Cannoli Cake
This homemade Cannoli Cake is a moist layer cake with all the classic cannoli flavors you love!
A light cinnamon cake with delicious ricotta and mascarpone cheese cannoli filling is a delicious treat that is ideal for special occasions and the dessert table. With a coating of mini chocolate chips and cute, mini cannoli on top, this will be your most popular dessert cake!
If you love Italian cannoli, you’ve come to the right place. This Cannoli cake recipe is a delectable dessert that highlights all of the wonderful flavors of that Italian classic. This is undoubtedly the BEST Cannoli cake I have ever eaten!
Just like more simple dessert recipes such as my easy vanilla cake, poached red wine pears, or budino al cioccolato, this Cannoli Cake recipe will become a firm favorite that your family and friends will ask for time and time again!
Table of Contents
Why you’ll love this recipe
- Made from scratch – This cannoli cake recipe uses basic ingredients that you will find in any supermarket to create a deceptively light dessert.
- Impressive – You’re family and friends will be so impressed by your skills and talent when you serve this impressive, make-ahead dessert.
- Make in advance – Bake and assemble the Cannoli Cake the day before then decorate with store-bought, mini cannoli and lots of mini chocolate chips so there is no doubt of the flavor within!
- Traditional flavors – Typically, Sicilian cannoli are filled with sweetened whipped ricotta cannoli filling. Usual additions are chocolate, cinnamon, candied fruit, or orange zest. For extra creaminess which you’ll love, the cannoli cake frosting also uses mascarpone.
- Step-by-step instructions – Don’t be scared off by the length. This Cannoli cake recipe, like my Chocolate Cake with caramel and my Raspberry Torte, has a few steps but simply follow my instructions carefully for complete success!
For complete ingredient quantities and full instructions, please scroll to the printable recipe card at the bottom of the page.
Ingredients for Cake
Firstly the cake must be baked and cooled before assembly of this dessert.
The layers in this Cannoli Cake recipe are rather light and wonderfully moist. The ingredients make all the difference. You’ll find all the usual cake ingredients here but some may require an explanation.
- Flour – two different flours are needed for this cannoli cake recipe. All-purpose flour for structure and moisture and cake flour for lightness and fine texture.
- Buttermilk – easily available at the grocery store. This combined with baking soda creates air to give your cake good volume and tenderness.
- Butter – I prefer the flavor of unsalted butter for most of my baking.
- Oil – choose a light-flavored oil because this is for moisture not flavoring.
Instructions for cake
Preheat oven to 350ºF/180ºC and grease two 8-inch round deep cake pans and line the base with non-stick paper then flour the sides.
Whisk or sift together two flours, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
Beat butter, sugar, and oil. Add eggs one at a time followed by vanilla.
Mix in dry ingredients until just moist then add buttermilk.
Divide amongst prepared pans.
Bake until cooked through and golden brown.
Hint: To test if a cake is done, use your senses. The smell of baked cake should fill the kitchen. Look to see if it’s golden brown. Now feel the top. It should feel springy. Finally, push a skewer into the cake. If it comes out clean, it’s done.
Ingredients for frosting and assembly
- Ricotta cheese – use only full fat ricotta cheese. This recipe is not a low fat cake. It’s a special occasion cake which deserves using full fat, quality ingredients.
- Mascarpone cheese – this is a thick creamy Italian cheese that is found in many supermarkets. If you can’t find it, you could substitute cream cheese though the flavor will be different.
- Powdered sugar – Also known as icing sugar or confectioners sugar, it dissolves and blends quickly and easily into the ricotta cheese.
- Orange – You’ll only need the orange zest. Reserve the orange for juice or cut it up for a fruit salad.
- Dark rum – I like to use rum but if you’d rather have an alcohol-free cake, use orange juice.
- Cinnamon – powdered cinnamon is the perfect sweet spice to complement the cannoli cream filling.
- Cannoli shells – these are optional but add to the cake’s appeal. Try my homemade cannoli shells recipe if you can’t find them in the grocery store. Fill them with reserved cannoli filling.
- Chocolate Chips – mini chocolate chips are a complete adornment of this Cannoli cake.
