A true Easter delight, these Resurrection Rolls are meant to represent the empty tomb of Christ after being resurrected. The magic of these rolls lies in the marshmallow. Surrounded by a soft, sweet dough, as these rolls bake, the cinnamon sugar-coated marshmallow placed inside melts away, leaving a pocket of air in its place. They’re […] LEGGI TUTTO
These Ham and Gruyère Crescent Rolls are our savory spin on classic crescent rolls is packed with a slice of ham and cheese. They are then swirled into a roll with perfectly fluffy texture courtesy Red Star®! 4¼ cups (540 grams) bread flour 2 tablespoons (24 grams) granulated sugar 1 tablespoon (9 grams) kosher salt […] LEGGI TUTTO
Now, this is a party cake! Strawberry, vanilla, and chocolate cake batters are marbled together in this four layer, ice cream parlor-inspired, Neapolitan Cake. Topped with mini ice cream cones, it makes a fun birthday cake for kids of all ages.
When the weather is dreary for many days in a row (and it has been), baking up something fun is a real spirit-lifter! This Neapolitan Cake is an example of that. It’s an infusion of bright color and rich flavor, inspired by Neapolitan ice cream. Marbled with strawberry, vanilla, and chocolate cake batters, it’s covered in silky vanilla Swiss meringue buttercream. The strawberry ganache drip is creamy and colorful. And for an extra measure of happiness? Top the cake with Neapolitan buttercream-filled mini ice cream cones.
Mixing the batters.
I began this cake with the classic WASC batter (white almond sour cream cake) created by Rebecca Sutterby. I’m not often a box-mix baker, but this recipe uses it as an ingredient. I love how moist this cake is, and I’m not the only one. It’s my mom’s favorite cake! The pale batter takes on color and flavor beautifully. It’s just the perfect formula for this tri-color/flavor recipe.
After mixing up the base batter, divide it evenly into three bowls. Tint one batter with a few drops of pink food color, and mix in a tablespoon of McCormick strawberry extract. To another bowl, add 1/4 cup of dark cocoa powder and 2 tablespoons of water. Stir well until a deep, chocolaty batter is formed. Leave the last batter bowl plain vanilla. Spoon the batters alternately into four 6-inch round cake pans (or pipe them in, as I did – see the video for action). Use a butter knife to swirl the batters together in the pans.
Bake the cakes until they are well risen and puffed in the centers. They should spring back when pressed in their middles. Cool the cakes, then level them with a serrated knife or cake leveler.
Swiss meringue buttercream and pink ganache drip.
Fill and frost the cake with fluffy Swiss meringue buttercream. (You’ll find a short video tutorial for making it in this previous post). Smooth the buttercream with an offset spatula or bench scraper to even the exterior. Save the leftover buttercream for a future step.
Make a strawberry ganache drip using heavy cream, pink candy melts, and a few white candy melts mixed in. Adding the white candy creates a more opaque pink color. Stir in a few drops of strawberry candy flavoring oil and pour it over the frosted (chilled) cake.
Create a Neapolitan swirl.
Remember that leftover buttercream? Divide it into three portions; tint one portion pink with food color, and add strawberry extract. To another portion stir in 1/4 cup melted semisweet chocolate chips. Leave the third portion plain. Place the frostings side-by-side on a sheet of plastic wrap, and roll them up together. Snip one end of the rolled up plastic wrap (see video for this action).
Drop the frosting roll, snipped-end-first into a piping bag fitted with a large open star decorator piping tip. Pipe a swirl or two on a scrap sheet of parchment until all three colors of the frosting start to show. Then, pipe a swirls of frosting into mini ice cream cones. Speaking of…
Mellow Cones.
Mini ice cream cones are available at most grocery stores, but I used something a little different. Mellow Cones are little jelly filled marshmallow cones that come in different colors. I scooped out the marshmallow part and filled the pretty pink and yellow cones with Neapolitan swirl buttercream. And you can too! Purchase Mellow Cones online, or if you’re lucky you can find them in the candy aisle at your local grocery store.
