A classic childhood snack: the Neapolitan ! Homemade with its vanilla and cocoa sponge cakes, its fine chocolate ganache, and its white icing with chocolate vermicelli... Ultra soft, and so comforting! A real treat for young and old, for dessert or as a snack.
What you will like about this Neapolitan recipe
- flavors : the delicious taste of vanilla and cocoa combined with a fine, melting chocolate ganache...
- texture : super soft, like the original! (but with good ingredients unlike the industrial one)
- difficulty level : don't be put off by the different steps of making a Neapolitan, it takes a little time, but I assure you that the result is worth it! For speed, I cook the vanilla sponge and the cocoa sponge in one and the same rectangular mold (I create a separation in baking paper) this saves time, and allows you to have sponge cakes of the same height.
Ingredient details
- eggs : he makes you medium-sized eggs for this recipe. They must be at room temperature, this is important.
- granulated sugar : I used classic powdered sugar, I didn't want brown sugar to keep a nice color contrast, and keep the taste of the original Neapolitan.
- milk/cream : you need whole milk and 30% whole cream to ensure a very soft Neapolitan.
- chocolate sprinkles : they can be found in small bottles in the pastry section of the supermarket.
How to make a homemade Neapolitan?
- We grease and shirt one rectangular mold
- We put a baking paper separation in the pan
- We prepare sponge cake dough
- Divide the dough in two : cocoa and vanilla
- We pour in the mold on both sides
- We bake
- We prepare chocolate ganache
- We cut the 3 strips of sponge cake
- We cover them with ganache to stick them to each other
- We cut the sides Neapolitan so that it looks beautiful!
- We prepare white icing
- Place it on top with chocolate vermicelli
NB: the complete list of ingredients and the detailed recipe are given at the bottom of the page.
My tips for making your Neapolitan a success
- place your ingredients at room temperature before starting the recipe (cream, milk and eggs) because this has an impact on the final softness.
- the butter must be melted and above all cooled/warmed before being incorporated into the dough to avoid any temperature shock.
- wait until the sponge cakes have cooled before unmolding them: this is to avoid breaking them, as they are thin and soft.
- take a long serrated knife (bread knife type) to cut each side of the Neapolitan and thus have a beautiful rectangle.
- do not add too much milk to the white icing to prevent it from running down the sides of the Neapolitan.
How to store your Neapolitan?
Once made, the Neapolitan is a cake that keeps at room temperature for up to 3 days, in an airtight container. This prevents it from drying out and therefore retains all its softness.
You can possibly place it in the refrigerator, always in an airtight container, but it will lose a little of its softness - its taste will be the same nonetheless.
Other recipes to try
If you like easy-to-prepare family recipes, then I advise you to take a look at these other recipes from the blog:
- Very moist marble cake
- Very soft banana bread
- Classic French financiers
- Chocolate banana cake
- Flan Coco Antilleans
- Apple cinnamon crumble
- Coconut chocolate rocks
If you make this homemade Neapolitan, don't hesitate to rate the recipe below and tag @liliebakery on Instagram so I can see your cute cakes!
Very Soft Homemade Neapolitan
A very soft Neapolitan, with its vanilla and cocoa sponge cakes, its chocolate ganache and its white icing like the real thing!
Ingredients
Sponge cakes
- 3 medium eggs
- 130 g granulated sugar
- 45 g heavy whipping cream 30% at room temperature
- 80 g melted and cooled unsalted butter
- 90 g whole milk at room temperature
- 35 g oil sunflower type
- 185 g all-purpose flour
- Pinch of salt
- 8 g baking powder
- 1 cs natural vanilla extract
- 10 g bitter cocoa
Chocolate ganache
- 100 g 52% cocoa dark chocolate
- 100 g heavy whipping cream 30%
- 10 g unsalted butter
White icing
- 70 g icing sugar
- 1 cs milk or + if necessary
- Chocolate vermicelli
Prepare in advance
- Preheat the oven to 170° traditional heat. Grease and line a 30x20cm rectangular mold like me or a 20x20 mold and a 10x20 mold (we will ultimately obtain a 10x20cm Neapolitan).
- If you use a rectangular mold like me, divide it into two parts by adding folded baking paper (20x20 on one side and 10x20 on the other) to cook the two vanilla and chocolate doughs at the same time (see my photos step by step).
- Separate the whites from the yolks.
