I’m wondering if it takes everyone 7 1/2 hours to make a cake from scratch? This is only my second “non-Betty Crocker cake mix” cake and both have taken over a quarter of a day to make which just makes me want a glass of wine and visit a bakery.
The first cake, a Chocolate Pomegranate cake, took over six hours but I attribute that to the fact that it was my first attempt at a semi-complicated cake (complicated to me anyway) and that three other people were “helping” me in my 2 x 5-foot kitchen that has total counter space the size of a casserole dish.
Or…maybe I’m just slow.
Recipe Book: Layered by Tessa Huff. While this cookbook is definitely over my head, I cannot recommend it enough! Do yourself a favor and buy it on Amazon here.
By the way, I have a lot to learn and while my cake did not look as professional as Tessa Huff’s Neapolitan Cake looked in her book, I bet it tasted just as delicious because mine was pretty darn delicious!
Neapolitan Cake Recipe
White Chocolate Cake
Ingredients
- Butter or nonstick cooking spray, for the pans
- 5 large egg whites
- 3/4 cup whole milk
- 2 3/4 cups cake flour, plus more for the pans
- 1 1/4 cups of granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon plus 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 6 ounces white chocolate, melted and cooled
Directions
- Step 1 Preheat the oven to 350 F. Grease and flour two 8-inch cake pans.
- Step 2 Stir together the egg whites and 1/4 cup of the milk in a small bowl and set aside
- Step 3 Sift the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on low until combined. With the mixer on low, add the butter, vanilla, and the remaining 1/2 cup milk until the dry ingredients are moistened. Tur the mixer to medium-high and mix for about 1 minute until combined. Stop the mixer and scrape down the bowl.
- Step 4 Turn the mixer to medium. Add the egg white mixture in three parts, mixing for about 20 seconds after each before adding the next. Stop the mixer and scrape down the bowl. Add the white chocolate and mix until just combined.
- Step 5 Evenly divide the batter between the prepared pans. Bake for 25 to 28 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cakes comes out clean. Let them cool on a wire rack for 10 to 15 minutes before removing the cakes from the pans.
Classic Chocolate Cake
Ingredients
- Butter or nonstick cooking spray, for the pans
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for the pans
- 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons grapeseed oil
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 large egg yolk
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon pure almond extract
- 1 1/2 cups whole milk
- 1 cup hot strong-brewed coffee
Directions
- Step 1 While the white chocolate cakes bake, grease and flour two 8-inch cake pans and set aside
- Step 2 Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, salt, and baking soda and set aside
- Step 3 In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the oil and sugar on medium for 2 minutes. Add the eggs, egg yolk, vanilla, and almond extract. Stop the mixer and scrape down the bowl.
- Step 4 Turn the mixer to low and add the flour mixture in three batches, alternating with the milk, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Stop the mixer and scrape down the bowl. With the mixer on low, stream in the coffee. Mix on medium-low for no more than 30 seconds, or until combined
- Step 5 Evenly divide the batter between the prepared pans. Bake for 25 to 28 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cakes comes out clean. Let them cool on a wire rack for 10 to 15 minutes before removing the cakes from the pans.
Chocolate Dipped Strawberries
Ingredients
- 1 1/3 cups chopped semisweet chocolate
- 12 medium strawberries, washed and completely dry
Directions
- Step 1 Melt the chocolate in the top portion of a double boiler. Meanwhile, line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Remove the chocolate from the heat. Carefully dip each strawberry into the chocolate, one at a time, and set it on the parchment paper to dry and harden completely.
Vanilla Swiss Meringue Buttercream
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons large egg whites
- 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
- 2 cups (4 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature, cubed
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Directions
- Step 1 Place the egg whites and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer. Whisk them together by hand to combine. Fill a medium saucepan with a few inches of water and place it over medium-high heat. Place the mixer bowl on top of the saucepan to create a double boiler. The bottom of the bowl should not touch the water
- Step 2 Whisking intermittently, heat the egg mixture until it registers 160 F on a candy thermometer or is hot to the touch. Once hot, carefully fit the mixer bowl onto the stand mixer
- Step 3 With the whisk attachment, beat the egg white mixture on high speed for 8 to 10 minutes, until it holds medium-stiff peaks. When done, the outside of the mixer bowl should return to room temperature and no residual heat should be escaping the meringue out of the top of the bowl. Stop the mixer and swap out the whisk for the paddle attachment
- Step 4 With the mixer on low speed, add the butter, a few tablespoons at a time, then the vanilla. Once incorporated, turn up the mixer speed to medium-high and beat until the buttercream is silky smooth, 3 to 5 minutes
For the assembly, you will also need 1 cup of strawberry preserves. Once the cakes have completely cooled, level them and you should start with a chocolate layer at the bottom so a vanilla layer is on top. Place the bottom layer on a cake plate or serving dish. Spread on about 1/3 cup of the strawberry preserves. Place the second layer of cake on top, alternating between the white and dark chocolate cakes, and repeat. Smoothly frost the cake with the buttercream and refrigerate it, uncovered, until firm, 15 to 20 minutes.
Also, I learned to “level” my cakes on Youtube. I think I need practice. My chocolate cake, after cooked, was higher than my vanilla so I leveled the vanilla to 1 inch and the chocolate to 1 3/4 inches. It sounded good at the time (haha):
Chocolate Glaze
Ingredients
- 2/3 cup chopped semisweet chocolate
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/4 cup light corn syrup
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
Directions
- Step 1 Place the chocolate, cream, and corn syrup in a small saucepan. heat over medium-low until the cream begins to steam and the chocolate starts to melt. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla and salt until combined. Let the mixture cool to room temperature, until it is syrup-like, about 10 minutes
- Step 2 Starting with about 1/2 cup at a time, carefully pour the chocolate glaze into the center of the frosted cake and use an offset spatula to spread it around the top, allowing it to drip over the edges. Add more glaze until the desired look is achieved. Decorate with any remaining buttercream and chocolate-dipped strawberries.
In the final product that Tessa baked, the strawberry preserves were more predominate between layers which made it more “Neapolitan” looking.
So all in all, I don’t think I did too bad for only my second cake ever! I need to work on leveling my cakes, smoothing the buttercream better in order to make it look more professional, work on the drip, and try to cut down on my prep time.
Thank you, Tessa Huff, for another excellent recipe!
