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slice of cannoli cake on a spatula being taken out of the whole cake
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4.97 from 220 votes

Cannoli Cake

When you're looking for an easy to make Italian dessert nothing can compare to my Cannoli Cake. It's guaranteed to bring smiles to your table!
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Refrigerate2 hours
Total Time2 hours 50 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Italian
Servings: 16
Calories: 465kcal

Ingredients

Yellow Layer Cake

  • cup unsalted butter softened
  • 1 ¾ cups granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • cups all-purpose flour
  • 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

Video

Notes

**Make sure that the ricotta is very dry.  If there is too much liquid in the ricotta it the filling will be loose. If need be, drain the ricotta in a colander or a cheesecloth.
*The secret to perfect cannoli filling is using superfine (caster) sugar.  Powdered sugar will make the mixture watery.
Do Not Overbeat the mixture, it will get looser, not thicker.

Nutrition

Calories: 465kcal | Carbohydrates: 60g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 73mg | Sodium: 130mg | Potassium: 151mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 43g | Vitamin A: 647IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 149mg | Iron: 1mg