Didn’t they turn out cute!? The colors of the Neapolitan swirl buttercream will deepen as it sets, especially the chocolate portion.
Arrange the cones on top of the cake so that the pointed ends meet in the middle.
Slice the cake to reveal that gorgeous Neapolitan-marbled batter. It’s such a delicious, moist, and deceptively light cake. Each flavor is distinct, and the marbling ensures you get a taste of it all in one bite!
It makes a wonderful birthday cake, and I especially love how nostalgic it tastes. It’s sure to be a year-round favorite.
Related recipe: Neapolitan Marbled Cupcakes
Neapolitan Cake
Heather Baird
Say hello to tasty and cute! This Neapolitan Cake has strawberry, vanilla, and chocolate cake batters swirled together for an ice cream parlor-themed treat. I used four 6-inch round cake pans, but three 8-inch pans could be used instead. The cake batter recipe is adapted from Rebecca Sutterby’s White Almond Sour Cream Cake, which uses a box of white cake mix as an ingredient. Unlike her recipe, I use no cooking oil in my version. The texture is still moist and soft with a slightly sturdier crumb. You can use any brand boxed cake mix you prefer.The ice cream decors pictured are made with the multicolor cones from Mellow Cones candies. I removed the marshmallow candy topping and piped in a Neapolitan buttercream swirl (see blog post for shopping link). If you can’t find Mellow Cones, use miniature ice cream cones, which can be found at most US grocery stores next to the ice cream toppings.
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Prep Time 1 hrCook Time 40 mins1 hour cooling/resting 1 hrTotal Time 2 hrs 40 mins
Course DessertCuisine American
Servings 8 people
Ingredients US CustomaryMetric Marbled Neapolitan cake layers1 cup all-purpose flour1 cup granulated sugar1 box white cake mix 16.25 oz.Generous pinch of salt1 cup sour cream1 cup cold water3 large eggs1 teaspoon vanilla extract1 tablespoon McCormick strawberry extract2-4 drops neon pink gel food color such as Chefmaster1/4 cup unsweet dark cocoa powder sifted2 tablespoons waterSwiss Meringue Buttercream8 large egg whites about 1 cup or 8 oz.2 cups granulated sugar1/4 teaspoon fine grain salt3 cups unsalted butter at room temperature1 teaspoon vanilla1 teaspoon McCormick strawberry extract2 drops pink soft gel food color such as Chefmaster1/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips melted and cooled slightlyIce cream decorsStrawberry ganache drip and sprinkles
Instructions Marbled Neapolitan cake layersPreheat 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 buttercreamPlace 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 decorsStand the miniature ice cream cones upright in small shot glasses.Pipe swirls of the Neapolitan frosting into the miniature ice cream cones; top each with white nonpareils. Refrigerate until set, about 10 minutes.Strawberry ganache dripPlace 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!Place the ice cream cones on top of the ganached cake with the pointed ends meeting in the center of the cake. Toss pink sprinkles and white nonpareils onto the sides and top of the cake. Refrigerate the cake until 1-2 hours before serving. Allow cake to come to room temperature before serving for the best flavor and texture.
NotesCandy flavoring oil must be used to flavor the pink ganache drip. The oil-based flavor incorporates well with the fat in the candy wafers. Using regular strawberry extract will cause the mixture to seize.
This cake will serve 8 people tall slices, or 16 people double-layer slices. To serve 16 people, slice the cake into 8 wedges, then divide each piece in two.
Keyword dark cocoa powder, layer cake, neapolitan cake, neapolitan marbled cake layers, strawberry extract, summer cake, swiss meringue buttercream
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Earthy goat cheese meets spicy harissa in this delectable Goat Cheese-Harissa Babka recipe. The outside gets its golden glow from a tempting Hot Honey Syrup and is sprinkled with crushed red pepper, and the inside is flecked with fresh parsley and thyme. 2½ cups (313 grams) plus 2 tablespoons (16 grams) all-purpose flour, divided 3 […] LEGGI TUTTO
Smooth chocolate ganache fills a golden crust of pâte sablée in this Chocolate Truffle Tart. It’s the ultimate special occasion dessert!
