Neapolitan Pound Cake

This Neapolitan Pound Cake will have everyone coming back for more. This moist, tender cake combines vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry cake into one delicious bundt cake that’s absolutely amazing.

cut neapolitan pound cake on a white plate

We love cake. We love it a lot. That’s why we love the combination of vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry flavors combined in this one bundt cake. It’s three cakes in one, and it’s so easy to make!

slices of Neapolitan pound cake on white platter

❤️ Why You’ll Love This Recipe

  • It only uses a few basic baking ingredients.
  • It’s full of classic Neapolitan vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry flavors.
  • Everyone loves pound cake!
flour, sugar, eggs, milk, butter, cocoa powder, and jello mixture on a white backdrop

🛒Ingredients

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The ingredients for this recipe are very simple. You probably have most of them in your kitchen right now, in fact. The major ingredients are listed here, but you’ll find the complete ingredient list along with amounts in the recipe card at the end of the post.

  • Butter
  • Eggs
  • Vanilla
  • Evaporated milk
  • Strawberry Jello
  • Pink gel food coloring
  • Dutch cocoa powder
  • Powdered sugar
  • Heavy cream

🔪 How to Make Neapolitan Pound Cake

This recipe might look fancy, but it’s actually very easy to make. It’s colorful, to be sure, but even beginners can make it.

Step 1: Prep

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour the bundt pan. Finally, place eggs in a bowl of warm water for 5 to 6 minutes to bring them up to room temperature.

Step 2: Combine the Wet Cake Ingredients

Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Then, add the eggs one at a time, mixing after each. Then add the vanilla, scrape down the sides of the bowl, and mix until incorporated.

Step 3: Add the Dry Ingredients

Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt into the wet ingredients. Then, mix until just combined. Finally, split the batter evenly into 3 bowls.

Step 4: Make the Strawberry Batter

Mix the strawberry Jello and vinegar together until liquefied. Then, pour into a bowl of batter and mix until combined. Add a drop or 2 of pink gel food coloring and mix again.

Step 5: Make the Chocolate Batter

Mix the cocoa and hot water together first. Then, add it to a bowl of batter and mix until combined.

layers of vanilla, strawberry, and chocolate batter in a cake pan

Step 6: Add the Batter to the Pan

Add half the vanilla, strawberry, and chocolate batters in layers. Then, repeat with the remaining batter. Shake the pan to create a swirl in the batter.

Step 7: Bake

Bake for 75 to 80 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Step 7: Cool

Remove the cake pan from the oven and let it sit for about 20 minutes. Then, flip it out onto a wire rack.

finished whole Neapolitan pound cake on a parchment lined cooling rack

Step 8: Add the Glaze

While the cake cools, combine the glaze ingredients in a bowl. Then, pour the glaze over the cake. Enjoy!

📝Variations

Do you want to change up this recipe and make it your own? Here are some ways that you can do that!

  • One Flavor – Adjust the ingredients of any of the cake flavors to make a cake of one flavor.
  • Sheet Cake – You can simply pour the batter into a sheet cake pan and swirl it a bit.

If you like combo cakes like this one, then check out our chocolate vanilla bundt cake.

sliced of Neapolitan pound cake on a white platter

🥄 Equipment

  • Measuring cups and spoons
  • Whisk
  • Sifter
  • Stand or hand mixer
  • Bundt pan

🥫 Storage

Store this cake in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. For longer storage, wrap the cake in 2 layers of plastic wrap and a layer of foil and freeze it for up to 3 months.

💭 Tips

  • It’s important to dissolve the Jello in vinegar. The vinegar completely dissolves the Jello, then it evaporates away during baking, leaving just the strawberry flavor.
  • When dissolving the cocoa, use boiling water to completely dissolve the cocoa, leaving no pockets of dry cocoa.
  • Be sure that every nook and cranny of the bundt pan is greased and floured so the cake won’t stick.
  • If your cake doesn’t come out easily, firmly tap all over the pan while it’s upside down.

