This baked-from-scratch Neapolitan cake combines layers of fluffy vanilla cake, moist chocolate cake, and fresh strawberry cake with three flavors of creamy buttercream frosting to create the ultimate layer cake.
I'm just going to come out and say it... this cake is a bit labor intensive. BUT believe me when I tell you that it's a labor of love and 100% worth the effort!
This Neapolitan cake recipe combines three flavors of cake with three flavors of frosting for a layer cake that's over-the-top in the best way. This cake is moist, rich, and just the right amount of decadent.
If you're looking for a fun baking project - or if you're looking to bake a cake that will really impress - this is it!
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
First, we have the the vanilla cake layer. This layer is anything but boring! It's a single layer of my moist and fluffy vanilla cake recipe, so it's packed with vanilla flavor and perfectly tender.
Next we have the chocolate cake layer. It's a single layer of my viral moist and fudgy chocolate cake recipe, so you already know that's it's deeply chocolatey and delightfully moist.
Last but not least is the strawberry cake layer. This layer uses the same vanilla cake recipe as its base, but we'll replace half of the milk with puréed fresh strawberries to add fruity flavor and pink color to the cake.
All three layers are wrapped in their corresponding flavors of rich and creamy buttercream frosting for a Neapolitan layer cake that's as simply beautiful as it is delicious!
Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
See recipe card at the bottom of this post for full ingredient list and measurements.
Vanilla & Strawberry Cake Layer Ingredients
The vanilla and strawberry cake layers use the same ingredients, with the addition of fresh strawberry (and optional food coloring) to the strawberry cake layer.
Cake Flour - These cake layers are made using cake flour, which creates a crumb that is more tender than all-purpose flour. Sifting the cake flour helps to ensure there are no lumps in the cake batter.
Unsalted Butter - Butter adds necessary fat along with flavor and moisture to the cake batter.
Vegetable Oil - Using oil along with the butter creates a cake that is more moist and tender than a cake made with only butter.
Vanilla Bean Paste - Vanilla bean paste works in conjunction with vanilla extract to give the vanilla cake layer a distinctive vanilla flavor along with beautiful flecks of vanilla bean. You can substitute an equal measure of additional vanilla extract for the paste, if you prefer.
Fresh Strawberries - Fresh strawberries are puréed and then reduced to add concentrated strawberry flavor and natural pink color to the strawberry cake layer without adding too much liquid to the batter.
Red Food Coloring (optional) - Food coloring is completely optional, but a couple of drops of red gel food coloring will help to the strawberry cake layer to retain its pink color when baked. Without food coloring, the light pink color of the cake will be turn slightly orange when baked.
Chocolate Cake Layer Ingredients
All-Purpose Flour - This cake is tender and moist even without cake flour, so we're keeping it simple and sticking with all-purpose flour.
Cocoa Powder - Cocoa powder gives this cake its rich chocolate flavor. I prefer the smooth dark chocolate flavor of Dutch process cooca, but you can also use for a classic chocolate flavor.
Vegetable Oil - Vegetable oil adds moisture and necessary fat to the cake batter. This recipe uses oil instead of butter for a cake that is extra tender and moist.
Sour Cream - Sour cream adds moisture to the batter and also activates the baking soda, causing the cake to rise as it bakes. You can substitute Greek yogurt for the sour cream, but note that doing so may add a subtle tangy flavor to the cake.
Hot Coffee - The hot liquid blooms the cocoa powder, deepening its chocolate flavor, while the coffee enhances the flavor of the chocolate (without making it taste like coffee - promise!). If you prefer you can substitute an equal measure of boiling water.
Buttercream Frosting Ingredients
All three buttercream frosting flavors use the same base ingredients, with the addition of cocoa powder to the chocolate frosting and freeze-dried strawberries to the strawberry frosting.
Butter - Use unsalted butter so that you can control the amount of salt in the frosting. Be sure that the butter is a cool room temperature before you begin in order to achieve a smooth frosting.
Vanilla Extract - For the best flavor, use a good quality pure vanilla extract.
Confectioners' Sugar - Confectioners' sugar (aka powdered sugar) provides the sweetness for the frosting, and it's fine texture allows it to dissolve more easily into the butter. Do not substitute granulated sugar, which will create a gritty frosting.
