Chocolate, Strawberry and Vanilla Swirled Neapolitan Cupcakes. All Three Flavours in the Sponge and Swirled Buttercream Frosting with Decorations Alike!
Heat your oven to 180C/160 Fan/350F and line a cupcake/muffin tin with 12 Large cupcakes cases/Muffin Cases or a large tray with 12 Regular Iced Jems Baking Cups like I have!
With a stand mixer – Beat the unsalted butter/stork with the caster sugar until light and fluffy – Combine the eggs and self-raising flour with the butter/sugar mix until well combined. It won’t take too long to mix!
Separate the mixture into three bowls – it’ll be roughly 200g of cake mixture in each bowl. Mix the cocoa powder into one, the vanilla extract into another, and the strawberry jam/coulis and pink food colouring into the third.
Spoon a small spoonful of one of the mixes into the cupcake cases, then a small spoonful of the second mix in, and then the third. You want to split the mixtures evenly between the 12 cupcake cases. I use a heaped teaspoon of each mixture for each cupcake case, and then use up any extra as well.
Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes until they’re baked through and they are springy to touch – Mine usually take 17-18 minutes! Leave them to cool fully on a wire rack (Or on the baking tray you used if you used the Iced Jems Baking Cups!
For the Buttercream
Beat the butter with an electric mixer for a couple of minutes to loosen it – Gradually add the icing sugar on a slow speed until it is combined then speed the mixer up and beat for 5-6 minutes until fluffy and smooth.
Split the mixtures between three bowls again. Mix the cocoa powder into one, the vanilla extract into another, and the strawberry jam/coulis and pink food colouring into the third.
For the Decoration
In a large disposable piping bag, add the buttercream so you have it in thirds. Easiest way to do this is to use three smaller disposable piping bags with a flavour per bag. Snip the ends off and insert it into the large disposable piping bag!
Pipe on the buttercream – I used a 2D Closed Star Piping Tip to decorate my cakes but you can do whatever you like!
Sprinkle on some cute sprinkles, some strawberries, and some chocolate if you want! Enjoy!
Notes
You could use Strawberry flavouring if you wanted, or fresh strawberries, but that would make only one section of the cupcake lumpy. I use Coulis or Strawberry Jam to give it a bit of flavour as its easier and then some Pink ProGel Food Colouring for the colouring as its such a good colouring brand!
You could easily swap the flavours up if you want a different trio of flavours – or you can pipe on the buttercream in layers for example rather than swirling them together.
These cupcakes will last in an airtight container/cupcake box for 3 days at room temperature!