Ingredients
— The Cake Base (One Batter) —
1 cup (226g) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 ¾ cups (350g) granulated sugar
4 large eggs, room temperature
2 ½ cups (325g) all-purpose flour
2 ½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
1 cup (240ml) whole milk, room temperature
1 tbsp vanilla extract
— The Flavorings —
Strawberry Layer: ¼ cup strawberry puree (reduced from frozen or fresh strawberries) + 1 drop pink food coloring
Chocolate Layer: 3 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder + 1 tbsp milk
— The Buttercream Frosting —
1 ½ cups (340g) unsalted butter, softened
5-6 cups (600-720g) powdered sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
2-3 tbsp heavy cream or milk
Pinch of salt
(Optional: Divide frosting and flavor with cocoa and strawberry puree to match layers)
Instructions
1. **Preheat & Prep:** Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour three 8-inch round cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper.
2. **Make the Base Batter:** In a large bowl or stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar together on medium-high speed for 3-4 minutes until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each.
3. **Dry & Wet:** Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt in a separate bowl. Alternately add the dry ingredients and the milk to the butter mixture, starting and ending with the flour. Stir in the vanilla extract.
4. **Divide & Conquer:** Divide the batter evenly into three medium bowls (use a kitchen scale for precision if available).
5. **Flavor the Layers:** Leave one bowl plain (Vanilla). To the second bowl, stir in the cocoa powder and extra tablespoon of milk (Chocolate). To the third bowl, stir in the reduced strawberry puree and pink food coloring (Strawberry).
6. **Bake:** Pour each batter into its own prepared pan. Bake for 23–28 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
7. **Cool:** Let cakes cool in pans for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
8. **Make Frosting:** Beat the softened butter until creamy. Gradually add powdered sugar, cream, vanilla, and salt. Whip on high for 3-5 minutes until fluffy.
9. **Assemble:** Place the chocolate layer on your serving plate and spread with frosting. Top with the strawberry layer and more frosting. Finish with the vanilla layer.
10. **Decorate:** Cover the entire cake with the remaining buttercream. For a true Neapolitan look, you can split the frosting batch and flavor it to match the layers, piping rosettes on top!
Notes
Strawberry Puree: To make the reduction, blend 1 cup of strawberries and simmer in a saucepan until thickened and reduced to about 1/4 cup. Let it cool completely before adding to the batter.
Room Temp Ingredients: Ensure butter, eggs, and milk are at room temperature to prevent the batter from curdling.
Precision: Weighing the batter when dividing ensures your layers look perfectly even when sliced.
Storage: Keep the cake covered at room temperature for up to 3 days, or refrigerate for up to 5 days (let it come to room temp before serving).
- Prep Time: 45
- Cook Time: 30
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American / Italian Inspired
- Diet: Vegetarian