Neapolitan Cake

This is a cake perfect for someone who loves to get the best of all flavors, or an indecisive individual like myself. This is one of my favorite cakes I've ever made, it takes a lot of energy but is totally worth it after its finished and you are eating it. I'm looking forward to cooler weather so that baking can be a more regular thing again, currently it is just too hot to turn that oven on too often! So if you've got the time, take the afternoon and make this delicious cake, sit down, watch a movie, and enjoy a slice.

For the Strawberry Cake:

• 2/3 cup seedless strawberry preserves
• 2/3 cup diced fresh strawberries
• 1 3/4 cups cake flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup superfine sugar
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 large egg
• 2 egg whites

Begin by preheating your oven to 350˚ F.

Butter and flour a 9" cake pan and set aside.

Whisk Flour, Baking Powder, and Salt in a separate bowl and set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer with the paddle attachment, beat Butter and Superfine Sugar until pale and fluffy.

Add Vanilla, Egg and Egg Whites and mix well.

Reduce mixer speed to low, and mix in the Strawberry Preserves.

With mixer still on low speed, add the flour mixture in two parts, alternating with the Heavy Cream, beginning and ending with the flour.

Once combined, fold in the diced Strawberries.

Pour batter into the prepared cake pan and bake for 30-35 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean.

Once baked, let stand in the pan for 5-10 minutes, then let it cool fully on a wire wrack.

For the Vanilla Butter Cake:

Makes one 9" round

• 1 1/2 cups cake flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 buttermilk
• 1 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Begin by preheating your oven to 350˚ F.

Butter and flour a 9" cake pan and set aside.

Whisk Flour, Baking Powder, and Salt in a separate bowl and set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer with the paddle attachment, beat Butter and Sugar until pale and fluffy.

Add Vanilla, and Eggs (one at a time) and beat until just combined.

Reduce mixer speed to low, and mix in half of the flour mixture.

Pour in the Milk and Buttermilk, and then the rest of the flour mixture.

Pour batter into the prepared cake pan and bake for 30-35 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean.

Once baked, let stand in the pan for 5-10 minutes, then let it cool fully on a wire wrack.

For the Devil's Food Cake:

Makes one 9" round

• 1 stick unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup dutched cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup boiling water
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 1/2 cups cake flour
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Begin by preheating your oven to 350˚ F.

Butter and flour a 9" cake pan and set aside.

Whisk Flour, Baking Soda, and Salt in a separate bowl and set aside.

Whisk Boiling Water and Cocoa Powder together in another bowl and let cool. Once cooled, whisk in Sour Cream. Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer with the paddle attachment, beat Butter and Sugar until pale and fluffy.

Add Eggs, one at a time and beat until just combined. Add Vanilla.

Reduce mixer speed to low and slowly add half of the flour mixture.

Pour in the cooled chocolate and sour cream mixture and mix on low speed, then add the remaining flour mixture.

Pour batter into the prepared cake pan and bake for 30-35 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean.

Once baked, let stand in the pan for 5-10 minutes, then let it cool fully on a wire wrack.

For the Vanilla Frosting:

• 1 1/2 cups unflavored vegetable shortening
• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon almond extract

Begin by beating the shortening in the bowl of an electric mixer.

Slowly add the powdered sugar, and as the shortening and the sugar gradually blend together, increase the speed of the mixer.

When you get to about med-high speed with your mixer, slowly add the whipping cream and vanilla and almond extract.

Beat on high speed for about 1-2 minutes, until the frosting has a nice "whipped" quality.

For the Chocolate Frosting:

• 1 1/2 cups unflavored vegetable shortening
• 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 1/8 cup dutched cocoa powder
• 1/8 cup boiling water
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• scant 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream

Begin by beating the shortening in the bowl of an electric mixer.

Mix cocoa powder and boiling water together and set aside, let cool.

Slowly add the powdered sugar, and as the shortening and the sugar gradually blend together, increase the speed of the mixer.

When you get to about med-high speed with your mixer, slowly add the cooled chocolate and vanilla extract.

Add heavy whipping cream.

Beat on high speed for about 1-2 minutes, until the frosting has a nice "whipped" quality, if the frosting isn't looking thick enough, simply add more powdered sugar until it has the texture you desire.