Easy Neapolitan Cake Recipe
This easy Neapolitan cake recipe will not disappoint!
It’s a show stopper every time and the “oohs” and “ahhhs” from family and friends will have you feeling very proud for making it!
I don’t know about you, but I have sweet memories of eating neapolitan ice cream as a child. There was something particularly fun and exciting about opening the lid of the ice cream container to find three pretty coloured stripes, all in perfect unison. Surely if ice cream could look pretty and taste amazing with this flavour combination, then cake could too right? Right! Just wait ’till your tastes buds try this cake, all three layers in one mouthful (whoa).
If you’re curious about where Neapolitan flavoured ice cream came from (like I was), check out Cakespy’s post about it. She’s done her research.
I made this cake for my daughter’s 1st birthday and it was such a hit, I just had to share the recipe with you here. I also added some white chocolate drizzle just for fun.
WHAT IS A NEAPOLITAN CAKE MADE OF?
This easy Neapolitan cake is made up of layer upon layer of deliciousness.
It starts with chocolate cake and chocolate ganache buttercream
… then raspberry cake and raspberry buttercream that’s bursting with flavour
…this is then topped off with a layer of super soft and fluffy vanilla cake and vanilla bean buttercream.
Wholly-cake, somebody stop me. Please don’t.
There’s no possible way that this cake could be bad. Ever.
This cake is definitely a cake to pull out for a special occasion. I’ve been asked to make it for a wedding anniversary which I think will be perfect. But birthdays, afternoon tea parties, baby showers would all be very fitting too. It worked perfectly for my little girl’s 1st birthday!
READ THIS BEFORE BAKING THIS EASY NEAPOLITAN CAKE RECIPE
- Firstly, don’t be put put off by the loooong recipe below. Making this cake is not as hard/time consuming as you may think!
Basically you make one vanilla cake batter, divide it in half, bake one as normal and mix two tablespoons of raspberry puree (or jam) to the remaining batter and bake in another cake tin as normal.
- Then whilst those cakes are baking, you whip up the chocolate cake batter, spoon it into another tin (or wait for the other cakes to finish baking and then use one of those cake tins) and bake.
- As for the buttercream it’s very similar. I like to make one big base of vanilla buttercream, then divide it into three bowls and add two tablelspoons of chocolate ganache to one bowl, and two tablespoons of raspberry puree (or jam) to another along with a couple drops of red food colouring for a vibrant red colour. In the last bowl, I add some scraped vanilla beans for an extra vanilla hit.
If you need a recap on buttercream and how to make it the best way possible, head over here for a second.
- To assemble, I usually start with the chocolate base, pipe or spoon on the chocolate ganache buttercream, then repeat with the raspberry layer and lastly the vanilla layer with vanilla bean buttercream. But you can order it anyway you like (is there a rule with which order the colours are meant to be? I have no idea). My husband thinks that the vanilla should go in the middle so that every mouthful gets at least some of the chocolate or raspberry to go with the vanilla. Each to their own, I say.
DO I HAVE TO MAKE THE WHITE CHOCOLATE DRIZZLE?
Absolutely not! This easy Neapolitan cake recipe is great without the white chocolate drizzle too. Just simply leave it plain with buttercream or decorate however you like!
If you would like to give the drizzle ago but need some help with doing so, I explain all about applying drizzles in this post here.
Easy Neapolitan Cake Recipe
CHOCOLATE CAKE LAYER
125g (1 cup) plain flour
30g (1/4 cup) natural cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon instant coffee
56g (1/4 cup) butter, softened
150g (3/4 cup) castor sugar
2 tablespoons vegetable oil (e.g. canola, sunflower)
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
125mls (1/2 cup) buttermilk
VANILA AND RASPBERRY CAKE LAYER
312g (2 1/2 cups) plain flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon vanilla bean paste (optional)
113g (1/2 cup) butter, softened
300g (1 + 1/2 cups) castor sugar
60ml (1/4 cup) vegetable oil (e.g. canola, sunflower)
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1 egg yolk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
250mls (1 cup) buttermilk
2 tablespoons pureed raspberries, or raspberry jam + 1- 2 drops of red food colouring
BUTTERCREAM
300g butter, softened
500-600g icing sugar, sifted
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon scraped vanilla beans (optional)
30mls cream
30g chocolate, chopped
2 tablespoons pureed raspberries (or raspberry jam – note that this will make the buttercream very sweet)
WHITE CHOCOLATE DRIZZLE
160g white chocolate melts (or white chocolate, roughly chopped)
