Neapolitan Cupcakes {Happy Birthday To Me!}

Happy birthday to me ... happy birthday to me ... happy birthday dear, Tracey ... happy birthday to me!

Psssst! ... It's my birthday.

Hadn't figured that out yet, had you? Well, it's true. Today is my birthday!

Ever since I tin remember, my Mom has made me Neapolitan Sheet Cake for my birthday. Ever since I tin remember, without neglect ... fifty-fifty arranging for soul else to become far for me 1 twelvemonth when she was going to endure out of town. She's a proficient Mom similar that. This twelvemonth was no exception. Though Mom made me my cake ii weeks early. But no complaints here. Nope, non a one.

I merely love the classic Neapolitan flavour trio ... vanilla, chocolate, as well as strawberry. Mmmmmm, yummy. In accolade of my Neapolitan birthday tradition, I decided to percentage a novel Neapolitan sweetness process amongst y'all today - these Neapolitan cupcakes.

Now, allow me merely say y'all ... these cupcakes accept been a project of love. I've been working on perfecting them for most a twelvemonth now. A year! Can y'all believe it?? I've had the cupcake itself figured out for that entire year. But the frosting? That's roughly other story. The frosting had been eluding me. I had failed endeavor afterward failed attempt, amongst several versions turning out not-as-I-desired.

Until now! Finally!!!! Finally, a friend of mine who knew I was working on this cupcake works life a strawberry frosting I was happy with. Thanks therefore much, Jennie as well as Southern Lady magazine!

Not alone exercise I love the sense of savor of these cupcakes, I also love the "Hey, how'd y'all exercise that?" reaction I larn from people when they meet them. Truth endure told, it's actually non that hard. And I'm going to percentage amongst y'all how to exercise it!

Start past times whipping upwardly your favorite vanilla cupcake batter as well as favorite chocolate batter ... making certain they're of the same 'base' recipe amongst the same required baking temperature as well as time. I utilisation my BEST Vanilla Cupcake recipe from the wonderful bakers at The Hummingbird Bakery, along amongst their corresponding chocolate cupcake recipe.

Once your batters are mixed, set a fiddling chocolate batter on 1 side of a newspaper cupcake liner develop inward a muffin pan. I've works life tipping the pan merely a tiny flake to travel along the chocolate batter to 1 side is helpful ... but y'all alone quest to tip really a tiny bit.

Then, set roughly vanilla batter on the other side. I've works life the chocolate batter to endure merely a teeny flake thicker, therefore it 'runs' merely a fiddling flake less ... that's why I kickoff amongst the chocolate.

Then bake 'em up, as well as they'll await similar this.

Aren't they neat looking? I love the side-by-side await of the ii flavors. I tried marbling them together instead inward 1 batch, as well as spell they sense of savor the same, the await merely isn't equally 'dramatic.' Mark as well as I decided nosotros similar the side-by-side await wayyyyyy better.

Once the cupcakes are cooled, whip upwardly roughly strawberry cream cheese frosting, made a flake fluffy amongst the add-on of roughly whipped topping. This was the fundamental to a frosting the means I wanted it ... whipped topping. I didn't wishing the 'density' of a butter cream or truthful cream cheese frosting ... don't larn me wrong, I love both those types of frosting. It's merely non the texture I wanted for these cupcakes. I also tried a Swiss meringue ... total fail. I'm thinking I may non accept done it right.

Anyway, whip up this strawberry cream cheese frosting ...

... as well as piping it onto your beautiful 1/2-and-1/2 cupcakes. Sprinkle on a few pinkish carbohydrate pearls, merely for fun.

Then let on as well as indulge. Mmmm, mmmm ... it's a yummy birthday political party inward your mouth!