Whole Milk - Milk adds a final bit of creaminess to the frosting. I recommend whole milk (or even heavy cream), but any dairy milk you prefer will work.
Cocoa Powder - Cocoa powder replaces some of the confectioners' sugar in the chocolate frosting recipe to add rich chocolate flavor to the frosting. Like in the chocolate cake, you can use either Dutch process (my preference) or natural unsweetened cocoa powder.
Freeze-Dried Strawberries - Powdered freeze-dried strawberries (freeze-dried strawberries that have been ground up in a food processor) add natural strawberry flavor and pink color to the strawberry frosting.
Special Equipment
In addition to essential baking equipment (like a mixing bowl and whisk), I recommend some special tools for making this recipe.
- A blender (or food processor), for puréeing the strawberries.
- A stand mixer with the paddle attachment (or an electric hand mixer and large mixing bowl) for mixing the vanilla and strawberry cake batters and the frosting.
- Three 9 inch round cake pans, for baking the cakes. For the most even baking, bake the cakes in light metal pans (not a dark or coated metal pans, which will cause the cake to brown more quickly at the edges).
- Food processor, for crushing the freeze-dried strawberries.
- Large offset spatula or bench scraper, for smoothing the frosting around the cake.
Step-By-Step Recipe Instructions
See recipe card at the bottom of this post for detailed recipe instructions.
Pan Prep: Spray three round 9 inch cake pans with cooking spray and line the bottoms with parchment paper. Set aside.
Step 1: Prep the strawberry purée. Purée the fresh strawberries in a blender. Cook strawberry purée over medium heat, stirring often, until reduced to ¼ cup. Set aside to cool.
Step 2: Make the vanilla cake layer. Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
Step 3: Cream the butter and sugar for 3 minutes until blended and smooth. Add eggs and beat for one minute. Then add oil and both vanillas and beat until well blended.
Step 4: Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients alternately with the milk, mixing on low speed until blended.
Step 5: Add batter to a prepared pan. Bake at 350º F for 23-25 minutes. Let cool.
Step 6: Make the chocolate cake layer. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
Step 7: To the dry ingredients add milk, oil, sour cream, eggs, and vanilla. Stir until well combined.
Step 8: Add hot coffee to the batter, carefully mixing with a whisk until well blended.
Step 9: Add batter to a prepared pan. Bake at 350ºF for 30-35 minutes. Let cool.
Step 10: Make the strawberry cake layer. Begin following the same instructions as the vanilla cake, whisking together the dry ingredients before blending the wet ingredients. Then stir together the milk and cooled strawberry purée.
Step 11: Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients alternately with the strawberry milk mixture, mixing on low speed until blended. Stir the food coloring (is using) into the cake batter until blended.
Step 12: Add batter to a prepared pan. Bake at 350º F for 23-25 minutes. Let cool.
Step 13: Make the vanilla frosting. Beat butter until smooth. Add vanilla and salt and beat until blended. Add sugar slowly - one cup at a time - beating well and scraping the bowl often. Add milk and beat until the frosting is light and fluffy. Place a damp towel over the frosting to keep it from crusting until you're ready to frost the cake.
Step 14: Make the chocolate frosting. Beat butter until smooth. Add vanilla and salt and beat until blended. Add sugar and cocoa powder slowly - one cup at a time - beating well and scraping the bowl often. Add milk and beat until the frosting is light and fluffy. Place a damp towel over the frosting to keep it from crusting until you're ready to frost the cake.
Step 15: Make the strawberry frosting. In a food processor, blend freeze-dried strawberries into a powder. Set aside.
Step 16: Beat butter until smooth. Add vanilla and salt and beat until blended. Add sugar and powdered freeze-dried strawberries slowly - one cup at a time - beating well and scraping the bowl often. Add milk and beat until the frosting is light and fluffy. Place a damp towel over the frosting to keep it from crusting until you're ready to frost the cake.
Step 17: Assemble the cake. Place the vanilla cake layer onto a cake plate and spread vanilla frosting on top of the cake layer. Place the chocolate cake layer onto the frosted vanilla cake layer and spread chocolate frosting on top. Place the strawberry cake layer onto the frosted chocolate cake layer and spread strawberry frosting on top.
Step 18: Spread or pipe each frosting flavor onto the sides of its corresponding cake layer.
