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Hi Bold Bakers!
You know what’s better than a cake? A birthday cake for Bigger Bolder Baking’s 4th birthday! The thing I look forward to the most on my birthday is celebrating with my friends and family by indulging in a slice of homemade cake. If I’m honest, dessert is always the best part of any bash. That is why I decided to rethink the classic birthday cake and create my own version of the ultimate celebration dessert – a 3-Layer Neapolitan Cake!
Some people say their favorite flavor is chocolate while others say vanilla… and let’s not forget about the strawberry fans. When you put all 3 of these flavors together, you get the holy trinity known as Neapolitan. Inspired by my favorite Neapolitan Ice Cream recipe, this 3 Layer Neapolitan Cake is the perfect combination of decadence. From the inside out, with the cakes themselves and topped with the frosting, this cake has got all of your favorites wrapped into one. I love this departure from the same old Funfetti cake. This cake is not only filled with richness and flavor – it’s also one of the most impressive cakes I’ve made to date.
This cake looks gorgeous and making it is as simple as making a classic sponge cake. After the cake batter is mixed up in one bowl, I divide it into 3 equal parts then flavor the batter with cocoa powder, fresh strawberry puree and vanilla extract to give it that Neapolitan twist. All of my GoodCook bakeware comes in handy when making desserts, so I used my GoodCook 9 inch round cake pan for this 3 Layer Neapolitan Cake. From their cooling racks to their cake decorating tools, GoodCook bakeware always helps me get the most professional results.

After I baked off my chocolate, vanilla and strawberry sponge I decorate my cake with… you guessed it, chocolate, vanilla and strawberry frosting! I love how easy this cake is to decorate, especially with using 3 of my favorite Crazy Frosting flavors.

Your friends’ jaws will drop when they see the 3 Layer Neapolitan cake standing tall with a stripe of brown, white and pink frosting. I can’t think of a better way to celebrate any occasion!

Don’t miss my Birthday Cakes Headquarters including my NEW Chocolate & Peanut Butter Birthday Cake!
Prep Time 35 mins
Cook Time 30 mins
Total Time 1 hr 5 mins
Outdo the traditional birthday cake with an easy, beautiful and flavorful 3 Layer Neapolitan Cake. Your friends' jaws will drop when they see this one!
Ingredients
Cake:
- 1 1/2 cups (12oz/360g) butter , at room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups (12oz/360g) sugar
- 6 large eggs , at room temperature
- 2 1/2 cups (12oz/360g) self raising flour
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 4 tablespoons milk
- 1/2 cup (21/2oz/75g) strawberries , pureed and strained
- 1/4 cup (10z/30g) cocoa powder
Frosting:
- 1 batch crazy frosting , vanilla
- 1/2 cup (5oz/150g) strawberry puree
- 1/4 cup (1oz/30g) cocoa powder
Instructions
First prepare your strawberry puree by blending 1/2 cup of fresh or frozen strawberries in a food processor. Transfer puree to a strainer and sieve to remove the seeds then aside.
Next make your sponge cake batter: Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C), butter and line the base of 3 (9 inch) GoodCook cake tins. Using an electric whisk or stand mixer, beat the butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy. Next add in the eggs in one at a time and whisk, scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition. Add in the vanilla extract and salt and continue mixing. Turn the machine down low and add in the self raising flour and milk, and mix until just combined. Divide the mixture evenly between 3 bowls. Flavor one with the strawberry puree, and one with the cocoa powder and leave the other as is. Once the additional flavorings are fully incorporated pour each flavor into one of the lined cake tins.
Bake the cakes for 25-30 minutes, until a skewer inserted into the middle of each cake comes out clean.
Once cooled remove the cakes from their tins and leave to cool completely on a wire rack.
Once the cakes has completely cooled transfer one layer to a cake stand or serving plate. Frost the first layer with the corresponding frosting flavor then place the next layer on top and repeat with its corresponding flavor of frosting until all 3 layers are complete.
Next using an offset spatula take 1/4 of the vanilla crazy frosting and frost the outside of the cake lightly to create the crumb layer. Next take the remaining crazy frosting and divide into 3. Flavor one with the strawberry puree, one with cocoa powder and leave one as is.
Fill 3 piping bags fitted with a round tip or no tip at all.
Using the first flavor of frosting frost the bottom 1/3 of the cake with 1 flavor of frosting. Using a method called pulled dot, dot the butter cream and pull with a spatula. *I strongly recommend you watch my video above to learn this technique!
Using this method frost the remaining 2/3 of the cake until the whole thing is complete.
This cake can be covered and stored at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Recipe Notes
*I strongly recommend you watch my video above to learn the "pulled dot" technique.