Neapolitan Cupcakes

Source: Cupcake batters adapted from The Hummingbird Bakery Cookbook , Strawberry Frosting adapted from Southern Lady magazine, March/April 2011

(Printable recipe)

Ingredients

Vanilla Cupcake Batter:
1 c. all-purpose flour
Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 scant 3/4 c. sugar
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
Pinch of salt
three T. butter, at room temperature
1/2 c. whole milk (I also tried it amongst 2% milk, as well as it worked fine)
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Chocolate Cupcake Batter:

3/4 c. + 2 T. all-purpose flour

2 1/2 T. unsweetened cocoa powder

Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 scant 3/4 c. sugar

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

Pinch of salt

three T. butter, at room temperature

1/2 c. whole milk (I also tried it amongst 2% milk, as well as it worked fine)

1 egg

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Strawberry Frosting:

1 (8 oz.) parcel cream cheese, softened (I exercise non recommend using reduced fat)

1/4 c. butter, softened

1/4 c. strawberry jam

1 tsp. strawberry extract (optional*)

1 (8 oz.) container whipped topping (such equally Cool Whip)

1 c. confectioners' sugar

Directions
Prepare the Vanilla Cupcake Batter:
1. Put the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, as well as butter inward mixing bowl. Beat on ho-hum speed until everything is combined as well as y'all accept a crumb mixture amongst a sandy consistency. Gradually pour inward one-half of the milk; vanquish until the milk is merely incorporated.

2. Whisk together the remaining milk (1/4 cup), egg, as well as vanilla. Pour into the flour mixture as well as vanquish until all ingredients are merely incorporated. Beat for most roughly other thirty seconds to 1 infinitesimal until the batter is smooth. Do non over mix.

Prepare the Chocolate Cupcake Batter:

3. Put the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder, salt, as well as butter inward mixing bowl. Beat on ho-hum speed until everything is combined as well as y'all accept a crumb mixture amongst a sandy consistency.

4. Whisk together the milk, egg, as well as vanilla. Slowly pour most one-half into the flour mixture as well as vanquish until merely combined. Turn the mixer upwardly to high speed for a few seconds to vanquish out whatever lumps.

5. Reduce the mixer speed to depression as well as slow pour inward the remaining milk mixture. Beat until all ingredients are merely incorporated. Beat for most roughly other thirty seconds to 1 infinitesimal until the batter is smooth. Do non over mix.

Cupcake Assembly:

6. Spoon a fiddling chocolate batter into 1 side of a muffin pan loving cup lined amongst a newspaper cupcake liner; therefore spoon a little vanilla batter into the other side. Repeat amongst remaining muffin cups, filling each cup a total of 1/2 full.

7. Bake at 325 degrees for twenty - 25 minutes, or until low-cal golden as well as the cake springs dorsum when lightly touched. Cool slightly inward the pan earlier removing cupcakes to a wire rack. Cool completely earlier frosting.

Prepare the Strawberry Frosting:

8. Combine cream cheese as well as butter; vanquish at medium speed amongst an electrical mixer until smooth. Beat inward strawberry jam as well as strawberry extract until good combined. Beat inward whipped topping as well as confectioners' sugar.

9. Pipe frosting onto the cooled cupcakes. I works life it proficient to chill the frosting for most twenty to thirty minutes earlier piping onto the cupcakes.

NOTES:

- This recipe makes 24 cupcakes. And it really does brand 24! Fill your cups alone 1/2 full, equally this batter rises quite a bit. When I divided the batter betwixt only 20 or so muffin cups, I had several that rose over the sides of the cups means also much. If you're similar me, you'll experience similar there's non plenty batter to stretch to 24 cupcakes ... but at that topographic point actually is.

*-I've made this frosting both amongst as well as without strawberry extract. Strawberry extract tin endure hard to detect (here's a link to strawberry extract on Amazon.com ... y'all tin firm it). If you're unable to detect it, y'all tin become ahead as well as brand the frosting without it. While the strawberry flavour won't endure quite equally prominent, the frosting is withal dandy without it.

Enjoy!