Neapolitan Cake Food

NEAPOLITAN ICE CREAM CAKE

Steps:

• Butter a 9-inch springform pan and line the bottom with a parchment paper circle.
• Cover the bottom of the pan with the pound cake, using any extra pieces to line the sides of the pan if desired. Scoop the chocolate ice cream onto the cake layer. Spread with an offset spatula to make a smooth top. Scoop the strawberry ice cream over the chocolate layer and smooth the top. Scoop the pistachio ice cream over the strawberry layer and smooth the top. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze until firm, 2 to 2 1/2 hours.
• Unmold the cake by running a knife around the edge of it, then unhinge the springform and remove. Invert the cake onto a sheet of plastic wrap and remove the bottom of the pan and the parchment. Place a plate on the bottom and invert once more.
• Put the heavy cream, chocolate syrup, confectioners' sugar, and vanilla in a large bowl and whip with an electric mixer until soft peaks form. (This makes enough frosting to cover the top and sides of the cake with additional to pipe decorations if desired.)
• Frost the top and sides of the cake with the whipped cream frosting and sprinkle with the pistachios. If the cake begins to get too soft, put it back into the freezer for a few minutes.
• Freeze another 1 1/2 to 2 hours or overnight. Before serving, let the cake sit at room temperature for about 20 minutes.

NEAPOLITAN POUND CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350° (325° for coloured fluted tube pan).
• Using solid shortening or margarine (not oil), grease and flour 12-cup fluted tube pan (non-stick finish pan, too).
• In large bowl, blend cream cheese and eggs until smooth.
• Blend in cake mix and milk.
• Beat 2 minutes at highest speed.
• Add strawberry milk drink mix to 2 cups batter; pour into prepared pan.
• Stir vanilla into 2 cups batter; pour over strawberry batter.
• Add chocolate milk drink mix to remaining batter; pour over vanilla batter.
• Bake 55 to 60 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
• Cool upright in pan 45 minutes.
• Loosen edges; remove from pan.
• Cool completely.
• If desired, sprinkle with powdered sugar or serve with ice cream and chocolate sauce.

NEAPOLITAN LAYER CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to gas 4, 180C, fan 160°C Grease and line 3 x 18cm round tins. In a blender, puree 100g of the strawberries, then remove the pips by passing through a fine sieve. Set aside.
• Using an electric hand whisk, beat 180g of the butter until smooth. Add the caster sugar and 1tsp vanilla extract and beat until light and fluffy, then beat in half the buttermilk. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well, then fold through the flour and bicarbonate of soda. Stir in the remaining buttermilk.
• Divide the batter between 3 bowls. Fold the melted chocolate into one bowl, and 1tsp vanilla extract into the second. Mix the strawberry puree and pink food colour into the third. Pour the batters into the 3 lined tins. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until a skewer comes out clean.
• To make the buttercream, whisk together the icing sugar, remaining butter, vanilla extract and 6tbsp milk, until of a smooth spreading consistency. Add an extra 1tbsp milk if necessary.
• Level the sponges using a serrated knife, then sandwich the cakes together by spreading 200g buttercream between each layer, with the chocolate sponge on the base, the vanilla sponge in the middle and the strawberry sponge at the top.
• Using a knife, coat the cake with the remaining buttercream. Sweep around the cake with a palette knife held at a 45 degree angle to remove the excess icing and reveal the sponge beneath. Decorate with the grated chocolate and remaining strawberries, and add bunting.

NEAPOLITAN CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F.
• Grease and flour 2 (9-inch) round pans. Prepare cake batter as directed on package. Pour half (about 2-1/3 cups) of the batter into one of the prepared pans. Blend cocoa powder into remaining batter; pour into second prepared pan. Bake as directed on package for 9-inch round cakes. Cool cakes in pans 10 min. Remove from pans to wire racks; cool completely.
• Meanwhile, beat pudding mix, milk and food coloring in large bowl with whisk 2 min. (Pudding will be thick.) Stir in COOL WHIP. Refrigerate 30 min.
• Chop 4 strawberries finely; stir into 1 cup pudding mixture. Stack cake layers on plate, filling layers with strawberry mixture. Frost top and side of cake with remaining pudding mixture. Cut remaining strawberries in half; press into pudding mixture around base of cake. Refrigerate 1 hour.

EASY NEAPOLITAN CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9-x-5-inch or a 8.5-x-4.5-x-2.5-inch loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray.
• Combine the cake mix, egg whites, oil and 1 cup water in a bowl using an electric mixer, mixing until smooth. Divide the batter evenly among 3 bowls. Leave the first bowl plain. To the second bowl, add the cocoa powder and mix well. To the third bowl, add the freeze-dried strawberries and food coloring to achieve your desired color.
• Using an ice cream scoop, place 2 scoops of chocolate mix into the loaf pan in different areas. Follow with 2 scoops of strawberry mix and 2 scoops of vanilla. Repeat until all the batter is used and the cake has a marbled appearance. Place in the oven and bake until a tester comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes.
• While the cake bakes, make the ganache. Heat the cream in a small saucepan over a low heat until just simmering. Place the chocolate chips in a heatproof bowl, then pour the cream over the chips and let sit for 1 minute. Whisk until smooth.
• Remove the cake from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes in the pan, then remove to a wire rack (not inverted) and let cool.
• Pour the ganache over the cake, letting any excess drip down the sides.

NEAPOLITAN TRAYBAKE

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Butter a 20cm square baking tin and line with two criss-crossed, overlapping strips of baking parchment (this will help you remove the traybake later). Put the strawberries in a food processor or mini chopper and blitz to a purée. Tip into a small saucepan and simmer for 3 mins until slightly reduced. Pour into a bowl and leave to cool.
• Beat the butter and sugar together in a bowl using an electric whisk (or do this in a stand mixer) for 4-5 mins until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in the eggs, one at a time, followed by the vanilla extract. Mix in the flour and baking powder.
• Divide the cake batter between three bowls, weighing for accuracy, if you like. Mix the cocoa and 2 tbsp milk into the first bowl until smooth and combined. Mix the cooled strawberry purée and a drop of pink food colouring into the second bowl, and stir the remaining milk into the last bowl.
• Drop alternating spoonfuls of the three batters into the prepared tin until all three have been used up (an ice cream scoop is useful for this). Try not to mix the colours together, but spread each blob out slightly using the back of the spoon. It's easiest to use three separate spoons to prevent colours mixing, or rinse the spoon before moving to a different coloured batter.
• Bake for 30-35 mins until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. Leave to cool in the tin for 15 mins, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely. Once cool, will keep covered in the fridge for up to three days. Next, make the topping. Whisk the cream and icing sugar together to soft peaks - it should be thick and spreadable. Spoon the topping into a piping bag fitted with a star nozzle, if you like. Or, you can spoon on the topping.
• Cut the cooled sponge into 16 even squares, then pipe or spoon a dollop of the topping over each. Decorate each square with a chocolate flake before serving.