Perfect Mini Neapolitan Cake

You know what’s even better than a regular cake? A mini one that combines three classic flavors.

This little Neapolitan cake brings together vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry in perfect harmony. Each layer is soft and moist, stacked together with smooth buttercream frosting between them.

The best part? You don’t need a special occasion to make it. It’s just the right size for when you want something sweet without having a whole cake sitting on your counter for days.

It’s a fun weekend baking project that feels fancy but doesn’t take hours to put together – perfect for satisfying those cake cravings without going overboard.

What Kind of Butter Should I Use?

For this delicate mini cake, unsalted butter is the way to go since it lets you control exactly how much salt goes into your batter. European-style butter like Plugrá or Kerrygold works especially well here because it has a higher fat content, which makes for a more tender cake. Just make sure your butter is truly softened to room temperature – you should be able to easily press your finger into it, but it shouldn’t be melty or greasy. If you’re in a pinch, regular supermarket unsalted butter will still give you good results, but avoid using salted butter as it can throw off the balance of flavors in your cake.

Options for Substitutions

Here are some helpful substitutions you can try with this mini cake recipe:

• Cake flour: If you don’t have cake flour, you can make your own by replacing 2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour per cup with cornstarch. For this recipe, measure out 1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour, remove 3 tablespoons, and add 3 tablespoons cornstarch. Sift together well.
• Sour cream: You can swap sour cream with plain full-fat Greek yogurt in the same amount. Regular yogurt works too, but strain it first to remove excess liquid.
• Strawberry jam and essence: No strawberry jam? Use pureed fresh or frozen strawberries (strained and cooked down slightly). For the essence, try real strawberry puree or even raspberry extract for a similar fruity note.
• Food coloring: Skip artificial coloring by using natural alternatives like beet powder or strawberry powder. The color won’t be as bright, but it’ll be natural!
• Vanilla essence: Feel free to use vanilla extract, vanilla bean paste, or even the seeds from half a vanilla pod.
• Cocoa powder: Dutch-process or natural cocoa powder both work here, just make sure it’s unsweetened. If using Dutch-process, you can skip the baking soda in that portion.

Watch Out for These Mistakes While Baking

The biggest challenge when making a mini Neapolitan cake is achieving distinct, clean layers – mixing your batters too vigorously after adding the cocoa powder or strawberry components can lead to tough, rubbery cake layers instead of light, tender ones.

Temperature control is crucial – using cold eggs or sour cream straight from the fridge can cause your batter to curdle and result in an uneven texture, so make sure all ingredients are at room temperature before starting (about 1 hour on the counter should do it).

When dividing your batter for the three flavors, measure carefully rather than eyeballing it – using a kitchen scale or measuring cups ensures each layer will be equal in size and bake evenly.

For the strawberry layer, be careful not to add too much food coloring or jam, as excess liquid can throw off the cake’s texture – start with less than you think you need, as you can always add more but can’t take it away.

What to Serve With Neapolitan Cake?

This cute mini cake combines chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry flavors, so you’ll want to keep your accompaniments simple and complementary. A scoop of classic vanilla ice cream or fresh whipped cream makes the perfect sidekick, letting the cake’s trio of flavors shine through. For a fresh touch, I like serving it with some sliced strawberries or a mix of fresh berries on the side. If you’re hosting a dessert party, pair this cake with a hot cup of coffee or a cold glass of milk – both work great with the cake’s rich flavors and help balance its sweetness.

Storage Instructions

Keep Fresh: Your mini Neapolitan cake will stay moist and yummy for up to 3 days when kept in an airtight container at room temperature. If you live somewhere warm, it’s better to pop it in the fridge where it’ll stay good for up to 5 days. Just make sure to wrap it well to prevent it from drying out!

Freeze: Want to save some for later? These mini cakes freeze really well! Wrap individual slices in plastic wrap, then aluminum foil, and place them in a freezer bag. They’ll keep their flavor for up to 2 months in the freezer. Perfect for when you need a quick sweet treat!

Thaw: When you’re ready to enjoy your frozen cake, just transfer it to the fridge overnight. Let it come to room temperature for about an hour before serving – this helps bring back that soft, tender texture we all love. If you’re in a hurry, you can thaw it on the counter for 2-3 hours.

Preparation Time	30-45 minutes
Cooking Time	18-25 minutes
Total Time	48-70 minutes
Level of Difficulty	Medium

Estimated Nutrition

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

• Calories: 2200-2500
• Protein: 20-25 g
• Fat: 130-150 g
• Carbohydrates: 250-280 g

Ingredients

For the cake base:

• 1 1/2 cups cake flour (sifted for a lighter texture)
• 1 1/2 cups white sugar
• 1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter (I useండి Kerrygold unsalted butter, softened to room temperature)
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 cup sour cream (at room temperature)
• 3 large eggs (at room temperature for better emulsion)
• 1 tsp vanilla essence
• 1/2 tsp salt

For the vanilla layer:

• 2-3 drops red food coloring

For the chocolate layer:

• 2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder (I use Ghirardelli unsweetened cocoa powder)

For the strawberry layer:

• 1/2 tsp strawberry essence
• 2 tbsp strawberry jam (melted for easier incorporation)

Step 1: Prepare the Oven and Pans

Preheat your oven to 325°F (163°C).

Grease your mini Bundt pans with Crisco vegetable spread to ensure easy removal after baking.

Step 2: Cream Butter and Sugar

In the bowl of your stand mixer, beat the butter on medium-high speed for 1-2 minutes until creamy.

Add granulated sugar and continue mixing on medium speed for about 5 minutes, or until the mixture is pale and fluffy.

Step 3: Add Eggs and Dry Ingredients

Add the eggs to the butter mixture one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.

In a separate bowl, sift the cake flour and add salt and baking soda, whisking to combine.

Gradually add the flour mixture to the wet mixture in the stand mixer, mixing just until combined.

Do not overmix.

Step 4: Incorporate Sour Cream and Vanilla

Add the sour cream and vanilla extract to the batter, and blend until everything is well combined and smooth.

Step 5: Divide and Flavor the Batter

Evenly divide the batter into 3 separate bowls.

Keep one bowl plain for the vanilla flavor.

In the second bowl, gently whisk in 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder until well incorporated for the chocolate flavor.

For the third bowl, melt 2 tablespoons of strawberry jam in a microwave-safe dish for about 10 seconds.

Add the melted jam and a few drops of strawberry extract to the batter, whisking until combined.

Add red food coloring if desired, keeping in mind this batter will be thinner.

Step 6: Fill the Pans and Bake

Transfer each flavor of batter into separate Ziploc or piping bags.

Pipe the batter into the greased Bundt pans, starting with one tablespoon of each flavor.

Alternate and layer the batters until each Bundt cavity is about two-thirds full.

Bake in the preheated oven for 18-25 minutes, adjusting based on pan size, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Step 7: Cool and Serve

Allow the mini Bundts to cool in the pans for at least 15 minutes.

If needed, run a toothpick around the edges to help release the cakes.

Invert the pans onto a cooling rack and gently tap to release the cakes.

Let them cool completely.

Once cooled, dust with powdered sugar before serving to add a touch of elegance and sweetness.