Neapolitan Rose Cake Recipe

I’m excited to present my Original Neapolitan Rose Cake, a Neapolitan Layer Cake of vanilla, strawberry, and chocolate buttercream piped into elegant rose swirls that will make you want to read on.

I love a dessert that looks impossible but isnt. This Neapolitan Rose Cake is that showstopper, a Neapolitan Layer Cake that somehow feels elegant and a little wild.

I wanted the flavors to read like a whisper so I used unsalted butter for the rich lift and strawberry puree for the delicate pink layer, and then layered in deeper tones to surprise you. It reads like a Strawberry And Chocolate Cake dream but with rose shaped swirls that make people pause.

If you want a cake that gets reactions, this will be the one you pin.

Ingredients

• All purpose flour: Gives structure, mostly carbs, little protein, not many nutrients on it’s own.
• Unsalted butter: Adds richness and fat, boosts mouthfeel, mostly saturated fat and calories.
• Granulated sugar: Sweetens the cake, simple carbs only, no fibre, spikes blood sugar.
• Eggs: Provide protein, moisture and structure, helps emulsify, add some vitamins.
• Unsweetened cocoa powder: Gives chocolate flavor, low sugar, some antioxidants, slightly bitter notes.
• Strawberry puree: Adds fruity tang and color, natural sugars and vitamin C, light acidity.
• Powdered sugar: Makes buttercream sweet and smooth, mostly pure sugar, very calorie dense.
• Butter for buttercream: Stabilizes frosting, gives creaminess and flavor, high fat content keeps textures rich.

Ingredient Quantities

• For the cake (makes three 8 inch layers)
• 3 cups (360 g) all purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon fine salt
• 1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 3/4 cups (350 g) granulated sugar
• 4 large eggs, room temp
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 cups (300 ml) whole milk, room temp
• 1/2 cup (120 ml) sour cream or plain yogurt, room temp
• For the chocolate layer
• 3/4 cup (75 g) unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/4 cup (60 ml) hot brewed coffee or hot water
• For the strawberry layer
• 1/2 cup (115 g) strawberry puree, strained if needed or 3 tablespoons freeze dried strawberry powder
• Pink gel food coloring, as needed (optional)
• For the buttercream
• 1 1/2 cups (340 g) unsalted butter, room temp
• 6 to 7 cups (720 to 840 g) powdered sugar, sifted
• 3 to 4 tablespoons (45 to 60 ml) heavy cream or milk
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
• Optional for chocolate buttercream accents
• 2 tablespoons (10 g) unsweetened cocoa powder (optional)
• Garnish and extras (optional)
• Fresh strawberries, sliced
• Freeze dried strawberry powder for dusting
• Chocolate shavings or curls
• Gel food coloring, pink and pale brown, as needed

How to Make this

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and line three 8 inch cake pans with parchment, or use baking spray and parchment rounds. Whisk together 3 cups flour, 1 tablespoon baking powder and 1 teaspoon salt and set aside.

2. In a large bowl beat 1 cup softened butter with 1 3/4 cups sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 to 5 minutes. Add 4 eggs one at a time, scraping the bowl between additions, then stir in 2 teaspoons vanilla.

3. Combine 1 1/4 cups whole milk and 1/2 cup sour cream (or yogurt). Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture in three additions, alternating with the milk mixture, beginning and ending with the dry. Mix just until combined, don’t overmix or the cake gets dense.

4. Divide batter evenly into three bowls. For the chocolate portion mix 3/4 cup cocoa powder with 1/4 cup hot coffee or hot water to make a smooth paste then fold that into one bowl of batter. For the strawberry portion stir in 1/2 cup strawberry puree (strained if needed) or about 3 tablespoons freeze dried strawberry powder and add pink gel coloring if you want a brighter pink. Leave the third bowl plain vanilla.

5. Pour each batter into the prepared pans, smooth tops and gently tap the pans on the counter to remove big air bubbles. Bake 22 to 28 minutes, rotating pans halfway, until a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs. If you only have two pans bake in batches.

6. Cool cakes in the pans 10 minutes, then turn out onto wire racks to cool completely before decorating. While they cool make the buttercream.

