Classic Neapolitan Cake
Why I Keep Coming Back to This Recipe
The first time I made a Neapolitan cake, it was for my cousin’s birthday. She couldn’t decide between chocolate, vanilla, or strawberry — and this cake felt like a sweet solution that didn’t force her to choose. I remember layering the batters with trembling hands, worried they’d bake into a mess. But when I sliced into the finished cake and those three distinct stripes revealed themselves like a ribbon of sweet memory, I was hooked.
Since then, this cake has become my go-to for birthdays, celebrations, or those rainy Sundays when only baking something beautiful will lift the mood. It’s not just a cake. It’s a nostalgic nod to those tricolor ice cream bars we all grew up loving, baked into something soft, proud, and stunning on a dessert table.
Neapolitan Cake
This classic Neapolitan Cake features three soft, fluffy layers — chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry — stacked with smooth vanilla buttercream. It’s a nostalgic showstopper perfect for birthdays, parties, or when you just can't pick one flavor.
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 ½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 ¾ cups granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup buttermilk, room temperature
- ⅓ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- ½ cup strawberry puree (from cooked, blended, and strained strawberries)
- 1 tbsp milk (to loosen cocoa batter)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and line three 8-inch cake pans with parchment paper.
- In a bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each. Mix in the vanilla.
- Add dry ingredients and buttermilk alternately, beginning and ending with flour, mixing until just combined.
- Divide the batter evenly into three bowls. Add cocoa powder and milk to one bowl. Add strawberry puree to the second. Leave the third as vanilla.
- Pour each batter into a prepared cake pan. Bake for 22–25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
- Cool completely before frosting and stacking with vanilla buttercream. Arrange the layers in any order you like — classic is chocolate on bottom, vanilla in the middle, and strawberry on top.
Notes
Quick Ingredient Snapshot
- All-Purpose Flour: Reliable, fluffy structure that supports the tri-flavor build beautifully.
- Unsweetened Cocoa Powder: Gives the chocolate layer a deep, rich tone without overpowering the rest.
- Strawberry Puree: Real fruit flavor, not artificial. Adds natural sweetness and that soft blush hue.
- Vanilla Extract: The aromatic heart of the vanilla layer — don’t skimp on quality here.
- Buttermilk: Keeps the crumb soft and tender across all three layers.
- Baking Powder & Baking Soda: Helps each layer rise evenly, giving that clean slice effect.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
This Neapolitan cake is a celebration of choice and nostalgia. It’s perfect for the indecisive dessert lover or for families with different flavor allegiances. You get the best of three classics in one gorgeous slice.
The texture is just right — each layer is fluffy but moist, with distinct flavors that don’t overpower each other. The strawberry brings brightness, the vanilla keeps it classic, and the chocolate adds just the right richness. You won’t need to choose between comfort and indulgence here.
Let’s Talk Ingredients
The base batter is divided into three equal parts after mixing, then flavored separately. It’s a single-batter method that keeps everything uniform and simple.
Flour is essential for structure — stick with all-purpose. Cake flour gets too soft, and bread flour makes it chewy. I tested both and always returned to AP for the best crumb.
Strawberry puree gives that natural pink layer. I like to cook down fresh or frozen strawberries, blend, and strain for a smooth consistency. Avoid store-bought syrups; they can make the batter gummy and overly sweet.
Cocoa powder should be unsweetened and high-quality. Dutch-processed works great here because it gives a darker, richer flavor without making the batter too dry.
Buttermilk is a little miracle in this cake. It tenderizes and keeps the crumb moist, even after a day or two in the fridge. Room temp is key — cold buttermilk stiffens the batter.
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Note: Some Neapolitan cakes use sour cream for richness, and it can work beautifully. I chose buttermilk here because it keeps the cake lighter and more uniform across layers. Sour cream tends to make the crumb denser, which can be a bit heavy when stacking three layers. If you’d like to try it, swap out half the buttermilk with full-fat sour cream for a richer variation. |
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How to Make Neapolitan Cake
Prepping the Ingredients
Start by preheating your oven and greasing three 8-inch cake pans. I like to line the bottoms with parchment circles for easy release. Measure your ingredients ahead — especially for the divided batter part.
Make your strawberry puree by simmering berries on the stove until soft, then blending and straining. Let it cool completely before adding it to the batter.
Mixing and Layering
Cream butter and sugar until pale and fluffy, then add your eggs one at a time. Whisk in the vanilla, then alternate adding dry ingredients and buttermilk. Once the batter is smooth, divide it evenly into three bowls.
To one bowl, stir in cocoa powder and a tablespoon of milk to loosen it slightly. To the second, fold in your cooled strawberry puree. The third stays plain vanilla.
Pour each batter into its prepared pan and smooth the tops. Bake until a toothpick comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Let them cool fully before layering.
Final Touches / Frosting and Stacking
I usually go with a vanilla buttercream to complement all three flavors. If you’re feeling ambitious, you could flavor the frosting layers to match each cake tier — a little cocoa in the chocolate layer, maybe a touch of strawberry jam in the pink one.
Stack the layers with care, crumb-coat the whole cake, then chill before doing your final frost. Garnish with chocolate shavings, strawberry slices, or a soft piping of whipped cream if you’re serving it same day.
Recipe Don’ts
Variations You’ll Love
- For a gluten-free version, swap in a 1-to-1 GF baking blend. Make sure it has xanthan gum for structure.
- You can use raspberry or cherry puree instead of strawberry for a twist on the fruit layer. Just keep it smooth and strain the seeds.
- Make it a Neapolitan sheet cake for easier serving at parties. Just layer the batters one on top of the other in a 9×13 pan and swirl gently for a marbled look.
Expert Tips, Swaps & Storage Advice
What to Serve This With
This cake screams celebration, so I love pairing it with something festive but not too rich — like mint tea or a cold glass of strawberry lemonade. For kids’ parties, a tray of fresh fruit or a scoop of vanilla ice cream rounds it out perfectly.
If it’s a grown-up gathering, serve with espresso or cardamom-infused milk for a warm, aromatic contrast.
Common Questions
What is a Neapolitan cake?
A Neapolitan cake features three distinct layers — chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry — inspired by the classic tri-flavored ice cream. It’s usually made by dividing a base batter and flavoring each section before baking.
What is a Napoleon cake?
A Napoleon cake is a totally different dessert. It’s a layered pastry made with puff pastry sheets and creamy custard or pastry cream in between, often topped with icing. It’s more delicate and flaky, closer to a mille-feuille.
What is the most delicious cake in the world?
That’s subjective, of course, but many consider chocolate cake, red velvet, or tiramisu top contenders. Neapolitan cake earns a spot for flavor variety and visual appeal.
Is tiramisu a cake?
Technically, tiramisu is a layered dessert but not a cake in the traditional sense. It’s made with soaked ladyfingers, mascarpone cream, and dusted cocoa — no baking required.
