To one batter, add strawberry extract and a few drops of pink food gel and stir. To another, add the cocoa powder and extra milk and stir until smooth. Leave the final batter as is (that&#8217;s the vanilla layer).

Pour each batter into your three prepared cake tins. Bake cakes in the oven for approximately 30 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean. Carefully remove the cakes and set on a wire rack to cool completely.

To make frosting, beat butter with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy, then add the vanilla. Add icing sugar, one cup at a time. Add a tablespoon of milk as needed. Continue until you have used all the icing sugar and milk and the frosting is smooth and creamy.

Use a serrated knife or a cake trimmer to even the top of both cakes. Place one cake on a small cake board, then cover the top with buttercream. Place the second cake on top. Cover top with buttercream.

 Add third cake on top. Cover the entire cake, top and sides, with remaining buttercream. Use a cake scraper to remove excess buttercream on the sides.

Cover the top of the cake with your favourite candy and chocolates.

An absolute winner! Looks so fabulous and taste is spot on. I used your white choc frosting instead of the vanilla and used all of your decorative tips. So pleased with the result! Thank you  so very much!

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