Step 19: Use a large offset spatula or bench scraper to smooth the sides of the cake, being careful not to smear the different frostings into each other.
Allison's Top Tips
Don't forget to spray the inner sides of the cake pans with cooking spray before lining the cake pans with parchment paper to ensure the cake doesn't stick to the pan. Here's a tutorial for the easiest way to line cake pans with parchment paper.
When mixing the chocolate cake batter, the batter will be thick and look a lot like brownie batter when the dry and wet ingredients are combined. When you add the hot coffee, it will at first seem like it won't blend into the batter, but keep mixing. It will eventually come together and the batter will be thin and pourable.
Running a cake tester or knife around the edges of the cakes when you remove them from the oven will stop the cakes from sticking to the sides of the pans once cooled.
Storage Instructions
Room Temperature: This cake can be stored in a covered container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
Freezing: This cake can be baked ahead of time and frozen. Wrap the completely cooled cake layers in plastic wrap followed by a layer of foil before freezing for up to 3 months. Defrost the cake layers at room temperature before assembling the cake.
More Vanilla, Chocolate & Strawberry Recipes
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Recipe
Neapolitan Cake
Special Equipment
- Blender
- Stand mixer with paddle attachment (or large bowl and electric hand mixer)
- Three 9 inch round cake pans
- food processor
Ingredients
Strawberry Cake Layer:
- ½ pound (227 grams) fresh strawberries washed and hulled
- 1 ¼ cups (150 grams) cake flour sifted
- 1 ⅛ teaspoons (4.5 grams) baking powder
- ½ teaspoon (3 grams) fine sea salt
- 4 Tablespoons (57 grams) unsalted butter room temperature
- ¾ cup plus 1 Tablespoon (165 grams) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg plus 1 egg yolk room temperature
- 1 ounce (25 grams) vegetable oil
- 1 ½ teaspoons (7 grams) vanilla extract
- ¼ cup (57 grams) whole milk room temperature
- 2-3 drops red food coloring (optional)
Vanilla Cake Layer:
- 1 ¼ cup (150 grams) cake flour, sifted
- 1 ⅛ teaspoons (4.5 grams) baking powder
- ½ teaspoon (3 grams) fine sea salt
- 4 Tablespoons (57 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature
- ¾ cup plus 1 Tablespoon (165 grams) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg plus 1 egg yolk
- 1 ounce (25 grams) vegetable oil
- 1 ½ teaspoons (7 grams) vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon (5 grams) vanilla bean paste
- ½ cup (114 grams) whole milk, room temperature
Chocolate Cake Layer:
- 1 cup (120 grams) all-purpose flour
- 1 cup (198 grams) granulated sugar
- ⅜ cup (32 grams) cocoa powder (Dutch process or natural unsweetened)
- 1 teaspoon (4 grams) baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon (5 grams) baking soda
- ½ teaspoon (3 grams) salt
- 3 ounces (85 grams) whole milk, room temperature
- ¼ cup (50 grams) vegetable oil
- 2 Tablespoons full-fat sour cream
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- 1 teaspoon (5 grams) vanilla extract
- ½ cup (114 grams) hot coffee
Vanilla Buttercream Frosting:
- ¾ cup (171 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 ½ teaspoons (7 grams) vanilla extract
- 1 pinch fine sea salt
- 3 cups (341 grams) confectioners' sugar
- 1 ½ Tablespoons (22 grams) whole milk
Chocolate Buttercream Frosting:
- ¾ cup (171 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 ½ teaspoons (7 grams) vanilla extract
- 1 pinch fine sea salt
- 2 ⅔ cups (302 grams) confectioners' sugar
- ⅓ cup (28 grams) cocoa powder (Dutch processed or natural unsweetened)
- 2 Tablespoons (28 grams) whole milk
Strawberry Buttercream Frosting:
- 1 ⅓ cups (29 grams) freeze-dried strawberries
- ¾ cup (171 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 ½ teaspoons (7 grams) vanilla extract
- 1 pinch fine sea salt
- 2 ⅔ cups (302 grams) confectioners' sugar
- 1 ½ Tablespoons (22 grams) whole milk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350º F. Spray three round 9 inch cake pans with cooking spray and line the bottoms with parchment paper. Set aside.
