Neapolitan Layer Cake Recipes

NEAPOLITAN NESQUIK® LAYER CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour three 9-inch round cake pans.
• Combine sugar and butter in a bowl and cream using an electric mixer until light and fluffy, scraping down the sides and blending for a total of 5 minutes. Add egg yolks slowly, 1 at a time, beating into creamed butter mixture. Beat in vanilla extract.
• Sift flour, baking powder, and 1 pinch salt together in a separate bowl. Add to creamed sugar mixture in 3 batches, alternating with milk and blending after each addition. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and blend for 1 minute more; batter should be smooth and consistent. Separate batter evenly into 3 mixing bowls, about 2 1/2 cups in each.
• Beat egg whites and remaining salt together in a bowl using a whip attachment until stiff peaks form.
• Fold 1/3 of the whipped egg whites into 1 bowl of batter and pour into a prepared cake pan for the vanilla layer.
• Fold 1/3 of the whipped egg whites and chocolate-flavored milk powder into another bowl of batter. Pour into another prepared cake pan for the chocolate layer.
• Fold remaining 1/3 of the whipped egg whites, strawberry-flavored milk powder, and red food coloring into remaining bowl of batter. Pour into the remaining prepared cake pan for the strawberry layer.
• Bake cake layers in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center of each comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool for about 15 minutes before flipping layers onto a wire rack to cool to room temperature, 20 to 30 minutes more.
• Combine cream cheese, butter, and shortening in a bowl and cream together until smooth. Scrape down the bowl and add confectioners' sugar. Blend until frosting is smooth.
• Assemble and frost the cooled cake layers and decorate as you please.

NEAPOLITAN LAYER CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to gas 4, 180C, fan 160°C Grease and line 3 x 18cm round tins. In a blender, puree 100g of the strawberries, then remove the pips by passing through a fine sieve. Set aside.
• Using an electric hand whisk, beat 180g of the butter until smooth. Add the caster sugar and 1tsp vanilla extract and beat until light and fluffy, then beat in half the buttermilk. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well, then fold through the flour and bicarbonate of soda. Stir in the remaining buttermilk.
• Divide the batter between 3 bowls. Fold the melted chocolate into one bowl, and 1tsp vanilla extract into the second. Mix the strawberry puree and pink food colour into the third. Pour the batters into the 3 lined tins. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until a skewer comes out clean.
• To make the buttercream, whisk together the icing sugar, remaining butter, vanilla extract and 6tbsp milk, until of a smooth spreading consistency. Add an extra 1tbsp milk if necessary.
• Level the sponges using a serrated knife, then sandwich the cakes together by spreading 200g buttercream between each layer, with the chocolate sponge on the base, the vanilla sponge in the middle and the strawberry sponge at the top.
• Using a knife, coat the cake with the remaining buttercream. Sweep around the cake with a palette knife held at a 45 degree angle to remove the excess icing and reveal the sponge beneath. Decorate with the grated chocolate and remaining strawberries, and add bunting.

NEAPOLITAN CONFETTI CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pans). Grease bottoms and sides of 3 (9-inch) round cake pans with shortening; lightly flour.
• In small bowl, mix flour, baking powder and salt. In medium bowl, stir milk, vanilla, almond extract and egg whites with whisk until well blended. In large bowl, beat butter and sugar with electric mixer on medium speed 5 minutes or until light and fluffy. Add flour mixture alternately with milk mixture, beating on low speed after each addition just until smooth.
• Pour one-third of the batter (about 3 1/4 cups) into 1 cake pan. In small bowl, mix one-third of batter, the strawberries and desired amount of pink food color. Pour into second cake pan. Stir melted chocolate into remaining batter. Pour into remaining cake pan.
• Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove cakes from pans to cooling racks. Cool completely, about 1 hour.
• In large bowl, stir frosting and jam until blended and smooth. Mix in desired amount of pink food color until blended.
• Brush off all loose crumbs from cake layers. Place chocolate cake layer, bottom side up, on serving plate; spread with about 1 cup frosting. Top with white cake layer, bottom side down; spread with about 1 cup frosting. Top with strawberry cake layer, bottom side down. Spread very thin layer of frosting on side of cake to seal in crumbs. Spread remaining frosting on side and top of cake.
• Sprinkle work surface with powdered sugar. On work surface, knead chocolate fondant 8 to 10 times. Roll fondant to 1/8-inch thickness. Cut out 3/4-inch rounds, 1-inch rounds and 1 1/4-inch rounds with assorted cutters. Place on cake. On work surface, knead pink paste food color into 3 oz of the white fondant until desired shade of pink. Roll fondant to 1/8-inch thickness. Cut out 3/4-inch rounds, 1-inch rounds and 1 1/4-inch rounds. Repeat with remaining 3 oz white fondant and pink paste food color until pale pink. Cut out assorted rounds. Place on cake.