Dare I admit I love this easy Cannoli Cake recipe even more than a traditional cannoli? We've combined a moist vanilla cake with a light and fluffy whipped ricotta frosting and the end result is spectacular.
If you love making fun cakes you have to try our Berry Cake, Lemon Cake, Coconut Cake, or Yellow Cake.
I'm convinced our Cannoli Cake leads to La Dolce Vita
I'm convinced our Cannoli Cake leads to La Dolce VitaAs you've guessed from the name, this Cannoli Cake features the same flavors you love from an Italian Cannoli, but in sliceable, shareable, cake form. It's lightly sweet, creamy and one of my dreamiest cake creations yet.
My favorite part is how simple it is to frost and decorate, with a semi-naked cake vibe and a few chocolate chips. It's perfect for any gathering or occasion, and easy enough for a novice baker.
How to make a Cannoli Cake:
Make Cake Batter: In a small bowl combine flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside. Combine butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer then mix on medium speed for 3 minutes until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla then mix. Add ⅓ of the flour mixture and mix until combined. Add ½ cup buttermilk and mix. Repeat with flour and buttermilk, ending with flour, until all combined. Fold in mini chocolate chips.
Bake: Pour batter evenly between two 8-inch cake pans. Bake at 350 degrees F for 28-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow cakes to cool for 5 minutes before inverting onto a cooling rack.
Torte Cakes: Once cakes have cooled completely, use a sharp serrated knife to slice each cake round in half, horizontally, resulting in 4 thin cake rounds.
Make Frosting: Measure out ricotta, then place it on a plate lined with several paper towels. Place a few paper towels on top of it, and press down to remove some of the moisture from the ricotta. Add ricotta to a mixing bowl with cream cheese and powdered sugar and beat with electric mixers until smooth. In a separate bowl, add heavy cream and vanilla then beat until stiff peaks. Gently fold the whipped cream (and zest, if using) into the ricotta mixture.
Assemble: Place one cake round on a cake stand or cake board. Spread about ½ cup frosting on top then apply second cake layer, and spread more frosting. Repeat with remaining cake layers. Spread a thin layer of frosting all around the outsides of the cake. (It will have the look of a naked cake.) I like a little extra frosting on top. Sprinkle mini chocolate chips on top of the best cannoli cake then cover and refrigerate for 1 hour before serving. Enjoy!
More Desserts to Try:
- Chocolate Trifle
- Biscoff Cookies
- Oreo Cupcakes
- Chocolate Brownies
- Lemon Bars
- Panna Cotta
- Bread Pudding
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Recipe
Cannoli Cake
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2½ cups all-purpose flour
- 2½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ⅔ cup unsalted butter , room temp
- 1 ¾ cups granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs , room temp
- 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ¼ cups buttermilk , room temp
- 3/4 cup mini chocolate chips
Ricotta Frosting:
- 1/3 cup whole milk ricotta cheese
- 4 oz cream cheese , room temp
- 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon orange zest , (optional)
- 1 cup mini chocolate chips , for topping
Instructions
- Prep pans: Line two 8-in cake pans with parchment paper and spray insides with nonstick cooking spray.
- Cake Batter: In a small bowl combine flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside. Add butter and sugar to a stand mixer then mix on medium speed for 3 minutes until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla then mix.
- Add ⅓ of the flour mixture and mix until combined. Add ½ cup buttermilk and mix. Repeat with flour and buttermilk, ending with flour, until all is combined. Fold in mini chocolate chips. Pour batter evenly between the prepared cake pans.
- Bake at 350 degrees F for 28-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow cakes to cool for 5 minutes before inverting onto a cooling rack.
- Torte Cakes: Once cakes have cooled completely, use a sharp serrated knife to slice each cake round in half, horizontally, resulting in 4 thin cake rounds.
- Ricotta Frosting: Measure out ricotta then place it on a plate lined with several paper towels. Place a few paper towels on top of it, and press down to remove some of the moisture from the ricotta. Add ricotta to a mixing bowl with cream cheese and powdered sugar then beat with electric mixers until smooth.
- In a separate bowl, add heavy cream and vanilla then beat until stiff peaks. Gently fold the whipped cream (and zest, if using) into the ricotta mixture.
- Assemble: Place one baked cake round on a cake stand or cake board. Spread about ½ cup frosting on top. Apply second cake layer, and spread more frosting. Repeat with remaining cake layers. Spread a thin layer of frosting all around the outsides of the cake. (It will have the look of a naked cake.) I like a little extra frosting on top.
- Sprinkle mini chocolate chips on top of the cake. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
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How well does this store? If I needed to make it a few days ahead.
This Cannoli Cake stores really well in the fridge for a few days! You can make the cake layers ahead and freeze them (up to 3 months), then assemble closer to serving. If you’re making the whole cake a few days in advance, just keep it tightly covered in the fridge. It’ll stay fresh for 2–3 days after assembling. Just wait to add the chocolate chips on top until the day you serve, so they stay crisp and pretty.
Question: Before getting started, what kind of ricotta are you using- fresh Italian market ricotta or the dairy section ricotta like Pollo or Galbani brand? If you used the fresh, how did the recipe come out?
Great question! We’ve tested it with both the dairy aisle kind like Galbani and homemade ricotta (which is easier than you’d think). Both work, but fresh ricotta gives the frosting a slightly silkier, richer vibe. Just make sure to press out the moisture really well either way so it’s not watery! If you want to try homemade, we have a super easy recipe! Let me know! 💛
In the picture it looks like three layers. Is that from this recipe or do you have to double the recipe to get the three layers?
That’s this recipe. you cook 2 cakes and cut them each in half resulting in 4 cakes.
Can I use butter instead of cream cheese in the frosting?
Butter will change the flavor and texture quite a bit—cream cheese gives the frosting its tang and thickness. You could use all butter for more of a buttercream style, but it won’t taste the same as the classic cannoli frosting.