Neapolitan Pastries: From Sfogliatella to Babà
Naples is one of Italy’s great pastry cities. Its bakeries are known for crisp, many-layered doughs, rum-soaked yeast cakes and creamy fillings, and the nearby Amalfi Coast adds its famous lemons. This guide covers the classics from Naples and the coast, from the sfogliatella to the babà, with a photo of each and a link to our recipe.
This page is part of our guide to Italian pastries.
What Makes Neapolitan Pastry Special?
- Layered dough. The sfogliatella riccia and the lobster tail use dough rolled paper-thin and wound into many crisp layers.
- Ricotta and semolina. The classic sfogliatella filling mixes the two with candied orange.
- Rum and yeast. The babà is a light yeast cake soaked in rum syrup.
- Amalfi lemons. Lemon creams and glazes flavor pastries like delizia al limone.
Classic Neapolitan Pastries
Sfogliatella riccia
The symbol of Neapolitan pastry. Dough is stretched paper-thin, brushed with fat and rolled into a tight log, then sliced and shaped into shells that bake up crisp. Inside is a filling of semolina, ricotta and candied orange. Make our sfogliatelle.
Sfogliatella frolla
The easier sister of the riccia, made with pasta frolla, a soft and buttery shortcrust, so there is no layering to do. The classic filling is semolina and ricotta. Ours uses a bright lemon cream. Make our sfogliatella frolla.
Sfogliatella Santa Rosa
A sfogliatella with roots in the convents of the Amalfi Coast. It is finished with a swirl of custard and sour cherries on top. Make our sfogliatella Santa Rosa.
Neapolitan lobster tails (aragoste)
Called aragoste or code d’aragosta in Italian. They use layered dough like the sfogliatella, but shaped into a longer cone that bakes hollow and very crisp, then gets filled with cream. Our recipe uses lemon custard. Make our Neapolitan lobster tails.
Babà napoletano
A light, airy yeast cake soaked in sweet rum syrup until it is moist all the way through. Neapolitans eat it plain or split and filled with custard or whipped cream. Make our babà napoletano.
Delizia al limone
The lemon pastry of the Amalfi Coast and Sorrento. Each one is a small dome of soft sponge filled with lemon cream and covered in a smooth, pale lemon glaze. Make our delizia al limone.
Fiocchi di neve
“Snowflakes,” one of the newer Neapolitan favorites. Small brioche buns are filled with a cold cream of ricotta, mascarpone and whipped cream and covered in powdered sugar. Serve them chilled. Make our fiocchi di neve.
Zeppole di San Giuseppe
A pastry from Campania made for St. Joseph’s Day on March 19. Rings of choux pastry are topped with custard and a sour cherry. They can be fried or baked. Our recipe bakes them. Make our zeppole di San Giuseppe.
Not Sure How to Say It?
Sfogliatella is pronounced sfo-lyah-TEL-lah. Here is our full guide on how to pronounce sfogliatella.
Neapolitan Pastries Compared
| Pastry | Where it is from | Dough | Filling | Baked or fried |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sfogliatella riccia | Naples | Thin layered dough | Semolina, ricotta, candied orange | Baked |
| Sfogliatella frolla | Naples | Shortcrust (pasta frolla) | Lemon cream (classic: semolina and ricotta) | Baked |
| Sfogliatella Santa Rosa | Amalfi Coast | Thin layered dough | Ricotta, custard and sour cherries | Baked |
| Lobster tails (aragoste) | Naples | Thin layered dough | Cream or custard | Baked |
| Babà napoletano | Naples | Yeast dough | Rum syrup | Baked |
| Delizia al limone | Amalfi Coast | Sponge | Lemon cream | Baked |
| Fiocchi di neve | Naples | Brioche-style yeast dough | Ricotta, mascarpone and cream | Baked |
| Zeppole di San Giuseppe | Campania | Choux pastry | Custard, cherry on top | Fried or baked |
Want more? See our Italian pastries guide and our guide to Sicilian pastries.
