Neapolitan Cake

I have a crazy love for food, I think everyone knows that by now. I have an even crazier love for cake, and ice cream and strawberries and chocolate and the crazy combination of flavours mashed together in one cake makes A NEAPOLITAN DREAM <3 I kid you not, it was like I was reliving my childhood all in one cake ^_^ 

So I made this cake for my flatmate's birthday, which was a few weeks ago actually ... but it's okay, cause' I'm blogging about it now :D! I promised a Carrot cake but ended up making a Neapolitan Cake ... yah I know, not really similar in any way xD It was definitely something I have never done before, and given my super limited ingredients in the flat at the moment, I had to make do with all I had! But it was so much fun to make, honestly one of the most therapeutic baking sessions I have ever had. So, here is my creation of a Neapolitan Cake, topped with a chocolate buttercream and sandwiched with strawberry flavoured cream. ^^

Neapolitan Cake

As always, I used Linda Lomelino's recipe (click on the link to access it ^^), omitted the sprinkles and split the mixture out three times, one for the chocolate, strawberry and vanilla layer.

For the different layers, I added:

- Chocolate layer: Cocoa powder (2 teaspoons)

- Vanilla layer: Vanilla essence/extract (1 teaspoon)

- Strawberry layer: Strawberry jam (4 tablespoons) OR Strawberry essence ( 2 teaspoons) AND Pink colouring (2 teaspoons)

I didn't have any strawberry essence, but strawberry jam worked the same! Just whack it in the microwave on the lowest heat setting for a few minutes or until it is no longer a jelly like consistency.

1) Mix each of the different layers until it has been incorporated well. For the strawberry layer, remember to add the colouring at the end, but judge for yourself how much to put in, bear in mind once in the oven, the colour does get slightly lost, so it's always good to add more than less. 

2) Butter and line each of the three cake tins with greaseproof paper, scoop the batter into each tin, place it in the oven at 175 C for 25 - 30 minutes, or until the toothpick comes out clean after you poke it into the batters. 

Chocolate Buttercream

Ingredients:

Unsalted Butter (120 g, softened)Cocoa Powder (2 tablespoon)Philadelphia Cream Cheese (125g)Milk (2 tablespoons)

Making time :)

1) Take a large bowl, start whisking the unsalted butter first, until it becomes creamy, before incorporating the rest of the ingredients.

2) Whisk until it reaches your desired consistency and feel free to add more cocoa powder if you want :)

 -----------------

Strawberry Cream

Ingredients:
Elmlea Whipping Cream (1 pot) 
Icing Sugar (2 x 1/4 cups) 
Strawberry Jam (4 tablespoons, slightly melted)

Making time:
1) Take a large bowl, place the whipping cream and icing sugar, and whisk it for a minute.
2) Then add the strawberry jam, and whisk it until it reaches your desired consistency, I prefer it slightly light and not too thick, otherwise it's super hard to spread!

Here's the finished product! It actually looks like a very large truffle, it didn't look too good xD ... But it looked better without the side buttercream! It doesn't matter, cause this is definitely the best buttercream I've ever made and birthday boy was really happy, and that makes me happy ^_^!

You can see the different layers, with the strawberry cream sandwiched in between. The strawberry layer wasn't very strawberry (I modified it a little for you guys :P), hence why I made the strawberry cream super strawberry flavoured to bring it out of the cake. It's not very pink either, so bear in mind what I said before :) 

Anyway, I really hope you enjoy this cake, I really did, and I honestly do not think I bake very well. There are so many amazing bakers out there, and they each have their own individual way of baking cakes. Baking works for some and not for others, but keep experimenting and you'll definitely find your medium with baking soon ^^

Stay safe & keep smiling, 

  |\ /|
=(^Y^)= ♡