Neapolitan Cake

This three-layered Neapolitan cake is absolutely gorgeous. You are going to use a stand mixer to make this cake but you can also use an electric hand mixer, and that will work well too. Add in your room temperature butter so it can whip better. Turn your machine on medium-high speed and let them whip until they are light and pale in color, around three to four minutes. Once nice and soft, crack in your eggs one at a time and let it mix until fully incorporated. You want to do this slowly so your mix doesn’t curdle. Add in a pinch of salt a and a little bit of vanilla extract, turn your machine off and add in the self-raising flour and all you want to do is mix that until it’s just combined. Then you are going to add in a splash of milk to lighten the batter.

Take your batter off the machine and divide them into three bowls. A Neapolitan cake is a chocolate, strawberry, and vanilla. Into one bowl, you are going to add a little bit of strawberry puree and then mix that in. That will turn a nice red color but you can add more depending on how you like your cake. Into the second bowl, you are going to add in some cocoa powder and that is going to make a rich dark in color. Give that a good mix up. Those are the three layers and you are going to get them into your prepared tins. Add the cake batter into each tin separately and bake them at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for around 20 to 25 minutes. Once baked, let your cakes cool down completely before decorating them.

Take your chocolate frosting on your first layer of the chocolate cake, the chocolate cake is going to be the base then build up strawberry and vanilla on top. So just a nice layer all around. Next is the strawberry layer cake and you are going to add the strawberry frosting then the vanilla cake. Once done, spread a layer of buttercream all around the cake then pop that into the fridge for about half an hour and let the layer set. Cut the Neapolitan ake and enjoy.!

Ingredients;

• 1 1/2 cups (12oz/360g) butter, at room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups (12oz/360g) sugar
• 6 large eggs, at room temperature
• 2 1/2 cups (12oz/360g) Self Raising flour
• 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 4 tablespoons milk
• 1/2 cup (21/2oz/75g) strawberries, pureed and strained
• 1/4 cup (10z/30g) cocoa powder

Frosting;

• 1 batch crazy vanilla frosting
• 1/2 cup (5oz/150g) strawberry puree
• 1/4 cup (1oz/30g) cocoa powder

Instructions;

1. First, prepare your strawberry puree by blending 1/2 cup of fresh or frozen strawberries in a food processor.
2. Transfer puree to a strainer and sieve to remove the seeds then aside.
3. Next, make your sponge cake batter: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, butter and line the base of the pan.
4. Using an electric whisk or stand mixer, beat the butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy.
5. Next add in the eggs in one at a time and whisk, scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition.
6. Add in the vanilla and salt and continue mixing.
7. Turn the machine down low and add in the self-raising flour and milk, and mix until just combined.
8. Divide the mixture evenly between 3 bowls. Flavor one with the strawberry puree, and one with the cocoa powder and leave the other as is.
9. Once the additional flavorings are fully incorporated pour each flavor into one of the lined cake tins.
10. Bake the cakes for 25-30 minutes, until a skewer inserted into the middle of each cake comes out clean.
11. Once cooled remove the cakes from their tins and leave to cool completely on a wire rack.
12. Once the cakes have completely cooled transfer one layer to a cake stand or serving plate.
13. Frost the first layer with the corresponding frosting flavor then place the next layer on top and repeat with its corresponding flavor of frosting until all 3 layers are complete.
14. Next using an offset spatula take 1/4 of the vanilla crazy frosting and frost the outside of the cake lightly to create the crumb layer.
15. Next, take the remaining crazy frosting and divide into 3.
16. Flavor one with the strawberry puree, one with cocoa powder and leave one as is.
17. Fill 3 piping bags fitted with a round tip or no tip at all.
18. Using the first flavor of frosting frost the bottom 1/3 of the cake with 1 flavor of frosting.
19. Using a method called pulled dot, dot the butter cream and pull with a spatula.
20. Frost the remaining 2/3 of the cake until the whole thing is complete.
21. This cake can be covered and stored at room temperature for up to 3 days.