Can you even with this cake? Talk about a showstopper! I am not much of a cake decorator, but I think I have the rustic vibe down. It doesn’t have to be perfect to be stunning, don’t you agree! Plus, we all know that dessert is more about the taste… so pretty much only bonus points for pretty too. I will tell you in advance, this cake is a process. It’s not one you’re going to whip up at the last minute for company. BUT with that said, none of the steps are difficult! It’s even a cake a beginner could master, as long as you plan it out! First and foremost, you have to bake 3 different layers of cake. BUT I have made this a little easier by using the vanilla cake recipe for both the vanilla layer and the strawberry layer.
All you have to do is add a bit of strawberry preserves to the batter (and a few drops of pink food coloring) to the strawberry layer and voila!
Once the cakes are baked you need to let them cool. You can even make the cakes a day ahead to make things a little easier. Just wrap them tightly in cling wrap and they can stay at room temperature overnight. If you want to make them more than a day in advance, you can refrigerate them for up to 3 days, or freeze them for up to a month. When it’s time to assemble the cake you can make the frosting. Swiss Meringue Buttercream is so silky and delicious. It’s a little less sweet than traditional buttercream, which works perfect in this recipe because the flavors of the cake really shine.
A great thing about this frosting recipe is that instead of making three separate frostings, you start with the vanilla and add in some strawberry preserves to flavor the strawberry portion, and some melted chocolate to flavor the chocolate! To get the rustic, blended look just crumb coat the entire cake, and then spread on a layer of each flavor. Don’t worry about being perfect. You just take a large off-set spatula and smooth everything together, which blends it and gives it a beautiful, rustic look.
You finish it off with a drippy, chocolate ganache and some extra frosting scooped like ice cream topped with ice cream cones! So fun!
In the mood for more Neapolitan Treats? Try These:
Neapolitan Ice Cream Cake Neapolitan Cookie Sandwiches
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1 cup butter, room temperature 2 cups granulated sugar ¼ cup vegetable oil 4 eggs 1 tablespoon vanilla extract 2 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon kosher salt 3 cups cake flour 1 cup buttermilk 1/3 cup strawberry preserves pink food coloring
Chocolate Cake Layer
¼ cup vegetable oil 1 cup granulated sugar 1 egg 1 teaspoon vanilla ½ teaspoon kosher salt 1 teaspoon baking soda 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder ¾ cup all purpose flour ½ cup milk ½ cup very hot water
Swiss Meringue Buttercream
9 egg whites 2 ½ cups granulated sugar 3 cups (6 sticks) salted butter, softened slightly but still cool 1 tablespoon vanilla extract 2 tablespoons strawberry preserves pink food coloring 2 ounces semi-sweet chocolate
Chocolate Ganache:
2 ounces semi-sweet chocolate 2 teaspoons light corn syrup 1/4 cup heavy cream
Decorations:
3 sugar cones optional – cherries or strawberries
Chocolate Cake: Swiss Meringue Buttercream Assembly: Ganache: Assembly:
