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.
How about putting the entire recipe up here? One simple buttercream recipe doesn’t explain how to individually do each flavored portion of this cake, along with the lovely icing (or whatever delicious topping that may be) on each layer. Please explain…
HI Vanessa! I actually said that I used a box mix for this cake. I hope that helps you?
Did you sepearte the box caked mix batter into 3 portions and flavor the strawberry and chocolate layers?
So going to try this for my 12 year old niece today. She loves my cakes and I’ve wanted to try this one for a long time. It is going to happen today!! 🙂
hi what kind of butter i have to use for a perfect butter cream ?
i’m italian and we don’t use this kind of frosting here!
your cakes are amazingggggggggggggggggggggggggggg A++++++++++++
I am a Wilton instructor, a Pasty Chef, and in instructor in a local college’s Culinary Arts Program. I’ve come across a few videos of people demonstrating how to decorate this cake. I haven’t been impressed yet, and I’m amazed that they think their cakes look good, or that they are talented enough to post an instructional video. They do such a sloppy job, with the end tails of their roses sticking out from the cake, or hanging down over the roses underneath. And they also squeeze in small roses wherever the cake shows through.
I want to say that your Rose Cake is gorgeous! You’ve done such a neat and tidy job.
And I also love neopolitan cake. I made one for my son’s 1st birthday, but each tier was a 10″ cake. (I had a lot of people to feed.) I served the cake with Neopolitan Ice Cream.
Thank you so much Bonny!! I am honored you like it. Although, my cakes had better be good since I created the rose covered cake technique!! Have you been using my technique in your class? 🙂
Hi Amanda,
I love you cake. it looks amazing.
I am the director of la-noisette, we work with Gluten free hazelnut cake.
I am looking for some one that could help us to develop a new look for our cake.
how much would you charge for showing us how to make this roses on our cake?
Thank you.
Barbara
HI Barbara- I wouldnt charge you anything! You have full access to all my tutorials and instructions! 🙂
How much does this yield? Enough to do a 3 layer cake?
I meant the buttercream recipe sorry 🙂
can you give the step by step process of rose decoration?
Yes! There are many in the links above!
Me encantó!!!! Con que número de boquilla haces las rosas???
Soy fanática de tus creaciones!!!
Saludos
For what size of cake this amount of buttercream is enough?
Love all your cakes!!1 Well done.
Could you let me know the recipe for the chocolate buttercream.
many thanks.
Beautiful cake! It’s almost too beautiful to eat!