- Whisk together the egg yolks, powdered sugar and liquid cream for about 3 minutes, until the mixture turns white.
- Then add the cooled melted butter and mix. Then add the milk and oil together and mix.
- Separately, sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Then add twice to the dough. Do not overmix: just enough so that you no longer see the flour in the dough.
- Beat the egg whites with a mixer then add them to the dough in three batches using a spatula so as not to damage the egg whites.
- Separate the dough by dividing 2/3 on one side and 1/3 on the other. In 2/3 of the dough, add the vanilla and mix gently. In 1/3 of the dough, incorporate the bitter cocoa, still using a spatula.
- Pour the cocoa paste into the smallest part of the mold (1/3) and pour the vanilla paste into the largest part of the mold (2/3).
- Bake for around 15-18 minutes: the sponge cakes should be plump and slightly golden. Then leave to cool completely in the mold before unmolding so as not to break the sponge cakes.
Chocolate ganache
- Heat the liquid cream in a saucepan, as soon as it comes to the boil, pour in two batches over the chocolate cut into pieces. Mix to obtain a smooth and shiny ganache. Add the butter in small pieces and smooth. Cover the ganache with film and place in the refrigerator for approximately 30 minutes/1 hour: until it takes on the consistency of a spread.
Operating manual
- Cut the tops of the cakes if they are not quite flat. Cut the vanilla sponge cake in half to obtain 3 strips of cakes (see step-by-step photos)
- Place the first vanilla strip, cover it generously with chocolate ganache with a spatula. Place the chocolate strip and press lightly. Place ganache with a spatula. Place the last vanilla strip. Check that everything is straight. Wrap everything tightly in cling film and refrigerate for 1 hour.
- Then trim the edges of the Neapolitan with a long serrated knife to obtain clean, smooth edges.
White icing
- Mix the icing sugar and milk to obtain a fairly thick mixture that can still be spread. If necessary add a few drops of milk: do not add too much to avoid it being too liquid (if this is the case add icing sugar to balance).
- With a tablespoon, place a thin layer of icing on top of the Neapolitan and spread to the edge, taking care not to drip any over the sides.
- Sprinkle with chocolate sprinkles. Allow the white icing to set at room temperature before serving.
Notes
Neapolitan is a cake that keeps at room temperature for up to 3 days, in an airtight container. This prevents it from drying out and therefore retains all its softness.
Great! It looks like the real thing and it makes me want to devour it even more knowing that it's homemade. Bravo ;)
Your Neapolitan is superbly made. Mine was much less beautiful, that's for sure.
Bravo
Chrys
It is very beautiful, it makes you want to taste it!
Thank you for the recipe and see you soon
Oulala, I love this cake and I've never eaten a homemade one. To try urgently! Thanks for the recipe ;-) Kisses
Magnificent. I will try to do it.
Thank you very much Jeannine! See you soon :)
Recipe made and validated by the whole family!
The sponge cakes are super soft, the ganache very creamy, a faultless cake, much better than the industrial one!
Thank you very much Aurore for your feedback! Glad it was validated by your whole family :) See you soon
Recipe made for my daughter's 5th birthday and validated by young and old ☺️ we will make it again without hesitation!! THANKS
Oh thank you so much Steph! So happy your family loves it! See you soon :)
Absolutely fabulous! Amazing look, and much better than the industrial one, indeed. I just had one (small) problem: when I cooked the sponge cakes, the vanilla one bulged, and I didn't dare to level it because I didn't want to lose too much material. Is there a tip? Thanks again for your teaching: we're no longer afraid to get started with so many great explanations!
Hello Anne and thank you for your message! I am glad that you like it :) To be sure to put the exact quantities on each side (cocoa side and vanilla side) I advise you to weigh your containers with the 2 pastes, like that you know perfectly if the quantities are identical. See you soon :)
What a great recipe! The colleagues devoured the Neapolitan! THANKS
Thank you Fanny for your feedback! Your colleagues are lucky :) See you soon
Hello, thank you for this great recipe. I made it for my 4 year old son's birthday because he only eats this kind of cake, he was really happy. So the birthday was a success thanks to this recipe, thank you very much. I will do it again without any problem. For another occasion
Thank you Lea! Glad that your son liked this Neapolitan! See you soon :)
Hello
Do you use baking paper for the 2 sponge cakes?
