If one trend has gone viral in cake decorating this year, it’s the trend for neapolitan cakes. The combination of chocolate, strawberry & vanilla is a classic. Rosie Alyea of Sweetapolita fame created the gorgeous “Inside-Out Neapolitan Cake” cake pictured above. It’s a very simple and very eye-catching take on the neapolitan cake, based around a rich chocolate sponge layered with chocolate, vanilla and pink/strawberry buttercream. Buttercream is piped in an “elongated shell” pattern around the edges of each tier give the cake a really unique look.
Rosie has in fact designed three different cakes all based on the classic neapolitan combination. Her second version (the “Neapolitan 5 Layer Birthday Cake” on the right) is based on two sponges – chocolate and pink/strawberry – cut into four layers and sandwiched together with a layer of vanilla buttercream. It’s less chocolatey, and more strawberry than the first cake above, but just as gorgeous.
Rosie’s third neapolitan beauty (the “Raspberry Neapolitan Party Cake” below) features vanilla and chocolate sponges sandwiched together with pink raspberry buttercream. But it’s the outer layer of buttercream frosting that makes this cake a showstopper. It’s frosted in three different layers on the outside, starting with chocolate buttercream, then vanilla, with strawberry frosting on the top section. The neapolitan coloured bunting cake topper is of course the final flourish!
So while Rosie at Sweetapolita might be the uncrowned queen of neapolitan, her fellow blogger Amanda Retke at I Am Baker was also one of the originators of the cake decorating trend. She has a great tutorial here on piping the stunning neapolitan rose cake pictured below. (You’ll also find more rose cake ideas in our earlier feature on buttercream piping.)
Neapolitan cakes have even gone mini with beautiful stacked minature layer cakes below left by Tessa Huff of Style Sweet Canada (as featured on Best Friends For Frosting) and adorable mini neapolitan cheesecakes from Grace’s Sweet Life, with a chocolate base and strawberry & vanilla cheesecake layers. You’ll find more of Grace’s delectable desserts in her book available online at: Grace’s Sweet Life
Readers might also be interested in the following features & tutorials:
- Chocolate Cake Decorating Chic
- Vintage Floral Piped Cake Tutorial
- Cupcake Bouquets & Floral Piping Tutorials
- Floral Buttercream Garden Cakes
- Swedish Princess Cakes
- Pretty Cupcake Cakes/Giant Cupcakes
- Buttercream Rose Cakes & Tutorials
- Buttercream Frills & Ruffles Cakes, Plus Tutorials
- Buttercream Petal Cakes & Tutorial
- Crochet Lace Cake Tutorial with the Queen of Hearts Couture Cakes
- Patterned Swiss Roll Cake Tutorial
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