Neapolitan Cookies/ 7 Layer Cookies

Neapolitan Cookies/ 7 Layer Cookies are made of three layers of soft eggless sponge cake filled with jam and topped with chocolate glaze.

Italian Rainbow cookies are also called Neapolitan/Venetian Cookies or 7-Layer Cookies are holiday cookies which look and taste wonderful. I have tried to recreate the eggless version of the cookie cake. The cookie consists of three cake layers, two jam layers and two chocolate layers, making it seven layer cookie.

I made these during 2013, when I completed three years of blogging. And now, after ten years, I am recreating them again. I guess, I have learnt a lot of techniques in these ten years and it was comparatively easier to make. I also changed my recipe to get perfect results.

Neapolitan Cookies/ 7 Layer Cookies – How to slice

As the final cookie has two crisp chocolate layers on top and bottom, you need to know a small trick to make perfect slices. Otherwise, you will end up with a cracked shell. Use a warm knife to slice the chilled cake. The warm knife will melt the chocolate when it comes in touch with the chocolate. This will help you slice through the crisp layer without cracking it.

To make a knife warm, dip the knife in hot water, wipe with a towel or tissue to remove the water. The knife will be warm to touch and will do perfect slicing. Wipe the knife after each cut, dip in hot water and wipe again. This might look like a long process, but it will help you with perfect slices.

Generally, these cookies are so vibrant obtained by adding food colours. I didn’t add food colours, but tried to make three different flavours to get the effect. The bottom most cake layer is chocolate, the middle layer is made with freeze dried strawberries and the top is plain vanilla. I also used bitter orange marmalade, which adds a slight bitter tone to the final cookie cake. I used 70% Coverture to make the chocolate layer on top and bottom.

Freeze dried strawberries are available from Amazon. I will add the link below. If you don’t want to get it, just add some pink food colour and strawberry essence in the batter. Completely skip the freeze dried strawberry part.

As usual, I made a short video. If you are someone, who loves to learn the visual way, check out this video. I have kept it short. Refer to the recipe for the measurements. If you haven’t followed me on Instagram, do follow me to receive baking tips, tricks, recipes and my day to day efforts with baking and lots more.

Neapolitan Cookies / 7 Layer Cookies

Gayathri Kumar

Neapolitan Cookies/ 7 Layer Cookies are made of three layers of soft eggless sponge cake filled with jam and topped with chocolate glaze.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Course Cakes, Desserts

Cuisine Italian

Servings 12 Cookies

Ingredients

  

For the Vanilla Cake Layer:

• 85 g Maida/ All Purpose Flour
• 75 g Sugar powdered
• ¼ tsp Baking Powder
• ½ tsp Baking Soda
• 75 ml Milk
• 50 ml Curd/ Yogurt
• 32 ml Refined Sunflower Oil
• ½ tsp Vanilla Essence

For the Strawberry Layer:

• 85 g Maida/ All Purpose Flour
• 75 g Sugar powdered
• 5 g Freeze Dried Strawberries
• ¼ tsp Baking Powder
• ½ tsp Baking Soda
• 75 ml Milk
• 50 ml Curd/ Yogurt
• 32 ml Refined Sunflower Oil
• ½ tsp Vanilla Essence

For the Chocolate Layer:

• 70 g Maida/ All Purpose Flour
• 15 g Cocoa Powder
• 75 g Sugar powdered
• ¼ tsp Baking Powder
• ½ tsp Baking Soda
• 75 ml Milk
• 50 ml Curd/ Yogurt
• 32 ml Refined Sunflower Oil
• ½ tsp Vanilla Essence
• 200 g Jam
• 200 g Chocolate
• 40 g Butter

Instructions

 

Make the cakes:

Vanilla Cake:

• Preheat oven to 160C.
• Grease and line 8” square tin.
• Mix flour, powdered sugar, baking powder and baking soda.
• Add curd, oil, milk and essence and mix to form a smooth batter.
• Pour the batter into the prepared cake tin and level it using a spatula.
• Bake the cake in preheated oven for 17 minutes.
• Remove from oven, flip onto a wire rack, remove the tin and lining and let it cool completely.

Strawberry cake:

• Grease and line 8” square tin.
• Powder sugar with freeze dried strawberries.
• Mix flour, powdered sugar, baking powder and baking soda.
• Add curd, oil, milk and mix to form a smooth batter.
• Pour the batter into the prepared cake tin and level it using a spatula.
• Bake the cake in preheated oven for 17 minutes.
• Remove from oven, flip onto a wire rack, remove the tin and lining and let it cool completely.

For the chocolate cake:

• Grease and line 8” square tin.
• Mix flour, powdered sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder and baking soda.
• Add curd, oil, milk and essence and mix to form a smooth batter.
• Pour the batter into the prepared cake tin and level it using a spatula.
• Bake the cake in preheated oven for 17 minutes.
• Remove from oven, flip onto a wire rack, remove the tin and lining and let it cool completely.
• Line the same 8” tin with parchment paper with overhanging edges.
• Place the chocolate cake first and apply a layer of jam on it.
• Place the strawberry cake on top and add another layer of jam.
• Place the vanilla on top and cover it with the overhanging parchment paper.
• Place a heavy board or a baking tray on top and refrigerate for minimum three hours.
• Melt chocolate and butter until smooth.
• Pour it on top of the vanilla cake and refrigerate it again until set.
• Flip the cake onto a tray, top it with more chocolate glaze and refrigerate again until set.
• Place the cake on a cutting board after flipping it. Use a warm knife to slice the cake. Trim the edges for a neat finish.
• Serve the cookies at room temperature.

Keyword Neapolitan Cookies / 7 Layer Cookies