Thank you
Hello Muriel, I use baking paper as a separation in my mold before baking. There is a step-by-step photo in my text so you can see. See you soon :)
Bonjour.
Nothing to say, it's just excellent, thank you very much for the recipe, kisses.
Thank you very much Rosanaly! I'm glad you like the Neapolitan :) See you soon
Hello !
I'm planning to make this Neapolitan tomorrow for my son's 3rd birthday but I have a quick question regarding the baking paper separation... how should I put it? It must also line the bottom and come up in the middle to make the separation? I don't know if the question is clear... knowing that I have the same mold as you.
Please try to answer it
Hello Mélanie, to answer you, in my recipe it is specified: "divide it into two parts by adding a folded baking paper (20×20 on one side and 10×20 on the other)". So you have to fold it so that it stands up straight on its own, respecting the measurements on one side and the other of this paper. Once you pour the pasta, it holds up very well. See you soon :)
Recipe made last weekend... a killer, my guests loved it.
Today I'm trying the raspberry bavarois
Thank you for your tempting and perfectly explained recipes, I am well on my way to trying them all
Thank you very much Lydie for your feedback! Glad you like the Neapolitan in any case (you and your guests) :) See you soon!
Hello,
I was wondering if you can remove the oil if you use very fatty cream (32/35%)?
Hello Luc, to answer your question, yes you can possibly replace it with an ultra-oily cream. The result will be similar in terms of softness. The oil helps to keep the softness over time. See you soon :)
Great recipe. Well done!
Thank you very much Sylviane! Glad you like the Neapolitan :) See you soon!
Hello,
I made this cake this weekend, and it is absolutely fabulous! It is incredibly moist :)
Thank you for this recipe.
Thank you Helen! Glad you like it :) See you soon
Hello,
I am planning to make your recipe next Saturday for my son's birthday. Can I use a pastry frame as a mold?
Thanks in advance. Lucie
Hello Lucie, yes you can use a frame, the dimensions must correspond to those of the recipe however. See you soon :)
Hello, I just made it, and I confirm, it is ultra soft. Thank you for sharing.
Oh thank you very much for your feedback! Glad you like this homemade Neapolitan :) See you soon
Recently tested. Well done and thank you for this recipe! It is indeed very soft and very tasty. Visually it has its effect. Delighted to have tested it and I am keeping this recipe carefully
Oh thank you very much Virginie! I am really happy that you like this Neapolitan in terms of taste and softness! See you soon :)
Hello, I'm going to make this lovely recipe but I'm wondering about storage, you say it's ok at room temperature but there's no risk with the ganache? Since there are dairy products inside. Thank you :)
Hello Aurélie, to answer you, the storage at room temperature is short (3 days maximum). You can place it in the fridge but it will lose its softness because of the butter it contains and which will harden in the cold. I therefore prefer to keep it under a dessert bell out of heat and out of the sun, tasting it fairly quickly! See you soon :)
Made today: the cake was delicious and moist as desired, a success!
It's certainly a bit long to do, but it's worth it.
Thank you and congratulations on your recipes.
Thank you! See you soon :)
Hello, first of all, I love your blog. Never failed a single recipe!! I plan to make this Neapolitan next week and I'm not sure I understand the white icing. Should we make the mixture with cold milk? Or by heating the milk and icing sugar? Mix with a simple whisk or a mixer?... Sorry for all the questions, thanks in advance!
Hi Val, to answer you, we don't heat it, we just dissolve the icing sugar in the milk at room temperature. You whisk until it's smooth. See you soon :)
I had tried the gingerbread which was perfect, so I tried this recipe.
Attention Madame gives the measurements of liquids in grams, do not make a mistake. So some confusion for me here because I let myself be misled. I will do it again because everything seems to be perfect.
Hello Marie, in my recipe it is clearly written grams and not milliliters because grams are always more precise in baking! See you soon :)
How to say a delight, thank you for this recipe, everything is detailed, explained simply and the result, yum! For sure it will not last three days or even 2 hours! Thank you for this recipe.
Oh thank you very much Stephanie! Glad the result lived up to your expectations! See you soon :)
Delicious and very easy to make! Thank you!
Thank you very much Franny! See you soon :)
Hello, what size mold do you use for a cake for 12 people?
Hello Séverine, so you need to calculate the volume from the mold you have. I would advise you to make two, and keep these dimensions. See you soon :)
Thank you very much for this precise recipe but which has the merit of resulting in a very good birthday cake for my daughter's 9th birthday!! It makes me want to try other of your recipes.
