Neapolitan Nesquik Layer Cake

This stunning three-layer cake is flavored with chocolate, strawberry, and banana drink mix powders for a Neapolitan twist, and comes complete with a cream cheese frosting.

• Preparation Time: 30 mins
• Cooking Time: 25 mins
• Total Time: 55 mins
• Calories: 706 Calories

Ingredients

• 2 cups white sugar
• 1 (16 ounce) package confectioners' sugar
• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, at room temperature
• 2 pinches salt, divided
• 6 eggs, at room temperature, separated
• 9 drops red food coloring, or as desired
• 1.5 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 0.5 cup shortening
• 1.5 cups unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 0.5 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 4.5 teaspoons baking powder
• 3.5 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1.5 cups whole milk, at room temperature
• 0.5 cup chocolate-flavored milk powder (such as Nesquik®)
• 0.5 cup strawberry-flavored milk powder (such as Nesquik®)

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour three 9-inch round cake pans.

Step 2

Combine sugar and butter in a bowl and cream using an electric mixer until light and fluffy, scraping down the sides and blending for a total of 5 minutes. Add egg yolks slowly, 1 at a time, beating into creamed butter mixture. Beat in vanilla extract.

Step 3

Sift flour, baking powder, and 1 pinch salt together in a separate bowl. Add to creamed sugar mixture in 3 batches, alternating with milk and blending after each addition. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and blend for 1 minute more; batter should be smooth and consistent. Separate batter evenly into 3 mixing bowls, about 2 1/2 cups in each.

Step 4

Beat egg whites and remaining salt together in a bowl using a whip attachment until stiff peaks form.

Step 5

Fold 1/3 of the whipped egg whites into 1 bowl of batter and pour into a prepared cake pan for the vanilla layer.

Step 6

Fold 1/3 of the whipped egg whites and chocolate-flavored milk powder into another bowl of batter. Pour into another prepared cake pan for the chocolate layer.

Step 7

Fold remaining 1/3 of the whipped egg whites, strawberry-flavored milk powder, and red food coloring into remaining bowl of batter. Pour into the remaining prepared cake pan for the strawberry layer.

Step 8

Bake cake layers in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center of each comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool for about 15 minutes before flipping layers onto a wire rack to cool to room temperature, 20 to 30 minutes more.

Step 9

Assemble and frost the cooled cake layers and decorate as you please.

Step 10

Combine cream cheese, butter, and shortening in a bowl and cream together until smooth. Scrape down the bowl and add confectioners' sugar. Blend until frosting is smooth.