Easy Neapolitan Cake Recipes

NEAPOLITAN CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. In a large bowl, combine cake mix, water, oil and eggs; beat on low speed for 30 seconds. Beat on medium for 2 minutes. Divide batter into three equal portions. , Pour one portion into a greased and floured 10-in. fluted tube pan. Stir red food coloring into another portion; carefully spoon into pan. Stir chocolate syrup and cocoa into remaining batter; carefully spoon into pan. Do not swirl., Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 40-45 minutes. Cool 10 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack to cool completely. If desired, dust with confectioners' sugar.

NEAPOLITAN CAKE

Steps:

• Place 1/4 cup of the sugar in a small saucepan. Cook over high heat, without stirring, until all the sugar turns caramel. Tilt pan to distribute caramel. Lower the heat and carefully whisk in the jam, the scraped vanilla bean and seeds, 1 tablespoon of water, a pinch of salt and the lemon juice. (The caramel will bubble violently.) Simmer, stirring, until the caramel dissolves into the jam. Remove from heat.
• In a food processor, pulverize the whole almonds with 2 tablespoons of the flour.
• Using an electric mixer, cream the butter, remaining sugar, 1/4 teaspoon salt and the zests until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Scrape down the bowl with a rubber spatula. Mix in the pulverized almonds until combined. Beat in the egg yolks, one at a time, and then add the almond extract and orange-flower water. Mix in the remaining flour.
• Divide the dough into six equal balls. Place each ball between two sheets of plastic wrap and press into an 8-inch circle, using the inside of a pie pan as a guide. Chill the dough rounds in the refrigerator for 2 hours or freeze for 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Remove plastic wrap, place a dough round on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake until golden, about 15 minutes. Cool completely on a wire rack. Repeat with remaining rounds.
• Lay a round in the center of a serving plate. Spread with 3 to 4 tablespoons of jam to just before the edge. Continue to layer the rounds, spreading jam between each. Spread a thin layer of jam over the top and cover with sliced almonds. The cake can be served immediately, but tastes even better, and is easier to cut, if tightly wrapped and served 1 or 2 days later.

NEAPOLITAN SHEET CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. Spray bottom of 13x9-inch pan with cooking spray.
• In large bowl, beat cake mix, water, oil and eggs with electric mixer on medium speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. In small bowl, place 1 1/4 cups of the batter; stir in 2 tablespoons cocoa until blended. In another small bowl, place 1 1/4 cups of the batter; stir in 2 tablespoons strawberry jam and 1/4 teaspoon food color until blended. Pour remaining cake batter in bottom of pan. Drop tablespoons of each colored batter in random pattern over top; pull table knife through batter to make swirls.
• Bake 28 to 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely, about 1 hour.
• In large bowl, beat softened butter with electric mixer on medium-high speed until smooth. On low speed, gradually beat in powdered sugar until smooth and creamy. Beat in 2 tablespoons milk and the vanilla. If frosting is too stiff to spread, add additional milk, 1 teaspoon at a time.
• In small bowl, place 1/4 cup of the vanilla frosting; stir in 1 teaspoon strawberry jam until blended. Stir in food color until desired color. In another small bowl, place 3 tablespoons of the vanilla frosting; stir in 1 teaspoon cocoa until blended. Spread remaining vanilla frosting on top of cake. Randomly drop measuring teaspoonfuls of strawberry and chocolate frosting over top. Use small icing spatula to swirl frosting over top of cake. Store loosely covered at room temperature.

NEAPOLITAN NESQUIK® LAYER CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour three 9-inch round cake pans.
• Combine sugar and butter in a bowl and cream using an electric mixer until light and fluffy, scraping down the sides and blending for a total of 5 minutes. Add egg yolks slowly, 1 at a time, beating into creamed butter mixture. Beat in vanilla extract.
• Sift flour, baking powder, and 1 pinch salt together in a separate bowl. Add to creamed sugar mixture in 3 batches, alternating with milk and blending after each addition. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and blend for 1 minute more; batter should be smooth and consistent. Separate batter evenly into 3 mixing bowls, about 2 1/2 cups in each.
• Beat egg whites and remaining salt together in a bowl using a whip attachment until stiff peaks form.
• Fold 1/3 of the whipped egg whites into 1 bowl of batter and pour into a prepared cake pan for the vanilla layer.
• Fold 1/3 of the whipped egg whites and chocolate-flavored milk powder into another bowl of batter. Pour into another prepared cake pan for the chocolate layer.
• Fold remaining 1/3 of the whipped egg whites, strawberry-flavored milk powder, and red food coloring into remaining bowl of batter. Pour into the remaining prepared cake pan for the strawberry layer.
• Bake cake layers in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center of each comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool for about 15 minutes before flipping layers onto a wire rack to cool to room temperature, 20 to 30 minutes more.
• Combine cream cheese, butter, and shortening in a bowl and cream together until smooth. Scrape down the bowl and add confectioners' sugar. Blend until frosting is smooth.
• Assemble and frost the cooled cake layers and decorate as you please.