Great, thanks Goeffrey for your feedback! See you soon :)
A delight! Really soft, the ganache is great!
I multiplied the recipe by 1,5 to make a larger cake.
I soaked the chocolate biscuit in milk because it seemed drier than the plain one.
Impeccable result!
Everyone enjoyed it :)
Thank you very much Adeline for your feedback! See you soon :)
Hello,
Thank you for this beautiful revette, I wanted to know if you had it on video?
Hello Sabrina, no video, but step-by-step images in my article. Have you seen it? See you soon :)
Excellent! Like all of Lilie Bakery's recipes.
Thank you very much Sophie! That's very kind. See you soon :)
Hello,
Thank you very much for this recipe.
Small technical question please:
I need to make 8 of these. Can I freeze them without "mess" and if so, with the frosting or without?
Thanks for your feedback
Beautiful day
Hello Reda, personally I prefer to make them as I go along and eat them "fresh". I'm afraid that the freezer will damage the decoration. They must be well protected from humidity in any case, with cling film and aluminum foil. See you soon :)
Hello,
I made this recipe for my 8-year-old son's birthday. He and his friends loved it! Thanks for the recipe!
Thank you Marion! See you soon :)
A marvel, thank you very much for this recipe.
My little girl was so happy
The whole family enjoyed it
Thank you Isabelle! Glad you like it so much! See you soon :)
Hello Lilie
Thank you for this excellent recipe
This summer my grandchildren all want to learn how to make this cake.
WE
nicole
Thank you Nicole!
A pure delight!
A taste identical to commercial Neapolitans but without the industrial taste, according to Neapolitan fans.
Oh thank you Amanda! See you soon :)
Thank you very much for this recipe which I tried and honestly I love it!
Much better than the industrial one, super soft and not at all sickening!
The whole family and colleagues approved!
Thanks again !
Great if your colleagues validated! Thanks Elsa, see you soon :)
The rendering is like the original but in XXL, it has its effect!
Thank you Clothilde! See you soon :)
Thanks again for this recipe.
They are really well detailed, you can't miss anything! :)
Thank you very much Kathleen! See you soon :)
A first for me this Neapolitan! Well apart from the presentation, which I clearly need to improve (significantly less successful than yours), my friends enjoyed it and I really enjoyed making it alongside the crispy raspberry mousse cake with white chocolate. Thank you very much!
Oh great! Thanks Laeti for your feedback, see you soon :)
I rarely give my opinion on the recipes I make, but here... I had to.
My son never eats pastries. Even on his birthday....
This year, I asked him, like every year, what kind of cake he wanted for his birthday. .... A cake he'll eat.... Whatever he wants.
A Neapolitan answers me...
No worries, my dear....
I'm doing my research and I've decided to follow this one (I've already made some of your recipes)....
And there......
Miracle ..... My son gives me the joy of eating a piece of his birthday cake and with compliments....
I had to hold back the other guests so they wouldn't fight...
However, I tripled the quantities and made a 20*30cm Neapolitan.
This recipe is simply amazing and it's the one I'm keeping preciously for next time... No question of changing it.
Congratulations on this recipe
Oh thank you Fabienne for this message! I'm really happy that your son liked the Neapolitan, who doesn't like pastries! See you soon :)
The recipe is exceptional, I am amazed at the soft result. I had already tried another recipe but I had found the biscuit dry but there!!! I will never buy it industrially again.
Thank you very much Louiza! See you soon :)
This recipe I make regularly is great. I reproduce the sponge for my layer cakes because it is so soft and delicious.
Thank you for your recipes ❤️
Great! Thank you very much, Flavie. See you soon :)
I'm a bit of a klutz in the kitchen, but I followed everything to the letter, carefully, to make it for my family. And it was a huge success!! The recipe is truly perfect, thank you!
Thank you so much, Chloe! See you soon :)
Everyone loved it!
Thank you Virginie, see you soon :)
So, a big Bravo!
After trying several recipes, this one is by far the best! The cake is delicious!
Thank you for sharing.
Thank you Elodie! See you soon :)
So beautiful! I'm going to make it for a friend. Is it possible to bake each sponge cake in a 20x20 square pan using that entire pan?
Thank you ☺️
Hi Fabien, I think it's doable. We need to try it! See you soon :)