My Cannoli Cake is heaven on a plate! Three layers of moist, tender yellow cake stuffed with delicious homemade cannoli cream. Not too sweet and perfect any time of the year, and especially the holiday season!
Good cannoli cream is a wonderful thing; not too sweet, creamy and with just a hint of lemon. Over the years, I have made many flavors and varieties of cannoli but I always come back to the classic, time-honored filling.
Not only is this filling perfect for cannoli, but it also makes an excellent filling for a cake. Now it’s not going to be fancy, schmancy cake, but it’s going to be a wonderful dessert. And a dessert your guests will talk about for years to come.
Sometimes the simplest desserts are the best. Just give me a double espresso and a slice of this cake, and I’m a happy boy.
What ingredients do I need to make a Cannoli Cake?
Let’s start by gathering the ingredients we need to make a Cannoli Cake. In Chef Speak, this is called the “Mise en Place,” which translates to “Everything in its Place”.
Not only does setting your ingredients up ahead of time speed up the cooking process, it also helps ensure you have everything you need to make the dish.
When possible, you want to use Impastata ricotta, it’s a drier and smoother ricotta that has been naturally drained of any excess moisture. My other choice is Galbani or Sorrento whole milk ricotta.
How do I make Cannoli Cream?
- Blend together ricotta and mascarpone in a mixing bowl
- Add in superfine sugar*(if you can’t find superfine, use your food processor to make regular sugar into superfine. Do not let it become powder, that will be 10x, and that makes the mixture too loose.)
The secret to keeping the cream thicker is superfine sugar. 10x sugar makes the mixture too loose. - Add in lemon zest and vanilla extract
- Add the mini chocolate chips
Can I make traditional cannoli with this cannoli cream filling recipe?
*You can use my cannoli recipe with your favorite cannoli shells. Cannoli are the perfect dessert when you want something light after dinner
Refrigerate for 2 hours, if possible, before using as filling for the cake.
*This can be made the day before
Do you love Cannoli filling? My Chocolate Mousse is another delicious filling recipe you can use for your dessert recipes.
How do I make a yellow cake?
Butter and flour the cake pans, and place a parchment circle in the bottom of each pan. Set the pans aside until needed.
- Add the softened butter and sugar to your mixer.
- Whip until light and fluffy.
- Add the eggs one at a time.
- Mix well after each addition.
- Add the vanilla to the mixture and blend to combine.
- Add the flour, salt, and baking powder to a large bowl.
- Whisk until fully blended.
- Begin adding the flour mixture, one-third at a time.
- Add the milk, alternating with the flour mixture.
- Continue until all the ingredients have been added and incorporated.
- Divide the mixture into three floured 9″ cake pans and bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center out clean.
- Allow cakes to cool completely before adding cannoli cream.
- Divide the cannoli filling into thirds and top each layer with one-third of the cream.
- Top the cannoli cake with mini chocolate chips.
- Refrigerate for 2 hours before slicing.
This is a cake that won’t make you crazy. It’s easy to make, and you can easily add your own touches. My Italian Cannoli Pound Cake is another delicious treat you might like.
Recipe FAQ’s
Yes, you can. Add ¼ cup of unsweetened cocoa to the mixture when you add the sugar.
Yes, you can. Add it in place of the vanilla.
Make a simple syrup and add in your favorite liqueur or extract as a flavoring. Brush the layers with the syrup as you assemble the cake, before adding the layer of cannoli cream.
Yes, you can. Add your favorite chips, or candied fruit to the cannoli cream.
Yes, it does. Take it out of refrigeration about 30 minutes before serving to let it come to room temperature.
Have fun with this simple cannoli cake; just make sure you have enough espresso (or milk) in the house to go along with my authentic Italian dessert!
More Cake Recipes You’ll Love!
