I scream, you scream, we all scream for … cupcakes? That’s right, it’s time for another “piece” of cake — neapolitan style, of course.

Everyone knows of the comforting tri-flavored ice cream, but did anyone ever picture it in a cupcake? The answer is yes, since it’s pretty much all over Pinterest, but that’s beside the point. The point is that taking a bite of this cupcake is like actually eating a bowl of neapolitan ice cream while watching “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” at 2:30 a.m., crying and hating yourself for choosing that movie.

Or maybe that was just me.
But really, the chocolate cake on the bottom is moist and decadent, while the vanilla bean layer tastes exactly like a vanilla bean Frappuccino from Starbucks. Did I mention that the strawberry buttercream actually has strawberries in it? Yeah, so let’s get started.

Neapolitan Cupcakes

Start to finish: 2 hours

Servings: 2 dozen

Here’s what you need:

Chocolate cake:

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 cup boiling water

1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted

2 1/2 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil

3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons granulated sugar

3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 large egg

1 large egg yolk (reserve white for vanilla cake)

1/4 cup heavy cream

1 cup all-purpose flour

Vanilla cake:

1 1/2 cups cake flour

1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

7 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

3/4 cup granulated sugar

Seeds of 1 large vanilla bean

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 large egg whites

1/2 cup milk (anything but skim)

Strawberry buttercream frosting:

⅓ cup strawberry puree

1 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened

5-6 cups powdered sugar

1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Red food coloring (optional)

Here’s the fun part:

Preheat your oven to 350 F and place cupcake liners into two 12-count cupcake pans.

Chocolate cake:

In a heat proof bowl, mix the cocoa and baking soda. Add the boiling water and mix quickly until the bubbling stops, then set the bowl aside.

In a mixer with a paddle attachment, mix the melted butter, oil, sugar, vanilla and salt.

Add the egg and egg yolk to the butter and sugar mixture and mix well.

Add in the chocolate mixture and mix well. Repeat with the heavy cream.

Slowly mix in the flour and mix on high until well combined.

Evenly divide the chocolate batter into the bottom of each cupcake liner, filling each about 1/4 of the way full.

Vanilla cake:

In a new bowl, combine the cake flour, baking powder and salt and set aside.

In a mixer with a paddle attachment, mix the softened butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add in the vanilla seeds and extract.

In a separate bowl, mix the milk and egg whites.

Alternate adding in the flour mixture and the milk mixture to the sugar and butter mixture, beginning and ending with the flour. Mix well in between.

Evenly distribute the vanilla batter between the cupcake tins, on top of the chocolate batter.

Bake for 16-19 minutes.

Strawberry buttercream frosting:

While the cupcakes are baking, whip the unsalted butter on high in a mixer with a whisk attachment for five minutes or until light and fluffy.

Slowly mix in 2 cups off the powdered sugar on a low speed.

Add the strawberry puree and whisk slowly until well combined. Also add in the food coloring here (as much as you’d like, but no more than 2 teaspoons), if you are using it.

Add in the vanilla and carefully whisk in the remaining powdered sugar on low until the frosting is the consistency you want.

Once the cupcakes are completely cooled, scoop the frosting into a tipped piping bag and pipe the frosting in a swirling pattern on top of the cupcakes.

Here are some tips:

• Use white cupcake liners so that you can see every layer before unwrapping it
• Instead of using a piping bag for your frosting, just use a spoon and spread it on the top of the cupcake for a more free-form appearance
• Let the chocolate batter sit in the cupcake tin for a bit before adding the vanilla batter on top to ensure a distinct line between layers

And that’s it. It’s time consuming, yes, but the end results are so worth it. Just like last week, I’m eating one of these while I brag about how amazing these are. So, get to baking, fellow foodies.

Junior Laken Wagner has been spending time in the kitchen since she was five years old, where both baking and cooking have always filled her extra time. She enjoys baking more than anything else and can frequently be found decorating cakes or trying out new recipes.