Neapolitan cake

This naked neapolitan cake is perfect for any occasion. You can decorate the top anyway you like!

Neapolitan cake

Cook Time 20 minutes
Course Cake

Ingredients
  

Sponge

  • 225 g margarine
  • 225 g caster sugar
  • 4 eggs, lightly beaten
  • 225 g self-raising flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder

Vanilla sponge

  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

Strawberry sponge

  • 1 tsp strawberry flavouring
  • ¼ tsp pink food gel

Chocolate sponge

  • tbsp cocoa powder
  • 1 tsp milk

Filling and topping

  • seedless jam
  • 150 g unsalted butter, softened (leave out of the fridge for a couple of hours)
  • 300 g icing sugar
  • tbsp milk
  • tsp vanilla extract
  • cake toppings for decoration

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 180°c/Gas 4. Grease 3 7" cake tins and set aside.
  • Beat together the margarine and caster sugar with an electric whisk until pale and fluffy.
  • In a separate bowl, lightly beat the eggs and in another large bowl add the flour and baking powder.
  • Add a ¼ of the eggs to the butter and with a wooden spoon stir in, then fold in ¼ flour and gently stir until combined, repeat until all the eggs and flour are mixed together and smooth.
  • Divide the mixture between 3 bowls.
  • To finish the vanilla sponge, add the vanilla extract and stir in. Pour mixture into the tin and set aside.
  • To make the strawberry sponge, add the strawberry flavouring and pink food gel. Mix until all combined (add extra colouring if you want a brighter pink). Pour into the tin and set aside.
  • To make the chocolate sponge, add the sifted cocoa powder and mix together, add the milk and stir together. Pour into the tin.
  • Bake a 3 tins in the oven for 20mins until you press in the middle and they spring back.
  • Turn out onto a wire rack and leave to cool.
  • To make the buttercream, beat the butter until smooth, gradually add the sifted icing sugar until all combined, add the milk and vanilla extract, then set aside.
  • Now to put the cake together. Spread some jam on the chocolate, spread some buttercream on the strawberry sponge. Place the strawberry sponge, buttercream side down on top of the chocolate sponge.
  • Spread some jam on top of the strawberry sponge and some buttercream on the vanilla sponge. Place the vanilla sponge on top of the strawberry sponge.
  • Cover the top of the cake with buttercream and then sparing around the edge giving it a naked cake look.
  • Decorate the top of the cake.