50 mls cream
METHOD
To prepare chocolate cake
1. Preheat the oven to 175C (345F) and line an 8 inch cake tin with baking paper.
2. In a small bowl, sift flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, salt and coffee. Whisk to combine and set aside.
3. In a medium sized bowl, beat butter (with a hand held mixer or stand mixer with paddle attachment) until creamy. Gradually add sugar and continue beating until it is light in colour and fluffy in texture. With the mixer still on, slowly add the oil and continue beating until combined.
4. Add eggs and vanilla to the butter mixture and mix until just combined. Add half the flour mixture and fold about 5 times. Now add 1/4 cup of the buttermilk and fold again. Add the rest of the flour along with the remaining half of the buttermilk and gently fold until just combined.
5. Spoon mixture into the prepared pan and bake for 40 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out clean (or with a coupe of dry crumbs).
**Whilst chocolate cake is baking, start on the vanilla and raspberry cake layers**
Cool in cake in tin for 10 minutes and then invert onto a cooling rack. Set aside and continue with the vanilla and raspberry cake layers.
Tip: You could bake the cake layers in stages if short on time and freeze the chocolate cake until ready to assemble with the raspberry and vanilla cake layers.
To prepare vanilla and raspberry cake
6. Whilst the chocolate cake is baking, prepare vanilla and raspberry cake. Line two 8 inch cake tins with baking paper.
7. In a medium sized bowl, sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and vanilla bean paste. Whisk to combine and set aside.
8. In a larger bowl, beat butter (with a hand held mixer or stand mixer with paddle attachment) until creamy. Gradually add sugar and continue beating until it is light in colour and fluffy in texture. With the mixer still on, slowly add the oil and continue beating until combined.
9. Add eggs and vanilla extract to the butter mixture and mix until just combined. Add half the flour mixture and fold about 5 times. Now add 1/2 of the buttermilk and fold again. Add the rest of the flour along with the remaining half of the buttermilk and gently fold until just combined.
10. Spoon 630g of mixture into one of the prepared pans and stir raspberries and food colouring into the remaining mixture. Spoon this mixture into the other cake tin and bake both cakes for 40 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out clean (or with a coupe of dry crumbs). Cool in cake tins for 10 minutes and then invert onto a cooling rack.
Whilst the cakes are baking/cooling, make the buttercream frostings:
11. In a large bowl, beat butter until creamy. Add icing sugar, 1 cup at a time and beat using a stand mixer or hand held mixer. Add vanilla and beat until light and fluffy. Divide the mixture into three bowls. Set aside.
12. Heat cream (in the microwave or in a small saucepan over the stove) and add chocolate and whisk until the chocolate has melted completely. Leave to cool.
13. To one bowl of buttercream, add raspberry puree and mix to combine completely. To another bowl, add cooled chocolate and cream mixture and mix to combine. Set aside.
To assemble the cake
14. Place the chocolate cake on a cake plate and spread the chocolate buttercream on top, filling right to the edge of the cake (I like to use a piping bag for this step to get a nice high and even height).
15. Place the raspberry cake layer on top and spread or pipe the raspberry frosting on top. Make sure it is level before adding the vanilla cake layer.
16. Add vanilla cake layer and spread the vanilla frosting on top.
To make the white chocolate drizzle
17. Chill the cake in the fridge (this will help the drizzle to set onto the cake).
18. Add the white chocolate and the cream to a small microwave safe bowl. Melt in 20 second increments until melted. Stir well and then spoon or pipe onto the cake. See here for more tips on how to apply drizzles.
* This cake will keep in an airtight container for 2-3 days.
By Sarah Sears