Prep the strawberry purée.
- In a blender, purée the fresh strawberries.½ pound (227 grams) fresh strawberries
- Cook strawberry purée over medium heat, stirring often, until reduced to ¼ cup (68 grams). Set aside to cool to room temperature.
Make the vanilla cake layer.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.1 ¼ cup (150 grams) cake flour,, 1 ⅛ teaspoons (4.5 grams) baking powder, ½ teaspoon (3 grams) fine sea salt
- In the bowl of a stand mixer (or in a large bowl using an electric hand mixer), cream the butter and sugar for 3 minutes until blended and smooth.4 Tablespoons (57 grams) unsalted butter,, ¾ cup plus 1 Tablespoon (165 grams) granulated sugar
- Add eggs and mix on low speed until blended. Then turn mixer up to high speed and beat for one minute.1 large egg plus 1 egg yolk
- Add oil and both vanillas and beat until well blended.1 ounce (25 grams) vegetable oil, 1 ½ teaspoons (7 grams) vanilla extract, 1 teaspoon (5 grams) vanilla bean paste
- With the mixer running on low speed, add one third of the flour mixture to the wet ingredients, stirring until blended. Add half of the milk, continuing to stir until combined. Add another third of the flour mixture, followed by the remaining milk, and then the final third of flour mixture, blending slowly between each addition. Gently fold in any final bits of flour, being careful not to over mix the batter.½ cup (114 grams) whole milk,
- Pour the batter into one of the prepared cake pans.
- Bake the cake at 350º F for 23-25 minutes, or until the top sprigs back when gently poked and a cake tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs.
- Run a cake tester or knife around the edge of the cake to keep it from sticking to the sides of the pan once cooled. Let the cake cool completely in the pan.
Make the chocolate cake layer.
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.1 cup (120 grams) all-purpose flour, 1 cup (198 grams) granulated sugar, ⅜ cup (32 grams) cocoa powder, 1 teaspoon (4 grams) baking powder, ¾ teaspoon (5 grams) baking soda, ½ teaspoon (3 grams) salt
- To the dry ingredients add milk, oil, sour cream, egg, and vanilla. Stir until well combined. The batter will be thick, similar to the texture of brownie batter.3 ounces (85 grams) whole milk,, ¼ cup (50 grams) vegetable oil, 2 Tablespoons full-fat sour cream, 1 large egg,, 1 teaspoon (5 grams) vanilla extract
- Add hot coffee to the batter, carefully mixing with a whisk until well blended. The batter will now be very thin.½ cup (114 grams) hot coffee
- Pour the batter into one of the prepared cake pans.
- Bake the cake at 350º F for 30-35 minutes, or until the top sprigs back when gently poked and a cake tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs. Let the cake cool completely in the pan.
Make the strawberry cake layer.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.1 ¼ cups (150 grams) cake flour, 1 ⅛ teaspoons (4.5 grams) baking powder, ½ teaspoon (3 grams) fine sea salt
- In the bowl of a stand mixer (or in a large bowl using an electric hand mixer), cream the butter and sugar for 3 minutes until blended and smooth.4 Tablespoons (57 grams) unsalted butter, ¾ cup plus 1 Tablespoon (165 grams) granulated sugar
- Add eggs and mix on low speed until blended. Then turn mixer up to high speed and beat for one minute.1 large egg plus 1 egg yolk
- Add oil and vanilla and beat until well blended.1 ounce (25 grams) vegetable oil, 1 ½ teaspoons (7 grams) vanilla extract
- In a small bowl or liquid measuring cup, stir together the cooled strawberry purée and milk.¼ cup (57 grams) whole milk
- With the mixer running on low speed, add one third of the flour mixture to the wet ingredients, stirring until blended. Add half of the strawberry milk mixture, continuing to stir until combined. Add another third of the flour mixture, followed by the remaining milk mixture, and then the final third of flour mixture, blending slowly between each addition. Gently fold in any final bits of flour, being careful not to over mix the batter.
- Stir the food coloring (is using) into the cake batter until blended.2-3 drops red food coloring
- Pour the batter into the remaining prepared cake pan.
- Bake the cake at 350º F for 23-25 minutes, or until the top sprigs back when gently poked and a cake tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs.