Instructions for frosting and more
Next prepare the cannoli cream frosting, syrup, and cake for assembly.
In a food processor, combine the ricotta, powdered sugar, orange zest, and cinnamon until creamy. Fold in mascarpone. Refrigerate until needed.
Combine powdered sugar with dark rum. Stir to dissolve sugar.
Hint: If you don’t have a food processor, the ricotta frosting can be beaten in an electric mixer. Beat until smooth and creamy which may take as long as 5 minutes. It will never be as smooth as frosting prepared in the food processor.
Instructions for assembly
Cut and level off the tops of the cakes and cut each cake in half horizontally making four cake layers.
Brush one cut side of each layer with rum syrup.
Place one layer on a cake plate and spread some ricotta filling over.
Sprinkle with chocolate chips.
Continue layering and filling with ricotta cream and chocolate chips
Spread the remaining filling all over the cannoli cake and decorate with chocolate chips and filled cannoli shells.
Substitutions
- Homemade cake – if you are in a hurry use store-bought cake. I suggest you purchase a vanilla pound cake or sponge
- Buttermilk – make buttermilk by adding 1 tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice to a measuring jug. Add milk to the 1 1⁄4 cup mark, then stir. Wait 5 minutes before using.
Variations
- Almond Flavor – use a teaspoon of almond extract instead of cinnamon for something different
- Tutti Frutti – use candied fruit in place of the orange zest.
- Nutty – press toasted, sliced, or chopped almonds or pistachios to the sides of the cake instead of chocolate chips.
Storage
Cannoli Cake will keep in the fridge for 3-4 days. The cake will dry out in the fridge so be sure to cover it well with plastic wrap or store it in an airtight container.
Unfilled cake can be wrapped well and frozen for a month. However, the ricotta frosting and completed cake cannot be frozen.
Top Tips
Be sure to follow these important points for the success of this Cannoli Cake.
- Use whole milk ricotta cheese and if it’s not as dry and crumbly as indicated in the photo, you MUST strain it overnight.
- Mascarpone cheese should also be full fat and strained if not thick and creamy. It can be tricky to use, splitting if overbeaten or if it gets too warm.
- Cannoli shells are optional but nice and can be purchased at good Italian food stores or online.
- Have ingredients at cool room temperature. This will ensure the butter will whip up fluffy and white and the eggs will incorporate thoroughly.
- If measuring the flour with cups, stir the flour first then spoon into the cup so that it is not overpacked.
- When making the cannoli cream frosting, fold in the mascarpone because over beating will cause it to split.
- Cakes must be completely cold before frosting.
FAQ
This recipe uses icing similar to cannoli filling consisting of full fat ricotta cheese, orange zest, cinnamon, and sugar. I like to add mascarpone cheese to the filling for extra creaminess.
If you want a completely smooth exterior, you can use Italian meringue buttercream to finish the Cannoli Cake after filling the cake layers with cannoli cream filling.
This recipe for Cannoli Cake uses rum which adds flavor and moisture. However, if you prefer a non-alcoholic cake substitute fresh orange juice for the rum.
My recipe for Cannoli Cake doesn’t have nuts. A delicious variation is made by pressing toasted, sliced, or chopped almonds on the sides of the cake instead of chocolate chips.
Serving Suggestions
It’s perfectly acceptable that this Cannoli Cake can be served without any other adornment other than a cake fork! However, if you’re creating an Italian feast, it wouldn’t be complete without homemade Tiramisu and Pizzelle cookies.
Either way, stand back and prepare for the accolades when you serve this incredibly, luscious cake! You’ll know that it’s worth the effort!
