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Best Neapolitan Layer Cake with Strawberry Buttercream Recipe

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A stunning three-layer cake featuring chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry cake layers, all tied together with a creamy strawberry buttercream made from real freeze-dried strawberries. Perfect for celebrations and guaranteed to impress.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 ½ cups (188g) all-purpose flour
  • ¾ cup (65g) unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup (120ml) buttermilk, room temperature
  • ½ cup (120ml) hot coffee or hot water
  • ½ cup (120ml) vegetable oil
  • 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 ½ cups (188g) all-purpose flour
  • 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup (113g) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • ½ cup (120ml) whole milk, room temperature
  • 1 ½ cups (188g) all-purpose flour
  • 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup (113g) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ⅓ cup (80ml) buttermilk, room temperature
  • ⅓ cup (80g) strawberry puree
  • A few drops pink or red gel food coloring (optional)
  • 1 ½ cups (170g) freeze-dried strawberries
  • 1 ½ cups (339g) unsalted butter, softened
  • 5 cups (600g) powdered sugar
  • 3–4 tablespoons heavy cream or whole milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ¼ teaspoon salt

Instructions

  1. Prepare the strawberry puree: Puree fresh or thawed frozen strawberries, then strain through a fine-mesh strainer to remove seeds. Set aside.
  2. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease three 8-inch round cake pans, line bottoms with parchment paper, grease paper, and dust with flour.
  3. Make chocolate cake batter: Whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In another bowl, whisk buttermilk, hot coffee, oil, sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Combine wet and dry ingredients until just mixed. Pour into one prepared pan.
  4. Make vanilla cake batter: Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, then vanilla. Add flour mixture alternately with milk, starting and ending with flour. Pour into second pan.
  5. Make strawberry cake batter: Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Beat butter and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, then vanilla. Add flour mixture alternately with buttermilk. Fold in strawberry puree and food coloring. Pour into third pan.
  6. Bake all layers for 22-27 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool in pans for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a cooling rack. Remove parchment and cool completely.
  7. Make strawberry buttercream: Grind freeze-dried strawberries into a fine powder. Beat butter until creamy. Gradually add powdered sugar, then strawberry powder, vanilla, and salt. Add cream and beat until light and fluffy.
  8. Assemble cake: Place one cake layer on a plate. Spread about ¾ cup buttercream on top. Repeat with second and third layers.
  9. Crumb coat: Spread a thin layer of buttercream over the entire cake. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
  10. Frost with remaining buttercream, smoothing sides and top with an offset spatula.

Notes

Room temperature ingredients are crucial for proper creaming. Do not overmix batters. Use a kitchen scale for accurate flour measurement. Level cake layers for even stacking. Chill between crumb coat and final frosting. Freeze-dried strawberries are essential for the buttercream; do not substitute with jam.

Nutrition

Keywords: Neapolitan cake, layer cake, strawberry buttercream, chocolate cake, vanilla cake, strawberry cake, celebration cake, birthday cake

Find it online: https://breezybake.com/best-neapolitan-layer-cake-with-strawberry-buttercream-recipe/