Cannoli Cake
Ingredients
Yellow Layer Cake
- ⅔ cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 ¾ cups granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2½ cups all-purpose flour
- 2½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 ¼ cups whole milk
Cannoli Cream
- 16 oz ricotta cheese if it is wet, drain in a cheesecloth to remove the excess water
- 8 oz mascarpone cheese
- 1 cup superfine sugar also known as caster sugar
- zest of one lemon
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup mini chocolate chips more if desired
Instructions
Yellow Cake
- Butter and flour the cake pans, and place a parchment circle in the bottom of each pan. Set the pans aside until needed.
- In your mixer cream the softened butter and sugar until it is light and fluffy.
- Add the eggs one at a time and mix well after each egg.
- Mix in the Vanilla
- In another bowl add the flour, salt and baking powder and blend together
- Add the ⅓ of the flour to the creamed mixture alternating with the milk, continue until all the ingredients have been added.
- Divide the mixture into three floured 9″ cake pans and bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center out clean.
- Allow cakes to cool completely before adding cannoli cream.
Cannoli Filling
- Blend together ricotta and mascarpone
- Add in superfine sugar *(if you can't find superfine, use your food processor to make regular sugar into superfine. Do not let it become powder, that will be 10x and that makes the mixture too loose.) The secret to keeping the cream thicker is superfine sugar. 10x sugar makes the mixture too loose.
- Add in lemon zest, vanilla and the chocolate chips.
- Refrigerate for 2 hours if possible, before using as filling for the cake.*This can be made the day before
Assembly
- divide the cannoli filling into thirds and top each layer with one third of the cream.
- Top the cannoli cake with mini chocolate chips.
- Refrigerate for 2 hours before slicing
Donna
I just said out loud "you have GOT to be kidding me!" This is AMAZING! I'm making it for my husband for his birthday in August…I already decided;)
Samantha Angela @ Bikini Birthday
Wow, this looks unbelievably decadent.
Anna
Hi Chef! I’m planning to bake this on a 9×13 pan (as I don’t have 3 baking tins of the same size). Would halving the recipe give me the correct volume for the 9×13 or should I stick with the same amounts as the original? Thanks! 🙂
Chef Dennis Littley
Cutting the recipe in half should work for the 9×13 pan. I’ve never made this way but it should work.
Shirley
I love your title for this post. haha This cake looks right up my alley. And if you haven't tried it, you must have cannoli ice cream one day. I made it once and crumbled cannoli shells into it. Yum.
briarrose
Just wow! Beautiful cake and a fabulous idea behind it. Takes cannoli to a new level for me. 😉
Foodessa
As indulgently sinful as mascarpone can be…I could not imagine eliminating it from some selective amazing desserts…especially such as your scrumptious cake Dennis ;o)
I'm so glad Mama Jeannete introduced you to this velvety sweet cheese…especially since it's one of my favorites to add in the luscious 'Tiramisu' delight.
Flavourful wishes,
Claudia
rebecca
I love cannoli cake and your cake was OMG delicious!
Leslie Uhl
This cake looks so good and here it is late at night and I'm drooling over this cake! Well, Anton's birthday IS this week so I could maybe share some…
Lindsey @ Gingerbread Bagels
Oh my word, I think I’m in love. This cake was beyond delicious. I love love love cannoli!!!
Karen
I could eat this whole cake, but my family is beating me to it!
scrambledhenfruit
That's a gorgeous cake- I love the cannoli cream filling with the peppermint bark topping. So festive!
Spicie Foodie
What a beautiful cake! I love Cannoli, haven't had one in a while because I've never seen them here 🙁 I can just imagine how awesome this cake must taste. Thanks for sharing, you always have the best recipes ever!
Wilde in the Kitchen
This cake was amazing! Thanks for sharing the recipes!
Faith
Your cakes are always stunning, Chef Dennis! Love the idea of cannoli in cake form…this would be a HUGE hit with my family!
Sue
Love the look of this cake, and I'm certain I would love the taste! The bark on top looks so nice and festive:) What a great idea to add it. I actually have some of that very same bark in my cupboard right now:)
Juliana
Chef Dennis, love the idea of filling yellow cake with cannoli cream. Looks delicious and SO rich in flavor 🙂