Gluten Free Neapolitan Pound Cake with Neapolitan Glaze

There’s something delightful about the Neapolitan trio: chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry smushed together into perfect bands of ice cream or cake or candy, layers of those three most classic (at least here) flavors that you never have to choose from again. I remember only ever eating one flavor out of the tub of Neapolitan ice cream as a kid, which, looking back, seems like such a bummer because the three flavors together really are perfectly, simplistically lovely. But hey! A tub of Neapolitan meant whatever mood you were in, whether it was straight forward vanilla, silky chocolate, or summery strawberry, you were covered.

After a quick bit of “research” (one source only, so not really research at all), it sounds like Neapolitan ice cream was first established as a set flavor (or trio of flavors) when Italian immigrants came to the United States in the later 1800s. Especially immigrants hailing from Naples, had impressive experience creating frozen confectionary, including ice cream with three popular flavors banded together. Originally, it’s thought that these folks started making Spumoni ice cream first, that other FABULOUS trio of cherry, pistachio, and chocolate (or vanilla) ice creams (WOW I miss Spumoni now – where oh where can I find it in San Francisco?!), and this was modified to fit contemporary American tastes which circled around vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry. Food history really does have some fun little bits. Speaking of food history, and not of ice cream, if you haven’t already, go and watch “Ottolenghi and the Cakes of Versailles” – a documentary on the massive feat the Met put on that involved pastry chefs creating fantastical creations that paid homage to Versailles, and that included a food historian (!! new dream job?) talking about the innovations in pastry during the hey day of Versailles’s royal residence.

Well, now that we’ve established that at some point we’re going to have to make a Spumoni-flavored baked good or two, go ahead and make this pound cake, or these Neapolitan cupcakes, or if you enjoy these three flavors separately, here’s a great chocolate truffle cupcake recipe, and these strawberry cupcakes!

Print Recipe

Gluten Free Neapolitan Pound Cake

Layers of chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry pound cake, covered with chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry glaze!

Prep Time1 hour hr

Cook Time1 hour hr 15 minutes mins

Cooling time2 hours hrs

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Diet: Gluten Free

Keyword: bundt, bundt cake, chocolate, glaze, gluten free, neapolitan, pound cake, strawberry, vanilla

Servings: 16 people

Calories: 400kcal

Author: Amelia Farber

Equipment

• 10-cup bundt pan
• Electric mixer

Ingredients

For the strawberry cake layer:

• 1/2 Cup salted butter room temp
• 1/2 Cup white sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 Tbsp sour cream
• 1/4 Cup strawberry puree
• 1/3 + 1/4 Cup gluten free 1-1 flour mix with xanthan gum included (if the mix doesn't have xanthan gum, add 1/3 tsp of xanthann gum)
• 1/3 Cup packed blanched almond flour
• 1 Tbsp sifted powdered freeze dried strawberries instructions below

For the vanilla cake layer:

• 1/2 Cup salted butter room temp
• 1/2 Cup white sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/3 Cup sour cream
• 1/3 + 1/4 Cup gluten free 1-1 flour mix with xanthan gum included (if the mix doesn't have xanthan gum, add 1/3 tsp of xanthann gum)
• 1/3 Cup packed blanched almond flour

For the chocolate cake layer:

• 1/2 Cup salted butter room temp
• 1/2 Cup white sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/3 Cup sour cream
• 1/3 Cup gluten free 1-1 flour mix with xanthan gum included (if the mix doesn't have xanthan gum, add 1/3 tsp of xanthann gum)
• 1/4 Cup cocoa powder
• 1/3 Cup packed blanched almond flour

For the strawberry glaze:

• 1 Cup sifted powdered sugar
• 1 Tbsp strained/sieved strawberry puree
• 1 Tbsp milk
• 1 tsp sifted powdered freeze dried strawberries

For the vanilla glaze:

• 1 Cup sifted powdered sugar
• 2 Tbsp milk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

For the chocolate glaze

• 1 Cup powdered sugar
• 2 Tbsp cocoa powder
• 2 1/2 Tbsp milk

Instructions

• First, make the cake! Preheat the oven to 325° Fahrenheit and generously butter a 10-cup bundt pan, then set aside. Use three medium bowls to make your three cake layers. In each bowl, start by beating, using the electric mixer, the room temp butter and sugar on high until it's light and fluffy (about 1-2 minutes). Then add in the eggs, vanilla, and sour cream and beat until smooth. In the strawberry bowl, add the sifted, powdered freeze dried strawberries and strawberry puree and beat to combine. In the chocolate bowl, add the cocoa powder and beat to combine. Then in each bowl, add the flour and almond flour and beat until smooth.
• Scoop the strawberry cake batter into the pan first, shaking the pan on the counter until the strawberry layer is smooth and even. Then add scoops of the vanilla cake batter, using a spatula to smooth the layer so that it covers the strawberry layer. Finally, scoop in the chocolate cake batter and spread until it covers the vanilla layer. Bake for 70-80 minutes or until a skewer or knife inserted two inches from the edge of the pan comes out clean. Let the bundt cool completely until turning out (this may take over an hour).
• While cake is cooling, make the three glazes. Use three cereal bowls. In each bowl, put the 1 cup of sifted powdered sugar. In the strawberry bowl, add the sifted, powdered freeze dried strawberries, sieved/strained strawberry puree, and milk and use a cereal spoon to mix until completely smooth. In the chocolate bowl, add the cocoa powder and milk and use another spoon to mix thoroughly. In the vanilla bowl, add the vanilla and milk and mix until smooth. You can add more milk or powdered sugar to get a thicker or thinner glaze. Once cake is cool, either pipe or pour glazes over cake in a pattern you like, then serve!

Tag @sisterssansgluten on Instagram if you snap a photo of your cake!

Food photography and styling by Amelia Farber