Neapolitan Layer Cake

This cake was picked out by my girls for me to make for my birthday. They feel everyone needs a special dessert on their birthday, even adults. Since I love to bake so much it did not bother me to make mine own birthday cake and my girls did help out with making the individual cakes that make up this multiple layer cake.

This cake not only looks pretty, especially after you cut into it, but it taste very delicious. In between each cake layer there is a layer of strawberry jam, not a lot, but just enough to hold the layers together and add to the flavor of the whole cake. And to top it all off, the cake is covered in a strawberry buttercream, which tastes so fresh and compliments the cake so well.

Neapolitan Layer Cake

Ingredients

Chocolate Cake

• 3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
• 6 tablespoons dark cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup vegetable or canola oil
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup black coffee
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

White Cake

• 1 3/4 cup all purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2 egg whites
• 3/4 cup very cold water
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon almond extract

Strawberry Cake

• 1 1/4 cups + 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
• 1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 ounces strawberry gelatin powder
• 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup strawberry puree

Filling

• strawberry jam

Strawberry Buttercream

• 1 1/2 cups fresh strawberries (about 8 ounces), rinsed, hulled, coarsely chopped
• 4 egg whites
• 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
• 3 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature

Directions:

1. Use the bottom of a 9-inch round cake pan (do not use the top as it is slightly bigger than the bottom) and trace it onto parchment paper and then cut it out. Do this two more times, since you will need three, one for each cake.
2. Take one of the 9-inch round cake pans and butter and flour the sides, making sure to shake out the excess flour, and place one of the parchment paper circles in the bottom. Repeat with the remaining two 9-inch round cake pans.
3. Preheat oven to 350°F.

Chocolate Cake

1. In a small bowl, whisk the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt to combine. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl combine the sugar, oil and egg using a mixer. Mix on medium speed until smooth (about 1-2 minutes).
3. Turn the mixer to low speed and mix in half of the dry ingredients, mixing until just blended.
4. Mix in all of the coffee, buttermilk and vanilla just until smooth.
5. Mix in the remaining dry ingredients just until mixed.
6. Pour the batter into one of the prepared pans and bake, rotating halfway through, for about 35 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
7. When the cake is done let cool in pan on a wire rack for about 20 minutes.
8. Run a knife in between the pan and cake to help loosen before removing the cake and letting it cool completely on a wire rack.

White Cake

1. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder and salt to combine. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl use the whisk attachment of a mixer and whip the eggs whites on medium speed until foamy.
3. Increase the speed on the mixer to medium-high and continue to whip the egg whites until stiff peaks form.
4. Carefully transfer the egg whites to another bowl and set aside.
5. In a large bowl (you can use the one the egg whites came out of) with the paddle attachment on the mixer, combine the sugar and butter. Mix on medium-high speed until the butter and sugar become light and fluffy (about 2-3 minutes).
6. Turn the mixer to low speed and mix in half of the dry ingredients just until mixed.
7. Mix in all of the water, vanilla and almond extract.
8. Mix in the remaining dry ingredients just until mixed.
9. With a silicone spatula, stir in about a quarter of the egg whites to lighten the batter.
10. Very gently fold in the remaining egg whites until the batter is smooth and all of the egg whites are folded in.
11. Pour the batter into one of the prepared pans and bake, rotating halfway through, for about 35 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
12. When the cake is done let cool in pan on a wire rack for about 20 minutes.
13. Run a knife in between the pan and cake to help loosen before removing the cake and letting it cool completely on a wire rack.

Strawberry Cake

1. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder and salt to combine. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl with a mixer, mix the sugar, strawberry gelatin powder and butter. Mix on medium-high speed until the mixture becomes light and fluffy (about 2-3 minutes).
3. Beat one egg at a time into the mixture, making sure to mix well after each addition of egg.
4. Turn the mixer to low speed and add half of the dry ingredients mixing until just mixed.
5. Mix in all of the milk and vanilla.
6. Mix in the remaining dry ingredients just until mixed.
7. Mix in the strawberry puree.
8. Pour the batter into the last prepared pan and bake, rotating halfway through, for about 35 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
9. When cake is done let cool in pan on a wire rack for about 20 minutes.
10. Run a knife in between the pan and cake to help loosen before removing the cake and letting it cool completely on a wire rack.

Strawberry Buttercream

1. Place the strawberries in a food processor or blender and puree until completely smooth. At this point you can strain the puree to remove the seeds or leave them in.
2. Use a pot and a heat proof bowl, add some water to the pot but not too much that it will reach the bowl when placed on top, and bring the water to a simmer.
3. Combine the egg whites and sugar in the heat proof bowl and place on top of pot with simmering water.
4. Heat the mixture, whisking frequently, until the mixture reaches 160 degrees and the sugar has completely dissolved.
5. Transfer the mixture to a large, completely clean and dry bowl and with the whisk attachment on the mixer, whisk on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form and the mixture has completely cooled to room temperature. This should take about 8 minutes, however it is more important to have stiff peaks and the mixture to be at room temperature (the bowl will be cool to the touch), than the time.
6. Turn the mixer to medium speed and add the butter 2 tablespoons at a time making sure it is fully mixed in before adding more butter. If the mixture does not come together after added all of the butter, don't worry, just turn the mixer up to medium-high speed and continue to mix until it is smooth and thick. This could take 5 minutes or more, just keep on mixing.
7. Once the mixture is smooth and thick blend in the strawberry puree until completely mixed in.

Cake Assembly

1. Cut each cake in half horizontally to make two halves of each cake. Start with the chocolate cake and place it on serving plate. Top with 1/3 cup strawberry jam.
2. Place a strawberry cake layer on top and top with another 1/3 cup strawberry jam.
3. Place a white cake layer on top and yet again top with 1/3 cup strawberry jam. Repeat this process with the remaining cake layers, just do not put strawberry jam on top of the last white layer.
4. Once you have all of the cake layers stacked frost the entire cake with the strawberry buttercream. If you want to add any decorative details make sure to save some of the frosting.

Enjoy!!!

Notes:

To make the strawberry puree, use frozen strawberries that have been partially thawed and process them in a food processor or blender. If they are unsweetened add a bit of sugar, but if they are sweetened, do not add any additional sugar.

Adapted from Annie's Eats.