I believe I have spoken about this before, but one of my earliest memories is of me, just sitting on my bedroom floor, putting torn paper pieces into a tiny pink bowl, making lunch. I've always loved being in the kitchen or around it, so it really is no wonder that baking truly is my greatest love. It is a channel for my creativity and a beautiful way to express myself, and I am truly grateful for persisting in what makes me happy.
This cake is something I have thought about making for a long time, but somehow always got pushed further down the "to make" list; until now. Three striking layers of cake, and two gorgeous fudgy layers of frosting, all in the signature Neapolitan flavours; vanilla, strawberry, and chocolate.
It is as stunning as it is delicious. It does require a bit of planning and it is a touch more complicated than a regular cake, but everyone should indulge in a creative challenge now and then.
It is best kept refrigerated until serving, because that way the frosting magically transforms into an ice cream like layer. So serve it well chilled, with a cup of espresso or freshly brewed coffee, and in good company.
Ingredients
For the vanilla cake layers
60 grams plain flour
15 grams cornflour
1 teaspoon baking powder
60 grams granulated sugar
75 grams carbonated water
15 grams vegetable oil
5 grams vanilla bean paste
For the chocolate cake layers
60 grams plain flour
15 grams cornflour
10 grams unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
75 grams light brown sugar
100 grams warm water
20 grams vegetable oil
5 grams vanilla bean paste
For the strawberry cake layers
60 grams plain flour
15 grams cornflour
1 teaspoon baking powder
60 grams granulated sugar
50 grams strawberry purée
25 grams carbonated water
15 grams vegetable oil
5 grams vanilla bean paste
1 teaspoon strawberry essence or extract, optional
For the filling and frosting
550 grams soy milk
100 grams granulated sugar
80 grams cornflour
200 grams vegan block butter, at room temperature
250 grams strawberries, fresh or defrosted
50 grams dark chocolate (75% cocoa solids), melted and cooled
15 grams unsweetened cocoa powder
2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste
Preparation
Start by making the filling and frosting. Pour the cold soy milk into a large pot or a deep saucepan, add in the sugar and the sifted cornflour, and place it over medium heat. Let it slowly heat up and come to a boil. As soon as it starts to simmer, start stirring occasionally, so it does not catch on the bottom. Once it starts to boil, switch to a whisk, and whisk vigorously for 2-3 minutes, until it thickens into a smooth and shiny custard. Remove from the heat, cover with a piece of plastic wrap or baking parchment, and let it cool down to room temperature.
While the filling cools, make the strawberry reduction. Purée 250 grams of strawberries and add them to a heavy bottomed saucepan. Place it over medium heat, and let it simmer until reduced to one-fifth of the quantity, roughly 50 grams. This is best done by weight, but estimation will work fine, as well. Make sure to stir it constantly, scraping the bottom and sides with a rubber spatula, so the fruit does not burn. Once all the liquid has evaporated, remove from the heat, transfer to a small bowl, and let it cool down completely.
Next, make the cake layers. Let the oven preheat to 180°C and line three small round cake pans (15 cm) with baking parchment, bottom and sides. Set them aside for the time being.
For the vanilla cake layers, sift together the plain flour, cornflour, and baking powder, and tip them into a medium bowl. Add in the sugar, and whisk it well. Finally, pour in the carbonated water, vegetable oil, and the vanilla, and whisk everything together until just combined. Pour it into one of the prepared pans.
For the chocolate cake, the preparation method is quite similar. Sift together the flour, cornflour, cocoa powder, and baking powder, and add them to a medium bowl. Add in the brown sugar, and whisk to combine. Pour in the warm water, oil, and the vanilla, and gently mix until just combined. Just as before, pour the batter into one of the prepared cake pans.
And finally, for the strawberry cake, sift together the flour, cornflour, and baking powder, and add them to a medium bowl. Add in the sugar, and whisk together. Next, add in the blended strawberries, carbonated water, oil, vanilla, and the strawberry essence, if using, and mix to combine. Pour into the remaining cake pan, and place all three of them into the nicely preheated oven. Bake, at 180°C, for about 10-12 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the very centre of each of them comes out clean. Take them out of the oven, and let them cool completely in their pans.
When the base of the filling is at room temperature, take an electric mixer on high, and blend it for a few minutes, until smooth and creamy. Place the softened vegan block butter into another bowl, and whip it on the highest setting until lighter in colour, about 4-5 minutes. Once light and fluffy, add half of the custard to the butter, and blend well. Repeat this once more, whipping on the highest setting until everything is combined and smooth.
Once the base of the filling is blended nicely with the butter, divide it into three parts, by weight. Put 300 grams of it in a medium bowl, and add in the additional vanilla bean paste. Put 200 grams of the filling in another bowl, and add in the melted chocolate and the sifted unsweetened cocoa powder. And finally, add 265 grams of the filling into a third bowl, and add in the strawberry reduction. Fill three large pastry bags with each of the fillings separately, and cut off the tips, as there is no need for a piping nozzle. There is plenty of filling for all the layers and for decorating the cake.
Take the cake layers out of the pans and, using a set of cake or pastry rings, cookie cutters, or a round template, cut each of them into three concentric circles. There should be one 15-centimetre outer ring, an inner, 10-centimetre, ring, and a small, 5-centimetre circle in the very centre. Take your time with this step, as the cakes can, and will break, if not handled gently. Once all three layers have been cut into circles, it is time to assemble.
Place the strawberry outer cake ring on a cake platter, fit a white cake inner ring inside of it, and add in the chocolate cake centre. This is the first full cake layer. Pipe a thick layer of chocolate frosting on the strawberry pink part, strawberry frosting on the white cake layer, and vanilla bean frosting on the chocolate centre.
For the next cake layer, gently lift a white cake outer ring and place it on top of the frosting. Fit a chocolate inner circle, and the strawberry centre in the middle. Using the pastry bag, pipe a thick layer of strawberry frosting on the white outer layer, vanilla bean frosting on the inner chocolate circle, and chocolate frosting on the strawberry pink centre.
And finally, very carefully place the chocolate outer layer on top, fit a strawberry pink inner circle, and the white cake layer centre. Here is the illustration of the came assembly, if you want a visual guide while you work. With this, the cake is assembled, and you can safely decorate with the remaining frosting, as you desire. The cake is firm, so it can be decorated immediately.
Once happy with your decoration, place the cake into the refrigerator for at least 8 hours, and keep it refrigerated until serving, as it is more delicious served that way. Yields 16 rich servings. © Tina Vesić 2024