Chocolate Truffle Tart (a.k.a. ganache tart) is a classic dessert that every good baker have in their repertoire. It’s one of the first assembled desserts taught in pastry class. Why? Perhaps because it’s so easy for a beginner to get right. Not to mention the end reward – rich and silky with deep chocolate flavor. Served on a golden crust of French pâte sablée, it rivals any restaurant dessert.
I’m revisiting this classic just in time to plan my Valentine’s Day menu and some special February birthdays. Although, it’s one of those evergreen desserts that you can serve anytime, year-round, for a fancy ending to a dinner party or a simple weeknight supperd.
Make the Pâte Sablée Crust.
Let’s talk about pâte sablée for a sec. It’s a building block in French pastry; a dough primarily used for making tart shells with a delicate, crumbly, shortbread texture. Although, I have been known to roll out a batch just for cut-out cookies (see the Sprinkle Bakes cookbook, page 87).
Make this recipe in your food processor, for the quickest, most efficient batch of pâte sablée dough. The dry ingredients are flour, baking powder, and salt. The wet ingredients are egg yolks, sugar, and vanilla which are beaten together until the yolks lighten. Pulse the two together. When the dough starts to form to one side of the bowl, you know you’re on the right track.
Roll the dough to about 1/4-inch thickness and and fit it into a 10.5 or 11- inch tart pan (see more rolling action in the video at the end of this blog post). Blind bake the crust for about 20 minutes, or until golden around the edges.
What is Blind Baking?
For those unfamiliar, blind baking just means you’re baking the pie crust before the filling is added. For this recipe you’ll need a sheet of parchment paper to cover the unbaked crust, and pie weights to hold the crust down while it bakes. Otherwise, air pockets will form and create an uneven surface. Invest in fancy pie weights if you must, but it is my preference is to use dry rice from my pantry. It creates and even surface and you can still eat the rice after using it for pie weights (now with toasty flavor!).
Make the Chocolate Truffle Tart Filling.
Get the good stuff, because you’ll taste the quality of the chocolate in the end result. Buy 12 oz. (4 bars) of high quality chocolate (responsibly sourced if possible) and chop them up. Put the pieces in a big mixing bowl.
Pour over 2 cups of hot cream. Heat the cream only until it steams; it shouldn’t boil. Allow the mixture to stand 5 minutes, then combine with a whisk.
You could use a large spatula for this, but the tines of a whisk do an efficient job of incorporating the hot cream and chocolate together. You’re not trying to incorporate air, so when the mixture begins to come together, stir slowly until the mixture is consistent.
Add a whole stick of room temperature unsalted butter to the ganache. Stir until melted and smooth. This addition is key to the silky texture of this tart.
Pour the finished truffle ganache into the baked tart shell.
Decorate!
Chill the tart until set, at least one hour. Now. You could stop right here and just eat a delicious chocolate tart. But it’s super easy to dress it up for company or a special occasion. A white chocolate drizzle, along with a few purchased truffles make this tart look like it came from a bakery. The truffles I used are an assortment from Harry and David.
I molded a few mini chocolate tablets using this mold. I find them so charming for dessert décors! Just melt the chocolate, pipe into the molds, and chill until firm. They pop out so shiny and perfect every time.
While this tart is good on its own, I feel it’s best served with an accompaniment.
Choose your adventure: red berries, whipped cream, or ice cream. All of these provide a nice foil for all that rich chocolate flavor.
Chocolate Truffle Tart
Serve slices at room temperature for the best, most pronounced chocolate flavor and smoothest texture. Enjoy!
Related recipe: Ube White Chocolate Ganache Tart
Chocolate Truffle Tart
Heather Baird
This tart is a wonderful special occasion dessert. The filling is luxurious with silky texture. The pâte sablée crust is golden and tender with delicate shortbread texture. It is rich indeed, so serve it with extra strawberries, a dollop of whipped cream, or vanilla ice cream.Pâte sablée is a classic element in French pastry; a dough primarily used for making tart shells with a delicate, crumbly, shortbread texture. It’s easily made in a food processor, which is the method outlined in this recipe. If you don’t have a food processor, see the recipe notes for making this dough by hand.
