Neapolitan Cake with Three Flavors (Printable version)

Three colorful layers of chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry cake with smooth buttercream frosting for a stunning striped dessert.

# Ingredient list:

→ Cake Layers

01 - 2¾ cups all-purpose flour
02 - 2½ teaspoons baking powder
03 - ½ teaspoon baking soda
04 - ¼ teaspoon salt
05 - 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
06 - 2 cups granulated sugar
07 - 4 large eggs
08 - 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
09 - 1¼ cups whole milk

→ Chocolate Layer

10 - ⅓ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
11 - 3 tablespoons milk

→ Strawberry Layer

12 - ½ cup finely chopped fresh strawberries or ¼ cup strawberry puree
13 - Pink or red food coloring (optional)
14 - ½ teaspoon strawberry extract (optional)

→ Buttercream Frosting

15 - 1½ cups unsalted butter, softened
16 - 5 cups powdered sugar, sifted
17 - ¼ cup heavy cream or milk
18 - 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
19 - Pinch of salt

# Directions:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and line three 8-inch round cake pans with parchment paper.
02 - Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl.
03 - Beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, then vanilla.
04 - Alternately add flour mixture and milk, starting and ending with flour. Mix until just combined.
05 - Split batter equally into three bowls.
06 - Mix cocoa powder and 3 tablespoons milk until smooth, then fold into one portion of batter.
07 - Fold strawberries or puree, strawberry extract, and food coloring if using into second portion.
08 - Leave third portion of batter as-is for vanilla flavor.
09 - Pour each batter into prepared pans. Bake 25-30 minutes until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
10 - Let cakes cool in pans for 10 minutes, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.
11 - Beat butter until creamy. Gradually add powdered sugar and salt. Add vanilla and cream; beat until fluffy.
12 - Trim cakes if needed. Place chocolate layer on serving plate, spread buttercream. Repeat with strawberry and vanilla layers.
13 - Cover entire cake with thin layer of frosting. Chill 30 minutes, then frost with remaining buttercream.
14 - Decorate as desired with sprinkles, fresh strawberries, or chocolate shavings.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The nostalgia factor hits different every single bite
  • People will assume you spent hours on something this stunning
  • You get three cake flavors in one gorgeous showstopper
02 -
  • Measuring your flour correctly prevents dense, dry cake layers
  • Room temperature ingredients mix together smoothly without separating
  • The crumb coat might look messy at first but creates that professional finish
03 -
  • Weighing your ingredients with a kitchen scale gives the most consistent results
  • Rotate your cake pans halfway through baking for perfectly even layers

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