Speed Scratch Neapolitan Recipes

SIMPLE NEAPOLITAN CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pans). Place white paper baking cup in each of 24 regular-size muffin cups.
• Make cake mix as directed on box for cupcakes, using water, oil and egg whites and adding almond extract and vanilla. Pour half of batter into small bowl; stir in cocoa and chocolate chips. Divide chocolate batter evenly among muffin cups. Carefully spoon white batter evenly over chocolate batter.
• Bake as directed. Cool 10 minutes; remove cupcakes from pans to cooling racks. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in medium bowl, beat butter, powdered sugar and whipping cream with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth and spreadable. Gradually stir in strawberries, a few tablespoons at a time. Refrigerate 30 minutes. Frost cupcakes. Store in refrigerator.

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.