⁉️ FAQ

Do you have questions about this recipe? Here are the answers to the most commonly asked questions.

What is a bundt cake?

Bundt cake is simply cake batter that’s been baked in a bundt pan.

Why do people bake cakes in bundt pans?

Bundt pans are used for two reasons. First, they can be extremely decorative, making special cake shapes for special events. Second, the circular shape of the pan makes for more even baking and a better final product.

Why did my cake stick to my bundt pan?

Bundt pans are tricky, especially extremely decorative pans. If every angle, nook, and cranny isn’t greased and floured, the cake will stick.

🍽 More Recipes

Do you enjoy bundt cakes? Then try these delicious recipes:

📌 PIN IT!!

cut neapolitan pound cake on a white plate

🧾Recipe Card

Want to make this recipe? Print the recipe card below, or pin this recipe, so you can find it later.

cut neapolitan pound cake on a white plate

Neapolitan Pound Cake

This Neapolitan pound cake is rich, moist, and so delicious, and it’s full of classic Neapolitan vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry flavors.
5 from 2 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Servings: 12 Servings
Calories: 583kcal

Equipment

  • Measuring Cups and Spoons
  • Whisk
  • sifter
  • Stand or hand mixer
  • Bundt pan

Ingredients

  • 1 cup unsalted butter room temperature
  • 2 ½ cups granulated sugar
  • 5 large eggs brought to room temp
  • 3 cups all purpose flour
  • ½ tsp baking powder
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 1 tbsp vanilla extract
  • ¾ cup evaporated milk

Strawberry marble

  • 8 oz strawberry jello packet
  • 2 drops pink gel food coloring
  • of the cake batter

Chocolate marble

  • 1 ½ tsp dutch cocoa powder
  • 1 tbsp hot water
  • of the cake batter

Glaze

  • 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
  • 2-3 tbsp milk or heavy cream
  • 1 tsp vanilla

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 325F.
  • Place eggs in a bowl of warm water to bring them up to room temp for 5-6 mins
  • Cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy with a hand or stand mixer (about 4-5 mins)
  • Add the eggs one at a time, mixing after each.
  • Add the vanilla extract
  • Scrape down the bowl and make sure all ingredients are incorporated.
  • Sift the all purpose flour, baking powder, and salt into the wet ingredients.
  • Mix until just combined.
  • Split the batter into 3 bowls by removing 1.5 cups of batter placing into 2 bowls (leaving the third as is)
  • Bowl 1: Mic strawberry jello and vinegar (it will fizz a little) mix until its a liquid. Pour into the bowl of batter and mix until fully combined add a drop or two of pink (gel) food color (optional)
  • Bowl 2: Mix cocoa and hot water together first. It’s important this is HOT water, so the chocolate will dissolve and melt, then add to the batter and mix fully.
  • Bowl 3 will remain untouched.
  • Grease/flour bundt pan.
  • Add the vanilla, strawberry and chocolate batters. Repeat the layering once more until all batter is in the pan.
  • Shake the batter to create the swirl pattern
  • Bake for 75-80mins or until a skewer comes out clean.
  • Remove from the oven and let sit for 18-20 mins before flipping out of the pan onto a wire rack.
  • For the glaze, combine all the ingredients in a bowl, whisk or mix until incorporated.
  • Pour glaze over cake, serve and enjoy

Notes

Any nutritional data I provide is an approximation and actual dietary information can vary based on ingredients and proportion sizes.

Nutrition

Serving: 1Slice | Calories: 583kcal | Carbohydrates: 100g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 110mg | Sodium: 251mg | Potassium: 123mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 75g | Vitamin A: 635IU | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Calcium: 77mg | Iron: 2mg

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6 Comments

  1. Sheila K. says:

    5 stars
    Oh MY, it looks great! Can’t wait to cook em this Sunday!

    1. Thank you Sheila! I hope you enjoy them! 🙂

  2. I do not see vinegar in the ingredient list??
    I would very much like to try this recipe

    1. There is no vinegar in the pound cake. I would just go by the recipe card 🙂