This is the original Neapolitan Rose Cake… everything else is just a copy! 🙂 This cake is always a showstopper. Not only are people in love with how it looks, but who can resist vanilla, strawberry, and chocolate? Don’t miss my 50 Best Cake Recipes if you love baking!
Neapolitan Cake (Box Mix Version)
There is a lot going on with this cake so I recommend starting out with cake mix. Meaning, bake 1 box of white cake in two 8-inch round cake pans, 1 box of strawberry cake in two 8-inch round cake pans, then 1 box of chocolate cake in two 8-inch round cake pans. You will only need one layer of each (1 white, 1 strawberry, 1 chocolate) so be sure to wrap up the other layers tight and freeze until the next time you want to make this amazing cake!
Neapolitan Cake (From-Scratch Version)
If you happen to want to make this cake from scratch I recommend baking one day then assembling and decorating the next.
I made my perfect chocolate cake, a strawberry cake, and a white cake in 8-in round cake pans. I added pink food color to my from-scratch strawberry cake to ensure it was a gorgeous shade that matched the buttercream.
Neapolitan Buttercream
I used the basic buttercream recipe below for the white and strawberry layers. Prepare your buttercream as directed and then divide into 2 bowls. One will stay white (vanilla) and the other will be tinted pink. I also added strawberry extract to the pink buttercream so it would taste like it looks!
For the chocolate, I made a 1/2 batch of my favorite Chocolate Buttercream. You can make a full batch and freeze it with your other chocolate cake layer to save steps for the next time you prepare this cake! When freezing buttercream I place it in an airtight pastry bag, seal it, then drop that into a plastic bag. Allow it to come to room temperature before piping.
Rosette Cake
To pipe this cake I started by placing my remaining buttercream (after you have added frosting between the layers and done a light crumb coat) into pastry bags fitted with 1M or 2D tips. Start and the bottom of the cake with chocolate and begin by piping a rosette. I like to end the rosette on top, leaving the “tail” where it will be hidden by the next row. Try to begin and end each flower in the same way to have a consistent overall look. You can find detailed information on a Rose Cake Tutorial here.
Next time I make this cake I will start by placing my chocolate cake on the cake stand and covering it with chocolate buttercream, not the strawberry as I did for the pictures.
Basic Vanilla Buttercream
Ingredients
- 1 cup (2 sticks / 227 g) unsalted butter, softened
- 2 teaspoons McCormick® Pure Vanilla Extract
- 32 ounces confectioners' sugar sifted
- 2 tablespoons whole milk, up to ½ cup
- pinch kosher salt
Instructions
- Beat butter in bowl of stand mixer with whisk attachment on medium-high speed until light and fluffy. (about 3 minutes)
- Add vanilla extract.
- With the mixer on low, slowly add in confectioners' sugar, milk, and salt; frequently scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl.
- Once incorporated, whip frosting for at least 3 minutes on medium-high to high. (My mixer went for 7 minutes)
- If frosting is too thick to spread, gradually beat in additional milk.
Did you make this recipe?
Thank you for making my recipe! You took pictures, right? Well go ahead and post them on Instagram! Be sure to mention me @iambaker and use the hashtag #YouAreBaker.
Yeah I like the piping.Wow it looks awesome. Im only 12 and 3 years ago I wanted to be a cake designer.My dream job.Im going to open my own bakery when im older its going to be amazing.<3 I love cake designing its my passion.Um well thinks for all you have taught it has really helped and thanks you.
I love this cake – the way it looks and the fact that its made with a box cake!! Question – I am making the cake for Easter, which is also my moms birthday. I have baked the cakes tonight (Friday), plan to ice/decorate them tomorrow. They are wrapped in Saran Wrap and will hang out in the kitchen over night. Once the cake is fully decorated tomorrow, how should I store it overnight? Will be serving it on Sunday. Would room temp be ok? Covered with a cake dome? Or should it be refridgerated? I have never done something like this before! Thanks!! Can’t wait to impress the heck out of my family with this masterpiece!
Room temp is fine and in the fridge is fine… its totally up to you! 🙂 If your frosting is cream based, like a whipped cream, you may want to keep in the fridge. Have a great weekend!
Bonjour,
Je viens de découvrir vos oeuvres tout à fait par hasard en surfant sur le net et je dois avouer que je suis impressionnée devant tant de beauté et de créativité, tant de perfection, tant d’amour dans la réalisation de vos gâteaux. Bref, je suis tombée amoureuse de votre talent et vous félicite. Très sincèrement. Lina
Wow, this is a fantastic cake! The flowers make it look AMAZING!
Hello! I love your beautiful cake and have been “practicing” to make it for a school bake sale “prettiest cake contest.” I used your butter cream recipe, but my icing is totally matte — no shine at all! Do I need to add more butter? Also, I live in Florida and I want to make sure it will hold up in the humidity. I love that your recipe didn’t contain shortening.
Thanks in advance!
Heather
I love this cake! Made it for my friends bday! Although il admit, I just your post, and I had made the cake almost a month back, got the rose icing idea from pinterest( that cake was all white), but Must say….its a beautiful cake!!
Since I created the Rose technique, you technically got the idea from my blog. Pinterest doesnt actually create ideas, it just has images from sources that do. 🙂
I love this cake! Made it for my friends bday! Although il admit, I just your post, and I had made the cake almost a month back, got the rose icing idea from pinterest( that cake was all white), but Must say….its a beautiful cake!! In my cake i added white chocolate to the strawberry icing, and used chocolate ganache for the brown roses, the fillings i side were cookies n cream, and a strawberry mousse!
BEAUTIFUL! I actually attempted this last week and it wasn’t nearly as pretty as yours. I must ask — for the neapolitan cake, did you follow that basic buttercream recipe to a tee? I used much more butter and MUCH less powdered sugar because it was so sweet. Unfortunately, the consistency was a bit strange when I was piping the roses, and they didn’t look as smooth as yours…
Any advice would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!
I saw two of your cake designs at the local bakery here in Boston called Sweet’s Cafe. As soon as I saw them I said to myself these bakers must be big fans of the I AM Baker Blog! LOL!!!
This cake is such a beautiful mix of three classic flavors with a modern design. Elegant and easy to do!
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