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Cannoli Cake Recipe

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★★★★★

4.8 from 68 reviews

This decadent Cannoli Cake recipe brings together the rich flavors of traditional Italian cannoli in a layered cake form. With moist vanilla cake layers brushed with rum syrup, filled and topped with a luscious ricotta and mascarpone cream, and studded with mini chocolate chips, this dessert offers a delightful combination of textures and flavors. Perfect for special occasions, the cake can be prepared a day ahead, making it easier to assemble and serve.

Ingredients

Scale

Cake Ingredients

  • 6 ounces (1 ½ sticks or 170 grams) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1⅔ cup (340 grams) superfine (castor) sugar
  • ¼ cup (60mls) oil (vegetable or canola)
  • 4 eggs, room temperature
  • 3 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1½ cups (185 grams) all purpose flour
  • 1½ cups (185 grams) cake flour
  • 2½ teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1¼ cup (300mls) buttermilk

Filling Ingredients

  • 3¾ cups (2 pounds/900 grams) fresh ricotta (dry or strained overnight)
  • ¾ cup (90 grams) powdered (icing) sugar
  • 3 teaspoons finely grated orange zest
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 cup (approx 250 grams) mascarpone cheese
  • ½ cup (62 grams) powdered (icing) sugar
  • ¼ cup dark rum
  • 2 cups mini chocolate chips
  • 6 small cannoli shells (optional)

Instructions

  1. Preparation: Read the recipe fully before starting, ensuring use of dry or well-strained ricotta for best results. Consider baking the cake component a day in advance to ease assembly.
  2. Preheat and Prepare Pans: Preheat oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Grease two 8-inch (20cm) round deep cake pans, line the bottoms with non-stick paper, and flour the sides to prevent sticking.
  3. Mix Dry Ingredients: Whisk or sift together all purpose flour, cake flour, baking powder, ground cinnamon, baking soda, and salt in a bowl. Set aside.
  4. Cream Butter, Sugar and Oil: Using an electric mixer, beat the softened butter, superfine sugar, and oil on medium speed for 2 minutes until light and fluffy.
  5. Add Eggs and Vanilla: Scrape the bowl sides, then add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in vanilla extract.
  6. Combine Wet and Dry Ingredients: Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and mix on low speed just until moistened. Add buttermilk and beat on medium speed for 1 minute until batter is smooth and combined.
  7. Bake Cake Layers: Divide batter evenly between prepared pans and bake for 30-35 minutes. Start checking at 30 minutes; cake is done when it pulls away slightly from pan edges and springs back when touched.
  8. Cool Cakes: Let cakes cool in pans for 10 minutes before turning out onto wire racks to cool completely. Cool thoroughly before assembling.
  9. Prepare Cannoli Filling: In a food processor, blend ricotta, ¾ cup powdered sugar, orange zest, and ground cinnamon until creamy and smooth. Fold in mascarpone cheese gently. Refrigerate until use.
  10. Make Rum Syrup: Stir together ½ cup powdered sugar and dark rum until sugar dissolves. Set aside for brushing layers.
  11. Assemble Cake Layers: Trim tops of cakes to level them, then slice each cake horizontally in half to make four layers total. Brush one cut side of each layer generously with rum syrup.
  12. Layer Filling and Chocolate Chips: Place one cake layer on plate and spread about 1 cup of ricotta filling evenly over it. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons mini chocolate chips. Repeat with remaining layers, finishing with cake on top.
  13. Fill Cannoli Shells (Optional): If using mini cannoli shells, fill with ricotta cream using a teaspoon or piping bag, then press chocolate chips onto ends. Refrigerate until serving.
  14. Frost the Cake: Reserve ⅓ cup of ricotta cream for decoration. Spread remaining filling over the entire cake, starting with a thin layer on sides and a thicker layer on top.
  15. Decorate the Cake: Press additional mini chocolate chips onto the sides of the cake for texture and appearance. Arrange filled cannoli shells evenly spaced on top of the cake.
  16. Pipe Decorative Stars: Using a piping bag fitted with a star nozzle, pipe 6 stars of ricotta cream between the cannoli on top of the cake for elegant finish.
  17. Serving and Storage: Serve the cake immediately or refrigerate for 1-2 hours before serving to allow flavors to meld and filling to set.

Notes

  • Use dry or well-strained ricotta to avoid soggy filling; strain ricotta overnight in a fine mesh sieve lined with cheesecloth.
  • Preparing the cake layers a day ahead and freezing them can simplify assembly on serving day.
  • The oil helps keep the cake moist; neutral oils like vegetable or canola are preferred.
  • Chocolate chips add a delightful crunch and classic cannoli flavor; feel free to adjust quantity or substitute with finely chopped dark chocolate.
  • If you don’t want to use alcohol, omit rum or replace with orange juice for syrup.
  • The cannoli shells are optional but add visual appeal and texture contrast.

Keywords: Cannoli Cake, Ricotta Cake, Italian Dessert, Layer Cake, Mascarpone, Chocolate Chips, Rum Syrup, Cannoli Filling

Find it online: https://dinewithdylan.com/cannoli-cake-recipe/