Neapolitan Ice Cream Cake

This Neapolitan Ice Cream Cake gives you the three classic flavors - chocolate, strawberry and vanilla, but plays around with textures. You will be very surprised!

Last year we made Neapolitan Ice Cream for Christmas. All flavors were homemade: chocolate, strawberry and vanilla. It was delicious, but we still wanted to try something different. That's when my husband came up with the idea of making a Neapolitan Ice Cream Cake.

🍦 Why is vanilla chocolate and strawberry ice cream called Neapolitan?

This mix ox flavors is linked to a possible origin in the city of Naples, Italy. As the flavors are put side by side, they remind the Italian flag 🇮🇹.

But why these flavors? Apparently any combination of flavors was used, but since chocolate, vanilla and strawberry were the most available, they ended up as the classic 3 flavors for the Neapolitan ice cream!

🍰 What makes this a cake?

We called this a Neapolitan Ice Cream cake because only one layer is actually ice cream!

For the bottom layer we made a brownie. The middle layer we kept traditional with strawberry ice cream. And for the top layer we used a vanilla flavored whipped cream!

And this is the playing with textures we mentioned. The base is dense, the middle layer creamy as ice cream 😉 and the top layer very airy and light.

📋 Ingredients

Bottom layer (brownie):

• semi sweet chocolate
• unsalted butter
• granulated sugar
• brown sugar
• eggs
• vanilla extract
• cocoa powder
• all purpose flour
• salt

Second layer:

• strawberry ice cream

Top layer:

• heavy cream
• confectioners' sugar
• vanilla paste

🍳 How to make it

Bottom layer (brownie):

1. You'll start by preheating the oven to 350F (180C).
2. In a large bowl, you'll place chocolate and butter.
3. Melt them in the microwave oven or in bain-marie.
4. Mix well, add sugars and mix well.
5. The next step is to add eggs (one at a time) and pour in the vanilla and
6. Finally add cocoa powder, flour and salt.
7. Pour batter in a 8in (20 cm) round baking pan (prepared with parchment paper on the bottom - if you use a springform pan it will be easier for unmolding) and
8. Bake for approximately 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the brownies comes out with a few moist crumbs sticking to it.
9. When brownie is cooled put it (don't remove from pan) in the freezer for 1 hour.

Second layer:

You should really use my strawberry ice cream recipe.

Or you have two other alternatives: buy strawberry ice cream (not as delicious) or, if you already have a recipe you like, you can use it. But you should give my homemade strawberry ice cream recipe a try 🙂

Top layer:

• Whisk heavy cream until soft peaks form.
• Add confectioners' sugar and vanilla paste, and whisk until combined.
• Keep refrigerated until you're ready to use it.

Assembling:

1. Remove brownie from freezer (do not remove from pan).
2. Spread strawberry ice cream on top of brownie
3. Spread vanilla whipped cream on top of ice cream.
4. You can dust some cocoa powder on top if you'd like.
5. Leave cake in the freezer for some hours (preferably overnight).
6. To unmold easily (if you are not using a springform pan), dip pan in sink filled with warm water for 20 to 30 seconds.
7. Remove from pan, remove parchment paper from the bottom and place cake in a plate.
8. Leave cake at room temperature for a few minutes before serving.

This Neapolitan Ice Cream Cake was a total hit, with the three classic flavors, but with three different textures: cakey chocolate, creamy strawberry and airy vanilla! Perfect!

📖 Recipe

I think you might also enjoy this Dulce de Leche Ice Cream Cake - it is pretty similar to this one, but it has a dulce de leche ice cream layer and caramel topping!!

Print Pin

Neapolitan Ice Cream Cake

This Neapolitan Ice Cream Cake gives you the three classic flavors, but plays around with textures.

Course Dessert

Cuisine Italian

Keyword chocolate, ice cream, neapolitan, strawberry, vanilla

Prep Time 6 hours hours

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 12

Calories 361kcal

Author Travel Cook Tell

Ingredients

Bottom Layer (Brownie)

• 5.3 oz semi sweet chocolate
• 3.5 oz unsalted butter
• 3/4 cup sugar
• ¼ cup brown sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp cocoa powder
• ½ + 1/8 cup all purpose flour
• ½ tsp salt

Second layer

• 2 cups strawberry ice cream

Top layer

• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
• 1/2 tbsp vanilla paste

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Bottom Layer (Brownie)

• Preheat oven to 350F (180C).
• In a large bowl, place chocolate and butter. Melt them in the microwave oven or in bain-marie. Mix well. Add sugar and brown sugar and mix well.
• Add eggs (one at a time). Pour in the vanilla. Finally add cocoa powder, flour and salt.
• Pour batter in a 8 in (20 cm) round baking pan (prepared with parchment paper on the bottom - if you use a springform pan it will be easier for unmolding) and bake for approximately 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the brownies comes out with a few moist crumbs sticking to it. When brownie is cooled put it (don't remove from pan) in the freezer for 1 hour.

Top layer

• Whisk heavy cream until soft peaks form. Add confectioners' sugar and vanilla paste, and whisk until combined.

Assembling

• Remove brownie from freezer. Spread strawberry ice cream on top. Spread vanilla whipped cream on top of ice cream.
• Leave pie in the freezer for some hours (preferably overnight). To unmold easily (if you are not using a springform pan), turn pie pan upside down and let some hot water run through it. Remove from pan, remove parchment paper from the bottom and place pie in a plate.
• Leave pie at room temperature for a few minutes before serving.

Notes

Just like the pictures, you can dust some cocoa powder on top.

Nutrition

Calories: 361kcal | Carbohydrates: 38g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Cholesterol: 93mg | Sodium: 137mg | Potassium: 155mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 24g | Vitamin A: 634IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 60mg | Iron: 1mg