Make the vanilla buttercream frosting.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer using the paddle attachment (or in a large bowl using a handheld electric mixer), beat butter on medium-high speed until smooth. Add vanilla and salt and beat on medium-high speed until blended.¾ cup (171 grams) unsalted butter,, 1 ½ teaspoons (7 grams) vanilla extract, 1 pinch fine sea salt
- Add sugar slowly - one cup at a time - beating well on medium speed and scraping the bowl often. When all sugar is added the frosting will be slightly dry.3 cups (341 grams) confectioners' sugar
- Add milk and beat on high speed until the frosting is light and fluffy.1 ½ Tablespoons (22 grams) whole milk
- Place a damp towel over the frosting to keep it from crusting until you're ready to frost the cake.
Make the chocolate buttercream frosting.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer using the paddle attachment (or in a large bowl using a handheld electric mixer), beat butter on medium-high speed until smooth. Add vanilla and salt and beat on medium-high speed until blended.¾ cup (171 grams) unsalted butter,, 1 ½ teaspoons (7 grams) vanilla extract, 1 pinch fine sea salt
- Add sugar and cocoa powder slowly - one cup at a time - beating well on medium speed and scraping the bowl often. When all sugar and cocoa are added the frosting will seem dry.2 ⅔ cups (302 grams) confectioners' sugar, ⅓ cup (28 grams) cocoa powder
- Add milk and beat on high speed until the frosting is light and fluffy.2 Tablespoons (28 grams) whole milk
- Place a damp towel over the frosting to keep it from crusting until you're ready to frost the cake.
Make the strawberry buttercream frosting.
- In a food processor, blend freeze-dried strawberries into a powder. Set aside.1 ⅓ cups (29 grams) freeze-dried strawberries
- In the bowl of a stand mixer using the paddle attachment (or in a large bowl using a handheld electric mixer), beat butter on medium-high speed until smooth. Add vanilla and salt and beat on medium-high speed until blended.¾ cup (171 grams) unsalted butter,, 1 ½ teaspoons (7 grams) vanilla extract, 1 pinch fine sea salt
- Add sugar and powdered freeze-dried strawberries slowly - one cup at a time - beating well on medium speed and scraping the bowl often. When all sugar and strawberry powder are added the frosting will seem dry.2 ⅔ cups (302 grams) confectioners' sugar
- Add milk and beat on high speed until the frosting is light and fluffy.1 ½ Tablespoons (22 grams) whole milk
- Place a damp towel over the frosting to keep it from crusting until you're ready to frost the cake.
Assemble the Cake
- Place the vanilla cake layer onto a cake plate and spread vanilla frosting on top of the cake layer.
- Place the chocolate cake layer onto the frosted vanilla cake layer and spread chocolate frosting onto the chocolate cake layer.
- Place the strawberry cake layer onto the frosted chocolate cake layer and spread strawberry frosting onto the strawberry cake layer.
- Spread or pipe each frosting flavor onto the sides of its corresponding cake layer.
- Use a large offset spatula or bench scraper to smooth the sides of the cake, being careful not to smear the different frostings into each other.
Fran says
I made each cake layer over several days, and froze them until time to assemble. Each layer of cake was so flavorful and actually had some loft which for me is hard to achieve. I measured everything by grams exactly and so appreciate the exactness of the recipe. Nothing is more frustrating than to go to the effort for a poorly created recipe, but your recipes are so worth it. Thanks.
Allison Ferraro says
Hi Fran! I love to hear that you loved this cake, and I really appreciate you taking the time to leave a review! I completely understand your frustration with recipes that aren't written properly or lack detail. I work hard to make mine detailed and accurate, and I'm glad you found it helpful!
- Allison
Diane Stidle says
This cake was very dense. The chocolate layer with regular flour was moist but the strawberry and vanilla layers with the cake flour was dense and didn't seem very moist. Also the all of the buttercream icings were much too still. It was a lot of work and I was disappointed with the outcome.
Allison Ferraro says
Hi Diane, I'm going sorry this recipe did work out the way you'd hoped, and I'd love to help you troubleshoot. Did you measure the flour in the cakes and the sugar in the frosting by weight using a scale? If extra flour was added to the cake batter and extra powdered sugar added to the frosting that would cause the results you saw.
- Allison