Neapolitan Traybake Recipes

EASY NEAPOLITAN CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9-x-5-inch or a 8.5-x-4.5-x-2.5-inch loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray.
• Combine the cake mix, egg whites, oil and 1 cup water in a bowl using an electric mixer, mixing until smooth. Divide the batter evenly among 3 bowls. Leave the first bowl plain. To the second bowl, add the cocoa powder and mix well. To the third bowl, add the freeze-dried strawberries and food coloring to achieve your desired color.
• Using an ice cream scoop, place 2 scoops of chocolate mix into the loaf pan in different areas. Follow with 2 scoops of strawberry mix and 2 scoops of vanilla. Repeat until all the batter is used and the cake has a marbled appearance. Place in the oven and bake until a tester comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes.
• While the cake bakes, make the ganache. Heat the cream in a small saucepan over a low heat until just simmering. Place the chocolate chips in a heatproof bowl, then pour the cream over the chips and let sit for 1 minute. Whisk until smooth.
• Remove the cake from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes in the pan, then remove to a wire rack (not inverted) and let cool.
• Pour the ganache over the cake, letting any excess drip down the sides.

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.

NEAPOLITAN SWIRL BREAD

Steps:

• Place the flour, sugar, salt and yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook and mix on low speed to combine. Add the milk and 3 of the eggs and mix on low speed until well combined. Increase the speed to medium high and mix until the dough starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl, about 5 minutes.
• Reduce the speed to medium and start adding the butter a little at a time, waiting until completely incorporated before adding more and beating for 7 to 10 minutes total. Increase the mixer to medium high and continue to mix until the dough is glossy and slightly tacky but not sticky, 7 to 10 minutes more.
• Meanwhile, bring 1/4 cup water to a boil. Put the dried strawberries in a spice grinder or mini chopper and pulse until finely ground (you should have a scant 1/2 cup). Add the strawberry powder and 7 teaspoons of boiling water to a small bowl and stir until combined into a paste (the texture should be like thick, sticky peanut butter).
• Add the cocoa powder and 5 teaspoons of boiling water to another small bowl and stir until combined.
• Divide the dough into 3 pieces. Add one portion of the dough back to the bowl of the stand mixer along with the vanilla bean paste. Knead with the dough hook on medium speed until combined and the dough is still tacky but not sticky, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl.
• Add another portion of the dough to the mixer bowl along with the strawberry paste and a few drops of the food coloring. Knead on medium speed, adding more food coloring as needed to get the desired shade, until combined and the dough is still tacky but not sticky, about 7 minutes. Transfer to a separate small bowl. Wipe the mixer bowl and dough hook clean.
• Add the last portion of dough to the mixer bowl along with the chocolate paste. Knead on medium speed until combined and the dough is still tacky but not sticky, about 6 minutes. Transfer to a third small bowl.
• Cover each bowl of dough with plastic wrap and allow the dough to rest in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours and up to 12 hours.
• To assemble, individually roll out the 3 pieces of chilled dough on separate sheets of parchment, dusting with flour as needed, into three 9-by-5-inch rectangles. Stack the pieces on top of each other with the chocolate dough on the bottom, vanilla in the middle and strawberry on the top.
• Roll out the stack of dough into a 17-by-8-inch rectangle, flipping the stack over now and then to keep the layers even and making sure to square off the ends (this will ensure that all the layers stick and bake together). With the chocolate layer on the bottom and starting from a shorter end, start rolling the dough into a tight spiral, like a jelly roll cake.
• Generously butter a 9-by-5-inch nonstick loaf pan and place the rolled dough inside, seam-side down. Generously butter a piece of plastic wrap large enough to cover the pan and place it butter-side down loosely over the pan. Let the dough rise in a warm place until it reaches 1 inch above the rim of the pan, about 3 hours.
• Position an oven rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F.
• Beat the remaining 1 egg with 1 tablespoon water in a small bowl. Brush the top of the loaf with the egg wash. Bake, rotating the pan halfway through, until the loaf is golden brown and an instant-read thermometer inserted in the middle reaches 190 degrees F, 35 to 40 minutes.
• Transfer to a wire rack and let cool 5 minutes, then run a knife around the sides of the loaf to loosen and turn the loaf out of the pan. Let cool completely top-side up on the rack.

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 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.