This classic three layer Neapolitan cake contains all of your favorite flavors into one stunning masterpiece covered with a homemade cream cheese frosting. Using box cake mixes makes creation easy, but delicious.
Preheat the oven to 350°F (325°F for dark/non-stick pans). Line the bottom of three 8-inch cake pans with parchment paper and spray the sides with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.
For each flavor of cake - In a mixing bowl, combine cake mix, eggs, milk, oil, and sour cream. Beat with a hand mixer for 2-3 minutes until fluffy and well combined.
Transfer 2 ½ cups of the batter into one of the prepared cake pans. Use the remaining batter for another purpose.
Repeat for all three flavors of cake.
Bake for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cakes comes out with just a few crumbs.
Remove pans and cool for 10 minutes. Gently remove cakes from pans to cooling racks and cool completely.
If time allows, wrap each layer in plastic wrap and place in the freezer to firm up for 2 or more hours. (This makes it easier to assemble and frost the cake.)
Frosting Instructions:
Beat together softened cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy.
Beat in 4 cups of powdered sugar.
Beat in ¼ cup of heavy cream; then continue adding heavy cream 1 tablespoon at a time until the frosting is light and fluffy and a spreadable consistency.
Assembly Instructions:
Trim the top of each cake layer to form a flat, even surface.
Place the chocolate cake layer top-side up onto the serving platter.
Mound about ½ cup of frosting onto the cake layer and spread smooth to the edges.
Place the second vanilla cake layer top-side down on top of the frosting. Press down gently to seal the layers together.
Spread another layer of frosting over the vanilla cake layer and then top with the strawberry layer, top side down.
Spread a thin layer of frosting over the top and down the sides of the cake to seal in all of the crumbs and smooth the sides between the layers. Freeze for 15-30 minutes.
Mound most of the remaining frosting on top of the cake and use an offset spatula to spread it across the top and down the sides until the cake is fully frosted. If desired, transfer some frosting to a piping bag and pipe a border around the top and bottom perimeter of the cake.
Refrigerate or freeze until ready to serve.
Notes
Store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week or freeze up to 1 month.Cake layers can be frozen (up to a week in advance) before assembling the cake if you wish to prepare the cake ahead of time and also to reduce crumbling.Sour cream adds moisture to the box cake mix and really elevates the texture of the cakes.Measure the 2 ½ cups of batter for each cake layer - this ensures that each of the 3 layers comes out even. If you do not have 3 separate 8” cake pans, mix up one batter at a time, bake that layer, cool and remove it from the pan, then mix up the next cake batter and so on. Do not mix up the cake batters ahead of when you can bake them as they will not rise as well. Use the extra batter to make cupcakes. The 2 ½ cups of batter for each layer is a little more than ½ - I had enough batter left to make 6 cupcakes in each flavor.I always freeze my cake layers so that they are less fragile/soft when I’m stacking and frosting them.