NEAPOLITAN BUNDT CAKE

Steps:

• Grease and flour a 12-cup bundt pan. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Blend the cake mix, water, oil, and eggs on low speed until moistened. Beat 3 minutes on medium speed. Pour 1/2 of the batter into the bundt pan.
• Measure 1/2 of the remaining batter into a small bowl and stir in the strawberry extract and food color (as much as you want to make a pretty, dark pink color). Carefully pour this into the pan.
• Stir 1/4 cup chocolate syrup into the remaining batter and carefully pour this into the pan on top of the strawberry batter.
• Bake for about 40 minutes in a 350 degree F (175 degrees C) oven. Cool 15 minutes.
• Remove from pan and drizzle chocolate glaze over the top.
• To make chocolate glaze: Mix together confectioners' sugar and 3 tablespoons chocolate syrup until smooth. If necessary, a few drops of water or a small amount of additional confectioners' sugar may be added until the desired consistency is obtained. Drizzle over top of the bundt cake.

NEAPOLITAN CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 325°F. Grease and lightly flour 12-cup fluted tube cake pan, or spray with baking spray with flour.
• In large bowl, beat cake mix, water, oil and egg whites with electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds, then on medium speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Pour about 1 2/3 cups batter into pan.
• Into small bowl, pour 1 1/3 cups batter; stir in almond extract and food color. Carefully pour pink batter over white batter in pan. Stir chocolate syrup into remaining batter. Carefully pour chocolate batter over pink batter.
• Bake 40 to 45 minutes or until toothpick inserted 1 1/2 inches from side of cake comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes. Turn pan upside down onto cooling rack or heatproof serving plate; remove pan. Cool completely, about 1 hour.
• In microwavable bowl, microwave frosting uncovered on High about 15 seconds or until frosting can be stirred smooth and is thin enough to drizzle. Spread over top of cake, allowing some to drizzle down side. Store loosely covered.

NEAPOLITAN POUND CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350° (325° for coloured fluted tube pan).
• Using solid shortening or margarine (not oil), grease and flour 12-cup fluted tube pan (non-stick finish pan, too).
• In large bowl, blend cream cheese and eggs until smooth.
• Blend in cake mix and milk.
• Beat 2 minutes at highest speed.
• Add strawberry milk drink mix to 2 cups batter; pour into prepared pan.
• Stir vanilla into 2 cups batter; pour over strawberry batter.
• Add chocolate milk drink mix to remaining batter; pour over vanilla batter.
• Bake 55 to 60 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
• Cool upright in pan 45 minutes.
• Loosen edges; remove from pan.
• Cool completely.
• If desired, sprinkle with powdered sugar or serve with ice cream and chocolate sauce.

NEAPOLITAN CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F.
• Grease and flour 2 (9-inch) round pans. Prepare cake batter as directed on package. Pour half (about 2-1/3 cups) of the batter into one of the prepared pans. Blend cocoa powder into remaining batter; pour into second prepared pan. Bake as directed on package for 9-inch round cakes. Cool cakes in pans 10 min. Remove from pans to wire racks; cool completely.
• Meanwhile, beat pudding mix, milk and food coloring in large bowl with whisk 2 min. (Pudding will be thick.) Stir in COOL WHIP. Refrigerate 30 min.
• Chop 4 strawberries finely; stir into 1 cup pudding mixture. Stack cake layers on plate, filling layers with strawberry mixture. Frost top and side of cake with remaining pudding mixture. Cut remaining strawberries in half; press into pudding mixture around base of cake. Refrigerate 1 hour.

NEAPOLITAN TRAYBAKE

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Butter a 20cm square baking tin and line with two criss-crossed, overlapping strips of baking parchment (this will help you remove the traybake later). Put the strawberries in a food processor or mini chopper and blitz to a purée. Tip into a small saucepan and simmer for 3 mins until slightly reduced. Pour into a bowl and leave to cool.
• Beat the butter and sugar together in a bowl using an electric whisk (or do this in a stand mixer) for 4-5 mins until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in the eggs, one at a time, followed by the vanilla extract. Mix in the flour and baking powder.
• Divide the cake batter between three bowls, weighing for accuracy, if you like. Mix the cocoa and 2 tbsp milk into the first bowl until smooth and combined. Mix the cooled strawberry purée and a drop of pink food colouring into the second bowl, and stir the remaining milk into the last bowl.
• Drop alternating spoonfuls of the three batters into the prepared tin until all three have been used up (an ice cream scoop is useful for this). Try not to mix the colours together, but spread each blob out slightly using the back of the spoon. It's easiest to use three separate spoons to prevent colours mixing, or rinse the spoon before moving to a different coloured batter.
• Bake for 30-35 mins until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. Leave to cool in the tin for 15 mins, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely. Once cool, will keep covered in the fridge for up to three days. Next, make the topping. Whisk the cream and icing sugar together to soft peaks - it should be thick and spreadable. Spoon the topping into a piping bag fitted with a star nozzle, if you like. Or, you can spoon on the topping.
• Cut the cooled sponge into 16 even squares, then pipe or spoon a dollop of the topping over each. Decorate each square with a chocolate flake before serving.