Neapolitan Cake Chocolate Vanilla Strawberry Layers (Printable)

Three stunning layers of chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry cake with creamy buttercream frosting.

# What You'll Need:

→ For the Cake Layers

01 - 2¾ cups all-purpose flour
02 - 2½ teaspoons baking powder
03 - ½ teaspoon baking soda
04 - ¼ teaspoon salt
05 - 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
06 - 2 cups granulated sugar
07 - 4 large eggs
08 - 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
09 - 1¼ cups whole milk

→ For the Chocolate Layer

10 - ⅓ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
11 - 3 tablespoons milk

→ For the Strawberry Layer

12 - ½ cup finely chopped fresh strawberries or ¼ cup strawberry puree
13 - Pink or red food coloring (optional)
14 - ½ teaspoon strawberry extract (optional)

→ For the Buttercream Frosting

15 - 1½ cups unsalted butter, softened
16 - 5 cups powdered sugar, sifted
17 - ¼ cup heavy cream or milk
18 - 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
19 - Pinch of salt

# How To Make:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and line three 8-inch round cake pans with parchment paper.
02 - Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.
03 - Beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, then vanilla extract.
04 - Alternately add flour mixture and milk, starting and ending with flour. Mix until just combined.
05 - Divide batter equally into three separate bowls.
06 - Mix cocoa powder and 3 tablespoons milk until smooth, then fold into one portion of batter.
07 - Fold strawberries or puree, strawberry extract, and food coloring if using into second portion.
08 - Leave third portion as is for vanilla layer.
09 - Pour each batter into its prepared pan. Smooth tops. Bake for 25–30 minutes until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
10 - Let cakes cool in pans for 10 minutes, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.
11 - Beat butter until creamy. Gradually add powdered sugar and salt, mixing well. Add vanilla and cream; beat until fluffy.
12 - Trim cakes for even layers if needed. Place chocolate layer on serving plate, spread buttercream. Repeat with strawberry and vanilla layers.
13 - Cover entire cake with thin crumb coat of frosting. Chill for 30 minutes.
14 - Frost with remaining buttercream. Decorate as desired with sprinkles, fresh strawberries, or chocolate shavings.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • Its like serving nostalgia on a plate, bringing back childhood ice cream parlor memories
  • The combination of three distinct flavors means everyone gets their favorite slice
  • Looks spectacular but relies on one master batter split three ways
02 -
  • Room temperature ingredients cannot be skipped, cold butter creates curdled batter and dense cake
  • The crumb coat might look messy and ugly, but 30 minutes in the fridge transforms everything
  • Fresh strawberries add moisture to the batter which can affect baking time, check that strawberry layer early
03 -
  • Make the layers one day ahead and wrap tightly in plastic, they actually taste better after resting
  • Buttercream can be made 48 hours ahead, let it come to room temperature then rewhip before frosting

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