Pretty pink frosting is the perfect finishing touch for chocolate-and-vanilla cupcakes.
Neapolitan Cupcakes
Makes 24
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
- 1½ cups sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 cups cake flour
- 2½ teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1¼ cups milk
- ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- Strawberry Frosting (recipe follows)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°. Line 2 (12-cup) muffin pans with paper liners; set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine butter, cream cheese, and sugar. Beat at high speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla.
- In a medium bowl, sift together cake flour, baking powder, and salt. Gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture alternately with milk, beginning and ending with flour mixture.
- Divide batter in half, and beat cocoa powder into half of batter. Spoon chocolate batter into muffin cups, filling about one-third full. Spoon vanilla batter evenly over chocolate batter, filling about two-thirds full. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean; cool completely. Pipe Strawberry Frosting on top of cupcakes.
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Strawberry Frosting
Ingredients
- 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
- ¼ cup butter, softened
- ¼ cup strawberry jam
- 2 teaspoons strawberry extract
- 1 (8-ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed
- 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, combine cream cheese and butter. Beat at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth. Add strawberry jam and strawberry extract, beating until smooth. Beat in whipped topping and confectioners’ sugar.
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Sprinkled with sugar, these multicolored treats make for a fun addition to any menu.
Neapolitan Sugar Cookies
Makes about 48
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter, softened
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 (1-ounce) squares semisweet chocolate, melted and cooled
- 1 tablespoon strawberry extract
- Red food coloring
- White sparkling sugar
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine butter and sugar. Beat at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla.
- In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture, beating until combined. Divide dough into thirds.
- In a medium bowl, combine melted chocolate and one-third of dough. Beat at medium speed until well combined.
- In a separate medium bowl, combine one-third of dough, strawberry extract, and desired amount of red food coloring. Beat at medium speed until well combined. Divide each color of dough into 4 pieces. Wrap each piece of dough in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours, or until chilled.
- Roll each piece of dough into a 12-inch rope to form 12 ropes. Using 2 ropes of each color, form 2 logs, alternating colors; press ropes together gently to adhere. Wrap logs in parchment paper, and freeze for 2 hours.
- Preheat oven to 350°. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Slice each log into ½-inch-thick slices. Place on prepared pans. Sprinkle with white sparkling sugar. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes. Cool on pans for 2 minutes. Transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
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A velvety strawberry filling, a chocolate crust, and white chocolate curls combine for a decadent cake guests won’t soon forget.
Neapolitan Dessert
Makes 1 (9-inch) cake
Ingredients
- Crust:
- 2 cups firmly packed chocolate graham cracker crumbs
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 6 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled
- 1 egg white, lightly beaten
- Filling:
- ¼ cup cold water
- 2 (0.25-ounce) packages unflavored gelatin
- 2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
- ¼ cup buttermilk
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 (10-ounce) package frozen sliced strawberries in syrup, thawed and pureed
- 1¾ cups confectioners’ sugar
- 1¼ cups heavy whipping cream
- Garnish: white chocolate curls, chocolate curls, strawberries
Instructions
- To prepare crust, preheat oven to 300°. Spray a 9-inch springform pan with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a small bowl, combine cracker crumbs, granulated sugar, melted butter, and egg white. Press firmly on bottom and halfway up sides of prepared pan. Bake for 8 minutes; set aside to cool.
- To prepare filling, in small microwave-safe bowl, combine ¼ cup cold water and gelatin; let stand for 2 minutes. Microwave on high for 30 seconds or until dissolved; set aside to cool slightly.
- In a medium bowl, combine cream cheese, buttermilk, butter, and strawberry puree. Beat at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add confectioners’ sugar, beating until combined.
- In a separate bowl, beat cream at high speed until soft peaks form. Beat in dissolved gelatin until stiff peaks form. Fold together cream cheese mixture and whipped cream mixture until well combined. Evenly spread mixture in prepared crust. Cover with plastic wrap, and chill for 4 hours.
- To serve, remove plastic wrap and run a knife around edge of pan. Carefully unlatch ring of springform pan, and remove cake. Garnish with white chocolate curls, chocolate curls, and strawberries, if desired.
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