7. For the buttercream beat 1 1/2 cups room temp unsalted butter until pale. Add 6 to 7 cups sifted powdered sugar gradually on low, then add 3 to 4 tablespoons heavy cream or milk, 2 teaspoons vanilla and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Beat on high 3 to 5 minutes until light and spreadable, adjust sugar or cream to get the texture you like.

8. Reserve about a third of the buttercream and stir 2 tablespoons cocoa powder into it for chocolate accents. Tint another portion pink with gel coloring and leave some plain for the vanilla roses or filling. Taste as you go and adjust.

9. Level cake layers with a serrated knife. Place the first layer on a board, spread a thin even layer of buttercream, stack the second and repeat. Apply a thin crumb coat all over and chill 15 to 30 minutes until set.

10. Fill piping bags with the three colored buttercreams fitted with a large star or petal tip and pipe rosettes or swirls across the top and sides to get the Neapolitan rose look. Garnish with sliced strawberries, a dusting of freeze dried strawberry powder and chocolate shavings if you want. Chill briefly to set, slice with a hot knife and serve. Store covered in the fridge up to 3 to 4 days, bring to room temp before serving.

Equipment Needed

1. Three 8 inch cake pans, plus parchment rounds or nonstick baking spray
2. Stand mixer or hand mixer with paddle or whisk attachment
3. Several mixing bowls (one large and 2 medium)
4. Dry and wet measuring cups and spoons, and a kitchen scale if you got one
5. Whisk and a few rubber or silicone spatulas for folding and scraping
6. Fine mesh sieve or sifter for powdered sugar and cocoa
7. Wire cooling racks
8. Serrated knife or cake leveler and an offset spatula for spreading
9. Piping bags and large star or petal tips (plus a turntable or cake board if you have one)

FAQ

Neapolitan Rose Cake Recipe Substitutions and Variations

• All purpose flour: cake flour for a lighter crumb (or make your own by removing 2 Tbsp flour per cup and replacing with 2 Tbsp cornstarch, sift well); 1:1 gluten free all purpose blend with xanthan gum if you need GF; swap up to 50% with whole wheat pastry flour for a nuttier taste, but dont go higher or cake gets dense.
• Unsalted butter (for cake or buttercream): salted butter 1:1 (reduce recipe salt to about 1/4 tsp); European or high fat butter 1:1 for richer flavor; plant based stick margarine or vegan butter 1:1 for dairy free, expect tiny texture changes.
• Eggs: flax egg for each egg use 1 Tbsp ground flaxseed + 3 Tbsp water (let sit 5 min); 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce per egg for moisture (gives less lift); 1/4 cup mashed banana per egg works too but adds flavor, keep in mind.
• Powdered sugar (for buttercream): make your own by blitzing granulated sugar with 1 Tbsp cornstarch per cup until powdery; use store bought icing sugar or confectioners sugar as direct swap; for lower sugar try a blend of powdered erythritol + a bit of powdered sugar but stability may change.

Pro Tips

1. Get everything room temp and measure right. Eggs, milk, sour cream and butter should all be at room temp. Butter should be soft but not greasy or melty, otherwise the cake can go dense or sink. Spoon and level the flour or weigh it, dont pack the cup.

2. Make the cocoa into a paste with hot coffee or hot water first, then let it cool a little before folding into batter. It wakes up the chocolate flavor way more than just cocoa alone. A pinch of instant espresso powder also helps. Dont pour scalding liquid into cold batter or you can mess up the texture.

3. If you use fresh strawberry puree cook it down or strain out extra juice so it doesnt thin that layer and make the cake uneven. Freeze dried strawberry powder is an easy shortcut for bright flavor and color without extra moisture. Add gel color slowly, a little goes a long way.

4. For smoother buttercream and neater piping, beat the butter until very pale before adding sugar, sift the powdered sugar, and chill briefly if the frosting gets too soft. To pipe multicolored rosettes, put each color side by side in the same bag or wrap stripes of buttercream in plastic wrap and tuck them in, it makes the roses look more blended. Chill between the crumb coat and final coat so crumbs dont show, and warm a serrated knife in hot water then dry it between slices for clean cuts.