Neapolitan Cake

Well, after some Spring snow storms and lots of cold mornings, I think we may be finally heading in the direction of warmer Spring weather. I don’t mind the rain, because that’s what’ll make Colorado so beautiful, but I need for us to be done with the snow! I am 26 weeks pregnant now, and no longer fitting into my jackets! Also, I just hate the cold. But you all probably know that about me by now! We have some beautiful 70’s weather today and I’m so happy to get outside. Although with the Spring weather, comes Spring allergies! Oh well.

It’s been a busy week for us! We’ve started another bout of restaurant week here in Denver. It’s a great way for us to get business, but it’s difficult to keep up with the food prep with the limited staff we have. I’m not complaining though, it’s definitely better than not having business. I’m just finding it more difficult to work on my feet all day long. Will I ever be able to do 12 hour days again? We’ll see!

Our baby nursery is coming along nicely, we’ve got paint up, new black out shades up, and we just finished a custom closet organizer instillation. I’m very excited! We’re going with a dinosaur theme room, with colors of turquoise, white, and natural wood. Baby Kline will have the coolest room in the house, no doubt.

I’ve had some cravings lately for a nice slice of cake, but the hard part is deciding what flavor I want! That’s where this cake comes in. Why chose when you can just make a variety of cake? You’ve got everything in one yummy slice. Chocolate, white cake, and strawberry. All held together with a creamy ermine buttercream. If you haven’t heard of ermine buttercream, let me tell you- it’s not only easy to make, but it’s not too sweet and it has a smooth, creamy texture that compliments this cake so well. Ermine buttercream is made by boiling sugar and flour in a cream/milk mixture until it’s really thick-like pudding thick-then it’s cooled and whipped into some room temperature butter. You can flavor it at this point, but I’ve gone with a simple vanilla ermine buttercream. Once stacked it’s all covered in a silky chocolate glaze, and topped with some fresh strawberries. This little slice is so satisfying, you may not even want to share. Each cake batter easily whips up in one bowl, but you’ll want a stand mixer for the buttercream. I’ve had a huge sweet tooth since I became pregnant, and being a pastry chef that can be really dangerous! I like to cut a few singles slices and freeze them in a sealed container, that way I can somewhat control my portions! Hey, we all need a slice of cake sometimes right?

Enjoy, friends!

Neapolitan Cake

Chocolate Cake

Flour 1/3 cup

Cocoa powder ¼ cup

Baking Soda ¼ tsp

Salt ¼ tsp

Butter, melted 2 Tbsp.

Brown Sugar ¼ cup

Sugar ¼ cup

Egg 1

Milk ¼ cup

Strawberry Cake

Strawberries ½ cup (5-6 hulled strawberries)

Milk 2 Tbsp.

Butter, melted ¼ cup

Sugar ½ cup

Egg white 1

Flour ¾ cup

Baking powder ½ tsp

Salt 1/8 tsp

Red food color 2-3 drops

White Cake

Flour ½ cup

Baking powder ¼ tsp

Baking Powder ¼ tsp

Salt 1/8 tsp

Butter, melted 2 Tbsp.

Sugar ¼ cup

Egg white 1

Sour Cream 2 Tbsp.

Milk 1 Tbsp.

Vanilla Ermine Buttercream

Sugar ¾ cup

Flour ¼ cup

Salt ¼ tsp

Milk ¾ cup

Cream ¼ cup

Butter, room temperature 1 cup

Vanilla 2 tsp

Chocolate Glaze

Powdered Sugar 1 ½ cups

Cocoa powder ¼ cup

Corn syrup 1 Tbsp.

Milk ¼ cup

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Take 3 9”x5” loaf pans and spray with non-stick baking spray. Line then with parchment paper.

To make chocolate cake batter, combine dry ingredients in a medium size bowl. Whisk to break up clumps. Add in melted butter, egg, then milk, and whisk until smooth. Pour batter into loaf pan and bake for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

To make strawberry cake batter, chop strawberries into small pieces and place in a medium size bowl. Add in salt and sugar and mix to macerate. Leave strawberries in bowl for about 5 minutes to let the juices come out. Add in melted butter, milk, and egg white and mix until smooth. Add in dry ingredients next and mix until smooth. Pour batter into loaf pan and bake for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

To make white cake, combine dry ingredients in a medium size bowl and whisk to break up any clumps. Add in melted butter, egg white, sour cream, and milk, and mix until smooth. Pour batter into loaf pan and bake for about 15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Cool each cake at room temperature for 5 minutes, then freeze cakes in pans for 1 hour.

To make vanilla ermine buttercream, whisk sugar and flour in a small sauce pot. Add in milk and cream and whisk until smooth. Turn heat onto medium and cook while whisking until the mixture boils. Continue to cook for about 3-5 minutes. Once the mixture is as thick as a pudding, remove from heat and transfer to a small bowl. Cover the surface with plastic wrap and let it cool at room temperature for 1 hour, or until its no longer hot.

Place room temperature butter in a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Add in cooled custard. Paddle on medium high speed until light and fluffy. Add in vanilla and combine. Scrape down sides as needed.

To build the cake, place the chocolate cake on a serving dish or cake board. Scoop or pipe a layer of buttercream on top. Place white cake on next, then another layer of buttercream. Place strawberry cake on top. Cover the sides and top with more buttercream. Use an offset spatula to spread it around evenly. Chill cake while preparing the chocolate glaze.

To make chocolate glaze, sift powdered sugar and cocoa powder in a medium size bowl. Add in corn syrup, then milk, and whisk until smooth. Add in more milk if you’d like a looser glaze. Pour glaze over the top of the cake. To control the drip around the cake, you can pipe glaze on the top instead. Top the glaze with fresh strawberries.

Before serving, let the cake come to room temperature for 1 hour. If you’re serving at a later time, chill the cake.