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Prep Time 45 minsCook Time 25 mins1 hour setting time 1 hrTotal Time 2 hrs 10 mins
Course DessertCuisine American, French
Servings 10
Equipment10.5 inch tart panparchment paperpie weights or 3 cups ricePiping bag or zip-top bagmini chocolate tablet mold optional
Ingredients US CustomaryMetric Pâte sablée crust1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour1 teaspoon baking powder1/2 teaspoon salt7 tablespoons unsalted butter cold and cubed2 egg yolks6 tablespoons sugar1 teaspoon vanilla extractIce water if neededChocolate truffle filling12 oz. semisweet chocolate finely chopped2 cups heavy cream1/2 cup unsalted butter room temperatureDécors2 oz. white chocolate or white candy melting wafers2-4 fresh strawberries halved10 purchased chocolate truffles I used Harry & DavidMini white and dark chocolate tablets see blog post for mold link
Instructions Pâte sablée crustIn the bowl of a food processor, combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Pulse to combine. Add the butter cubes on top of the flour mixture and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse, pea-size crumbs.In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks, sugar, and vanilla extract until lightened in color (about 3-5 minutes of whisking).Pour the egg mixture in the food processor. Pulse in short bursts until the dough just comes together. If you find the mixture is too crumbly or lacking moisture to form a cohesive dough, add ice water 1 tablespoon at a time while pulsing repeatedly. The dough should form a rough, shaggy mass to one side of the processor bowl.Remove the dough from the bowl and form into a disc; cover with plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes.Preheat the oven to 375F.Lightly spritz a 10.5 or 11-inch tart pan with cooking spray. (Skip this step if you are using a non-stick tart pan.) Place a large sheet of parchment paper on a work surface. Roll the dough into a large circle about 1/4 inch thick. Pick up the dough on the paper and turn it over onto the tart pan; remove the paper. Tamp the crust down into the pan, gently lifting the dough when needed to fit it into the corners of the fluted pan. Use a knife to trim away the excess overhanging dough.Cover the dough in the pan with a piece of parchment paper and fill with pie weights (I use 3 cups of brown rice as pie weights). Bake for 20 minutes, or until the edges of the tart crust are golden. Remove from the oven and let cool in the pan 10 minutes. Remove the pie weights and parchment; cool crust completely.Chocolate truffle fillingPlace the chopped chocolate in a large mixing bowl. Heat the heavy cream in a small saucepan until it begins to simmer; do not boil. Immediately pour over chocolate.Allow the chocolate and cream to sit undisturbed for about 5 minutes. Whisk to combine. Add the butter and mix again until melted and the ganache is consistent and glossy.Pour the ganache into crust and smooth out any bubbles. Chill uncovered until set, at least 1 hour or overnight.DécorsMelt the white chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl at 100% power in 30 second intervals until the chocolate can be stirred smooth. Transfer to a piping bag or zip-top bag with a tiny hole snipped in one corner. Pipe chocolate while moving your hand in a quick back-and-forth motion so that the chocolate lands in overlapping lines to one side of the tart.Top the white lines with the strawberries, truffles, and chocolate pieces. Serve the tart at room temperature. Store the tart in the refrigerator.Serve this tart with any of these accompaniments: extra strawberries, red berry coulis, whipped cream, or vanilla ice cream to cut the richness.
NotesPâte sablée by hand: Mix the flour, baking powder, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Add the cold butter. Rub the butter into the flour using your fingers, as you would a biscuit or scone dough. Mix the egg, sugar and vanilla as directed. Pour the egg mixture into the dry ingredients and gently knead together until a consistent dough forms. Do not over-knead. Let rest as directed and continue with rolling and baking instructions.
Keyword chocolate truffle tart, chocolate truffles, easy chocolate tart, ganache tart, pate sablee, pate sablee crust, valentine’s day dessert, white chocolate ganache
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