neapolitan layer cake
Three cakes, three buttercreams, one labor of love. So worth it.
Ingredients
vanilla cake
- 1 stick butter, softened
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup plain whole milk Greek yogurt, at room temperature
- 1 1/4 cup all purpose flour
- 3/4 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
- 3/4 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
vanilla buttercream
- 4 tbsp butter, softened
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 4-5 tbsp heavy cream
strawberry cake
- 1 stick butter, softened
- 1 cup freeze dried strawberries, ground to 1/4 cup
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup plain whole milk Greek yogurt
- 2-3 drops red food coloring (optional)
- 1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
- 3/4 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
- 3/4 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
strawberry buttercream
- 4 tbsp butter, softened
- 1/2 cup freeze dried strawberries, ground to 2 tbsp
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 4-5 tbsp heavy cream
chocolate cake
- 1 stick butter, softened
- 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup plain whole milk Greek yogurt, at room temperature
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1/3 cup cocoa powder
- 2 tbsp black cocoa powder (or more regular cocoa powder)
- 1 tsp instant espresso (optional)
- 3/4 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
- 3/4 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
chocolate buttercream
- 4 tbsp butter, softened
- 1/3 cup cocoa powder
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 4-5 tbsp heavy cream
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 3 9-inch cake pans with oil or butter.
Vanilla cake
- In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar until fluffy, about 3-4 minutes. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until fully incorporated. Whip in the vanilla and Greek yogurt. Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. With the mixer running, slowly stream in the buttermilk, mixing until just combined. Do not overmix. Pour and spread into one of the cake pans.
Strawberry cake
- In a food processor, blitz the freeze dried strawberries into a powder. Sift in a bowl with the sugar. In a large bowl, beat the butter and strawberry sugar until fluffy, about 3-4 minutes. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until fully incorporated. Whip in the vanilla, food dye (if using) and Greek yogurt. Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. With the mixer running, slowly stream in the buttermilk, mixing until just combined. Do not overmix. Pour and spread into the second cake pan.
Chocolate cake
- In a large bowl, beat together the butter, brown sugar, and sugar until soft and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Whip in the eggs, one at a time, until incorporated, then the vanilla extract and Greek yogurt. Add the flour, cocoa powder, black cocoa powder, instant espresso (if using), baking powder, baking soda, and salt. With the mixer running, stream in the buttermilk. Mix until just combined. Pour and spread into the third cake pan.
- Bake the layers for 30-35 minutes until the centers are set and an inserted toothpick emerges with just a few moist crumbs. Let cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then run a knife around the edges to release the layers and flip onto a wire rack. Cool completely.
Vanilla buttercream
- In a bowl, whip the butter, vanilla, and powdered sugar on low speed until combined. Increase the speed to medium high, add 3 tablespoons of heavy cream, and whip until very light and fluffy. Add more heavy cream as needed to achieve a silky texture.
- Place the vanilla cake layer on a cake stand or flat plate. Frost the top and down the sides with the vanilla buttercream. Smooth out the texture as needed by running a bench scraper around the perimeter.
Strawberry buttercream
- In a bowl, whip the butter, ground strawberries, vanilla, and powdered sugar on low speed until combined. Increase the speed to medium high, add 3 tablespoons of heavy cream, and whip until very light and fluffy. Add more heavy cream as needed to achieve a silky texture.
- Place the strawberry cake layer on a cake stand or flat plate. Frost the top and down the sides with the strawberry buttercream, being careful not to slide into the vanilla frosting as much as possible. Smooth out the texture as needed by running a bench scraper around the perimeter.
Milk chocolate buttercream
- In a bowl, whip the butter, cocoa powder, vanilla, and powdered sugar on low speed until combined. Increase the speed to medium high, add 3 tablespoons of heavy cream, and whip until very light and fluffy. Add more heavy cream as needed to achieve a silky texture.
- Place the chocolate cake layer on a cake stand or flat plate. Frost the top and down the sides with the chocolate buttercream, being careful not to slide into the vanilla frosting as much as possible. Take your bench scraper and smooth out the whole cake as much as possible. I'm clearly shite at this, but if you have more skill than I, your cake will look beautifully clean.
Notes
*To make ahead: Cake layers can be baked ahead, cooled, and stored in the fridge, undecorated, for up to 3 days. You can also freeze the layers for up to a month. Be sure to wrap them tightly in plastic wrap or place in a secure ziptop bag. I recommend storing the layers separate so they do not stick together.