Neapolitan Cake

Marbled Neapolitan cake layers

• Preheat oven to 350F. Coat four 6-inch round cake pans with flour-based baking spray (or grease and flour pans).
• Whisk together the first 4 ingredients in the bowl of an electric mixer. In a four-cup measure with a pour spout, whisk together the sour cream, water, eggs and vanilla extract. With the mixer running on low speed, gradually pour the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients. Scrape the bowl down and mix again. Divide the cake evenly between 3 bowls.
• To the first bowl, add the strawberry extract and pink food color; mix well.
• To the second bowl, stir in the dark cocoa powder and water. Mix until the chocolate is incorporated and the color is consistent with no white streaks remaining.
• Leave the third bowl untinted.
• Place dollops of each flavor of cake batter alternately into each prepared cake pan (or pipe them in as I did, see video for action). Use a butter knife or another blunt kitchen tool to swirl the batters together.
• Bake for 25- 30 minutes, or until the cake springs back in the center when pressed. Turn the cakes out and cool completely on a wire rack. Level the cakes using a serrated knife or cake leveler.

Swiss meringue buttercream

• Place a saucepan filled 1/3 full of water over medium heat. Bring to a simmer.
• In a large stainless-steel bowl, combine the egg whites, sugar, and salt. Set the bowl over the simmering water and cook while whisking intermittently. Cook until the mixture is hot (110°F) and you can no longer feel sugar granules when the mixture is rubbed between your finger and thumb. Transfer the hot mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on high speed for 10 minutes or until a thick, shiny meringue forms that holds stiff peaks. The bowl should feel cool to the touch. If it doesn’t, refrigerate the meringue in the bowl for 10 minutes. Return the bowl to the mixer and swap the whisk attachment for the paddle attachment.
• Beat the room temperature butter into the meringue one cube at a time on medium-low speed, waiting to add the next cube when the previous cube disappears. The batter will deflate with the butter addition, and may even look curdled (if the butter was the slightest bit cold this happens), but this is normal. When all of the butter is added, beat the mixture on high speed until light in color and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Beat in the vanilla extract.
• Remove 1 cup of buttercream to a bowl and cover; reserve for later.
• Place a cake layer on a cake board or server. Fill with a thin layer of buttercream. Repeat steps with remaining cake layers. Coat the sides of the cake with an even layer of buttercream. Use a bench scraper or cake smoother to even the surface and smooth the top. Chill the cake until firm, about 20 minutes.
• Divide the reserved 1 cup of icing between 3 small bowls (1/3 cup each bowl).
• To the first bowl, add the pink food color and strawberry extract. Mix well to combine.
• To the second bowl, add the melted chocolate chips and stir well. Leave the third bowl plain.
• Place a sheet of plastic wrap on a work surface. Place a line of strawberry buttercream on the plastic in an approximate 6-inch line. Place a line of chocolate frosting next to the strawberry so that it touches. Place the vanilla frosting next to the chocolate in the same way. Roll the frosting up into a tube shape (see video for action) and twist the ends. Snip one end of the tube and place it cut-side-first into a piping bag fitted with a large open star decorator tip.
• On a piece of scrap parchment paper, or a paper towel, pipe 2-3 small swirls of frosting until all three colors begin to extrude from the piping tip.

Mini ice cream decors

• Stand the miniature ice cream cones upright in small shot glasses.

Strawberry ganache drip

• Place the pink and white melting wafers in a microwave-safe bowl. Pour in the heavy cream. Heat the mixture for 1 minute at 100% power. Let the mixture stand 1 minute then whisk together. Let cool until barely warm but still pourable, about 7 minutes.
• Remove the chilled cake from the refrigerator and spoon the strawberry ganache drip over the top of the cake. You may not have to use all of the ganache, depending on how heavy a drip you desire (I used about 3/4 of the mixture).

Decorate!