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Perfect Neapolitan Layer Cake with Easy Strawberry Buttercream

Neapolitan layer cake - featured image
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A stunning three-layer cake inspired by Neapolitan ice cream, featuring rich chocolate, classic vanilla, and fresh strawberry layers, all topped with a real strawberry buttercream. Perfect for celebrations and surprisingly forgiving for how impressive it looks.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
  • ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup buttermilk, room temperature
  • 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste (or vanilla extract)
  • 1 cup buttermilk, room temperature
  • 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup buttermilk, room temperature
  • ½ cup fresh strawberry puree (about 6–8 ripe strawberries, blended until smooth)
  • ¼ cup finely chopped fresh strawberries
  • 1 ½ cups unsalted butter, softened (3 sticks)
  • 5 cups powdered sugar, sifted
  • ¼ cup fresh strawberry puree (strained to remove seeds if desired)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Pinch of salt
  • 1–2 tablespoons heavy cream, if needed for consistency

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease three 8-inch round cake pans with butter or non-stick spray, then line the bottoms with parchment paper circles. Dust the sides with a little flour and tap out the excess.
  2. Wash and hull 10-12 fresh strawberries. Toss them in a blender or food processor and blitz until smooth. You’ll need about ¾ cup total—¼ cup for the strawberry cake layer and ¼ cup for the buttercream (strained if you want). Set aside.
  3. Make the chocolate layer batter: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a large bowl, beat the softened butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each, then stir in the vanilla. Alternate adding the dry ingredients and buttermilk, starting and ending with the flour mixture. Mix until just combined. Pour into one prepared pan and spread evenly.
  4. Make the vanilla layer batter: In a clean bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. In another bowl, cream the butter and sugar until fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, then the vanilla bean paste. Alternate adding the dry ingredients and buttermilk, mixing until just combined. Pour into the second prepared pan.
  5. Make the strawberry layer batter: Repeat the same process as the vanilla layer, but after mixing, gently fold in the ¼ cup of strawberry puree and the chopped strawberries. Pour into the third prepared pan.
  6. Place all three pans in the oven, spacing them evenly. Bake for 22-28 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through. The cakes are done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. Let the cakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then turn them out onto a cooling rack. Remove the parchment paper and let them cool completely—at least 1 hour.
  7. While the cakes cool, make the frosting. In a large bowl, beat the softened butter until creamy and smooth, about 2 minutes. Gradually add the sifted powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, beating on low speed. Once all the sugar is incorporated, add the strawberry puree, vanilla extract, and salt. Beat on medium-high speed for 3-4 minutes until light and fluffy. If the frosting is too thick, add heavy cream 1 tablespoon at a time. If it’s too thin, add more powdered sugar.
  8. Place one cake layer on your serving plate—start with the chocolate layer. Spread about ¾ cup of buttercream evenly on top. Add the vanilla layer, another ¾ cup of buttercream, then the strawberry layer on top. Apply a thin layer of frosting all over the cake (crumb coat) and refrigerate for 20 minutes. Then apply the final layer of buttercream, smoothing it with an offset spatula.

Notes

Use ripe, in-season strawberries for the puree. If strawberries aren’t in season, frozen ones work fine; just thaw and drain them first. For the buttermilk, you can make your own by adding 1 tablespoon of lemon juice to 1 cup of milk and letting it sit for 5 minutes. Room temperature ingredients are crucial for proper creaming and batter consistency. Don’t overmix the batter once flour is added. Level cake layers with a serrated knife after cooling for even stacking. Chill the assembled cake for at least 30 minutes before slicing for clean cuts.

Nutrition

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

Find it online: https://jollyfork.com/perfect-neapolitan-layer-cake-with-easy-strawberry-buttercream/