Here is my favorite Neapolitan rose cake recipe, with soft vanilla and chocolate layers, sweet strawberry buttercream, and beautiful rose decorations that make it look like something from a fancy bakery.

This cake is always a hit at birthday parties and special occasions. The kids love the three different flavors, and I love how pretty it looks on the table. Plus, it’s easier to make than it looks!

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Why You’ll Love This Neapolitan Rose Cake

Quick and easy preparation – This beautiful cake comes together in just 10-20 minutes, making it perfect for when you need an impressive dessert without spending hours in the kitchen.
Simple pantry ingredients – You probably already have butter, vanilla, powdered sugar, and milk on hand, so no special shopping trip required.
Beginner-friendly – With just a few basic ingredients and straightforward steps, even novice bakers can create something that looks professionally made.
Perfect for special occasions – The rose design makes this cake look fancy enough for birthdays, anniversaries, or any time you want to impress your guests with minimal effort.

What Kind of Butter Should I Use?

For this Neapolitan rose cake, you’ll want to stick with unsalted butter since it gives you better control over the salt content in your frosting. European-style butter with a higher fat content (around 82-84%) will give you an even richer, creamier result, but regular American unsalted butter works perfectly fine too. The key is making sure your butter is properly softened – it should give slightly when you press it but not be melted or too warm. If your butter is too cold, your frosting will be lumpy, and if it’s too warm, it won’t hold its shape when you pipe those beautiful roses.

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Options for Substitutions

This frosting recipe is pretty forgiving and allows for some easy swaps:

Unsalted butter: You can use salted butter instead – just skip the pinch of kosher salt in the recipe. Make sure your butter is properly softened at room temperature for the best texture.
Pure vanilla extract: Feel free to experiment with other extracts like almond, strawberry, or rose extract to match your cake flavors. Use the same amount, but start with half if using almond extract as it’s stronger.
Whole milk: Heavy cream, half-and-half, or even 2% milk work fine here. You can also use plant-based milk like oat or almond milk if needed.
Confectioners’ sugar: This is one ingredient I wouldn’t substitute – powdered sugar is essential for getting that smooth, pipeable frosting texture. Regular granulated sugar just won’t give you the same results.
Kosher salt: Any fine salt works here – table salt, sea salt, or even a tiny pinch of flaky salt will do the trick.

Watch Out for These Mistakes While Baking

The biggest mistake when making buttercream frosting is using cold butter, which will create a lumpy, curdled mess instead of smooth, creamy frosting – make sure your butter is truly softened at room temperature before you start mixing.

Another common error is adding too much milk at once, which can make your frosting too thin and runny, so add it gradually one tablespoon at a time until you reach the perfect consistency.

Don’t rush the mixing process either – properly creamed buttercream takes at least 3-5 minutes of beating to achieve that light, fluffy texture that pipes beautifully into roses.

If your frosting becomes too soft while decorating, pop it in the fridge for 15-20 minutes to firm up, and remember that sifting your powdered sugar beforehand prevents those annoying lumps that can clog your piping tips.

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What to Serve With Neapolitan Rose Cake?

This beautiful cake is perfect for special occasions and pairs wonderfully with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of fresh whipped cream. Since it’s already quite rich and sweet, I like serving it alongside fresh berries like strawberries or raspberries, which add a nice tart contrast to balance out all that creamy frosting. A cup of coffee or black tea is also a great choice to cut through the sweetness, and if you’re hosting a party, consider serving small slices since this cake is definitely on the indulgent side. For kids’ parties, a glass of cold milk is always a hit with cake like this!

Storage Instructions

Keep Fresh: Your beautiful rose cake will stay moist and delicious when covered with a cake dome or wrapped loosely with plastic wrap. Keep it at room temperature for up to 3 days, or in the fridge for up to a week if your kitchen gets warm.

Freeze: This cake freezes really well for special occasions! Wrap individual slices in plastic wrap and then foil, or freeze the whole cake covered tightly. It’ll keep in the freezer for up to 3 months and tastes just as good when thawed.

Serve: If you’ve stored the cake in the fridge, let it sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes before serving so the frosting softens up nicely. Frozen slices thaw perfectly in about 2 hours on the counter, and the rose decorations will look just as pretty as when you first made them.

Preparation Time	10-15 minutes
Cooking Time	0-5 minutes
Total Time	10-20 minutes
Level of Difficulty	Easy

Estimated Nutrition

Estimated nutrition for the whole recipe (without optional ingredients):

Calories: 4800-5100
Protein: 2-4 g
Fat: 220-230 g
Carbohydrates: 720-780 g

Ingredients

2 sticks unsalted butter, softened (1 cup)
2 tsp mccormick pure vanilla extract
32 oz powdered sugar, sifted
2 tbsp whole milk, plus more if needed (up to 1/2 cup)
Pinch of kosher salt

Step 1: Beat the Butter Until Fluffy

2 sticks unsalted butter, softened (1 cup)

Place the softened unsalted butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment.

Beat on medium-high speed until the butter becomes light and fluffy, which should take about 3 minutes.

Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed to ensure even mixing.

Step 2: Mix in Vanilla Extract

2 tsp McCormick Pure Vanilla Extract

Add the vanilla extract to the whipped butter and mix on medium speed until well combined.

This helps infuse the butter with a rich vanilla flavor, which I think makes the frosting extra special.

Step 3: Incorporate Sugar, Milk, and Salt

32 oz powdered sugar, sifted
2 tbsp whole milk, plus more if needed (up to 1/2 cup)
pinch of kosher salt

With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the sifted powdered sugar, whole milk, and a pinch of kosher salt to the butter mixture.

Frequently stop to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure everything mixes evenly.

Continue mixing on low until all ingredients are just incorporated.

Step 4: Whip the Frosting

Increase the mixer speed to medium-high or high and whip the frosting for at least 3 minutes, or up to 7 minutes for an extra fluffy and smooth consistency.

I like to let my mixer run a little longer to get the frosting ultra light.

Step 5: Adjust Consistency if Needed

If the frosting is too thick to spread, slowly beat in additional milk (up to 1/2 cup as needed) until your desired consistency is reached.

Be sure to add the milk a tablespoon at a time to avoid making the frosting too runny.