If you have been following my top 100 as closely as I have, you would be thinking to yourself, “Neapolitan Cake was not on the list.” You would be absolutely correct in that statement that a completed Neapolitan Cake is not on the list, but a fruit flavored cake is on the list. The strawberry cake used in this cake is a homemade, from scratch strawberry cake.
I saw this idea some time ago and finally decided to whip up (not that it was whipped nor quick, but oh! is it worth it) this cake for an office birthday party. Sorry, there are not more pictures of the cake during the process (due to my laziness), the finished product (due to my poor photography skills), or the inside view of a sliced piece (due to “forgetting” my camera and not wanting to look like crazy picture lady, while not letting anyone eat cake until I took 500 pictures to get one at a decent angle).
This cake smelled amazing and tasted wonderful too. It reminded me of Neapolitan ice cream. One of my co-workers said this cake reminded her of her childhood. Anything that brings you back to a happy time in your life, free of responsibility and stress, totally connecting you with a sense of complete abandonment and jovialness (that is how I define childhood now that I am an adult and dream of returning to that time in my life when my days were less hectic), I take as a huge compliment!
(Adapted from Annie Eats)
Topped with my favorite Swiss Meringue Buttercream
Ingredients
Chocolate Cake:
3/4 cup plus 2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
6 tbsp. cocoa powder (I like Ghirardelli)
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 large egg
1/2 cup black coffee (I used the new teabag-like instant brew)
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Vanilla Cake:
2oz egg whites
1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup sugar
8 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup very cold water
2 tsp. good quality vanilla extract
Strawberry Cake:
1 1/4 cups plus 2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
1 1/4 tsp. baking powder
1 1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup sugar
8 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 large eggs
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 tsp. strawberry extract
1-2 little drops gel food color (red) or 1-2 good squirts gel food color (pink)-- optional
1/2 cup sweetened strawberry puree (fresh, washed, and trimmed strawberries + 1/4 c sugar in a food processor)
Filling between Layers:
Strawberry filling--thickened strawberry puree (Heat strawberry puree with more sugar and reduce to thicken. Use chilled or at room temperature.)
Method:
Preheat the oven to 350˚ F.
Chocolate cake:
Line 2, 8inch round pans with parchment paper, and then butter and flour (spray) sides. In a small bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt; whisk to aerate and set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the sugar, vegetable oil and egg. Beat on medium speed until smooth, about 1-2 minutes. With the mixer on low speed, blend in half of the dry ingredients, beating just until incorporated. Blend in the coffee, buttermilk and vanilla just until smooth. Beat in the remaining dry ingredients, mixing just until incorporated.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake, rotating halfway through, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 20-30 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool in the pan for 10-15 minutes. Then turn the cake out onto the rack and let cool completely.
Vanilla cake:
Line 2, 8inch round pans with parchment paper, and then butter and flour (spray) sides. In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt; whisk to blend and set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the egg whites on medium speed until foamy. Increase speed to medium high and continue to beat until stiff peaks form.
Transfer the egg whites to another bowl and set aside. In the bowl of the electric mixer now fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the sugar and butter, and beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes. With the mixer on low speed, beat in half of the dry ingredients just until incorporated. Blend in the water, vanilla and almond extracts. Beat in the remaining dry ingredients just until incorporated. With a silicone spatula, stir in about a quarter of the egg whites to lighten the batter. Gently fold in the remaining egg whites, until the batter is smooth and no streaks remain.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake, rotating halfway through, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 20-30 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool in the pan for 10-15 minutes. Then turn the cake out onto the rack and let cool completely.
Strawberry cake:
Line 2, 8inch round pans with parchment paper, and then butter and flour (spray) sides. In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt; whisk to blend and set aside. In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt; whisk to blend and set aside. Combine the sugar and butter in the bowl of an electric mixer. Beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Beat the eggs into the sugar mixture one at a time, mixing well after each addition. With the mixer on low speed, add half of the dry ingredients to the batter and mix just until incorporated. Blend in the buttermilk and vanilla extract. Add in the remaining dry ingredients, mixing just until incorporated. Blend in the strawberry puree, strawberry extract, and gel food color.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake, rotating halfway through, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 20-30 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool in the pan for 10-15 minutes. Then turn the cake out onto the rack and let cool completely.
Assemble the cake:
Level each layer. Place one of the chocolate layers on a cake board or cake platter. Top with a very thin layer of strawberry filling. Place a layer of the strawberry cake on top. Again, cover with a thin layer strawberry filling. Top with a layer of the white cake. Cover with a thin layer of strawberry filling. Repeat the process with the remaining layers of chocolate, strawberry, and vanilla cake.
Apply a thin layer of frosting as a crumb coat. Refrigerate to allow the crumb coat to harden. Frost the top and sides of the cake. Decorate if and how desired.
