Neapolitan layer cake

Dessert

8 servings

Difficult

4 hours

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Ingredients

Ingredients for chocolate cake:

• 3/4 cup plus 2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
• 6 tbsp. dark cocoa powder
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup vegetable or canola oil
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 cup black coffee
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1-1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Ingredients for the white cake:

• 2 large egg whites
• 1-3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1-1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 cup sugar
• 8 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 3/4 cup very cold water
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp. almond extract

Ingredients for the strawberry cake:

• 1-1/4 cups plus 2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
• 1-1/4 tsp. baking powder
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1 cup sugar
• 1-1/2 oz. strawberry gelatin
• 8 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1-1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup sweetened strawberry puree*

*Ingredients for the strawberry puree:

• 2 pounds fresh strawberries, hulled
• 4 cups white sugar
• 1/4 cup lemon juice

Ingredients for the strawberry buttercream frosting:

• 1-1/2 cups fresh strawberries (8oz.), rinsed, hulled and coarsely chopped
• 4 large egg whites
• 1-1/4 cups sugar
• 3 sticks (1-1/2 cups) unsalted butter, at room temperature

Preparation

• Directions for the strawberry puree:
  1. In a wide bowl, crush strawberries in batches until you have 4 cups of mashed berry. In a heavy bottomed saucepan, mix together the strawberries, sugar, and lemon juice. Stir over low heat until the sugar is dissolved. Increase heat to high, and bring the mixture to a full rolling boil. Boil, stirring often, until the mixture reaches 220 degrees F (105 degrees C). Transfer to hot sterile jars, leaving 1/4 to 1/2 inch headspace, and seal. Process in a water bath. If the jam is going to be eaten right away, don't bother with processing, and just refrigerate.
  
  Directions to make the chocolate cake:
  1. Butter and flour the edges of a 9-inch round pan, shaking out the excess flour. Line the bottom with a round of parchment.
  
  2. In a small bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt; whisk to blend and set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the sugar, vegetable oil and egg. Beat on medium speed until smooth, about 1-2 minutes. With the mixer on low speed, blend in half of the dry ingredients, beating just until incorporated. Blend in the coffee, buttermilk and vanilla just until smooth. Beat in the remaining dry ingredients, mixing just until incorporated.
  
  3. Preheat the oven to 350˚ F. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake, rotating halfway through, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool in the pan for 20 minutes. Run a knife around the edges, then turn the cake out onto the rack and let cool completely.
  
  Direction to make the white cake:
  
  1. Butter and flour the edges of a 9-inch round pan, shaking out the excess flour. Line the bottom with a round of parchment. In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt whisk to blend and set aside.
  
  2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the egg whites on medium speed until foamy. Increase speed to medium high and continue to beat until stiff peaks form. Transfer the egg whites to another bowl and set aside.
  
  3. In the bowl of the electric mixer now fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the sugar and butter, and beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes.
  
  4. With the mixer on low speed, beat in half of the dry ingredients just until incorporated. Blend in the water, vanilla and almond extracts. Beat in the remaining dry ingredients just until incorporated. With a silicone spatula, stir in about a quarter of the egg whites to lighten the batter. Gently fold in the remaining egg whites, until the batter is smooth
  and no streaks remain.
  
  5. Preheat the oven to 350˚ F. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake, rotating halfway through, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool in the pan for 20 minutes. Run a knife around the edges, then turn the cake out onto the rack a

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