Related recipes
Chocolate Orange Cake
Mocha Cake
Lime and Blueberry Syrup Cake
Torta Caprese – flourless chocolate almond cake
Italian Peach Cookies
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Cannoli Cake Recipe
Equipment
- stand mixer
- food processor
- 2 x 8 inch (20 cm) round deep cake pan
- measuring cups and spoons (or scales)
- off set spatula
- serrated knife
Ingredients
Cake
- 6 oz (1 ½ sticks or 170 grams) unsalted butter softened
- 1⅔ cup (340 grams) superfine (castor) sugar
- ¼ cup (60mls) oil see notes
- 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
Ricotta frosting
- 3¾ cups (2 pounds/ 900 grams) fresh ricotta use dry ricotta or must be strained overnight – see notes
- ¾ cup (90 grams) powdered (icing) sugar
- 3 teaspoons finely grated orange zest
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 cup (approx 250 grams) mascarpone cheese
Rum Syrup
- ½ cup (62 grams) powdered (icing) sugar
- ¼ cup dark rum
To assemble and decorate
- 2 cups mini chocolate chips
- 6 small cannoli shells optional
Instructions
- Before beginning this Cannoli Cake, please read the recipe fully including all the all the tips for success. Be sure to use dry ricotta!
Cake
- Preheat oven to 350ºF/180ºC. Grease two 8-inch/20cm round deep cake pans and line the base with non stick paper. Then flour the sides.
- Whisk or sift together flours, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda and salt. Set aside
- In an electric mixer, beat together butter, sugar and oil for 2 minutes on medium speed.
- Scrape sides of the bowl then add eggs, one at a time until well combined. Stir in vanilla.
- Add dry ingredients. Then combine on low speed until just moistened. Add buttermilk and beat for 1 minute on medium until well combined and smooth.
- Pour evenly into prepared pans. Bake for 30-35 minutes. Check at 30 minutes.
- When done the cake will come away from the side and settle down a little on the edges. Allow to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before turning out to cool on a wire rack.
- Cool completely before filling and decorating.
Ricotta frosting
- In a food processor, combine ricotta, ¾ cup powdered sugar, orange zest, and cinnamon until creamy.
- Fold in mascarpone. Refrigerate until needed.
Rum syrup
- Combine ½ cup powdered sugar with dark rum. Stir to dissolve sugar. Set aside.
Assembly and decorating
- Cut and level off tops of cakes and cut each cake in half horizontally.
- Brush one cut side of each layer with rum glaze.
- Place one layer on a cake plate and spread 1 cup of ricotta filling evenly over the cake.
- Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of chocolate chips.
- Continue layering and filling with ricotta cream and chocolate chips finishing with the fourth layer of cake.
- If you are using mini cannoli, fill with a teaspoon or a piping bag and press chocolate chips onto the ends. Keep refrigerated until needed.
- Reserve ⅓ cup of ricotta cream. Then spread the rest of the cream all over the cake beginning with the sides then covering the top.
- Press more chocolate chips onto the side of the cake and arranged filled cannoli shells on top spacing apart evenly.
- Fill a piping bag fitted with a star tube with remaining ricotta cream and pipe 6 stars in between the cannoli on top of the cake.
- Serve immediately or refrigerate for 1-2 hours before serving. See notes for preparing ahead.
Notes
- Have ingredients at cool room temperature. This will ensure the butter creams well and the eggs incorporate thoroughly.
- Use light flavored oil like sunflower or grapeseed.
- If measuring the flour with cups, stir the flour first then spoon into the cup so that it is not overpacked.
- Ricotta cheese and mascarpone cheese varies greatly from brand to brand, country to country. It’s very important that both cheeses are thick, almost like cream cheese otherwise the frosting will be runny. I can’t stress this enough. If you are in any doubt, drain both cheeses overnight in a muslin lined sieve. Keep them separated so that you can measure correctly when drained.
- When making the frosting, fold in the mascarpone because over beating will cause it to split.
- Taste the frosting and add more powdered sugar if you prefer it sweeter.
- Cinnamon and orange zest can be omitted if not to your taste.
- Cakes must be cold before frosting.
- use orange juice instead of rum to make it alcohol free
- substitute 1/4 cup finely chopped candied fruit for the orange zest
- if you have no buttermilk try this – to a measuring cup, add 1 tablespoons white vinegar or lemon juice. Add milk to the 1 1/2 mark, stir. Wait 5 minutes before using
- use store bought vanilla pound cake or sponge for a quick cannoli cake
Nutritional Estimate Per Serving
Nutritional Disclaimer
Nutritional information is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. For accurate results, it is recommended that the nutritional information be calculated based on the ingredients and brands you use.
This is an amazing dessert!!
Hi! Can Coconut Oil be the oil for the cake? Or it has to be a either of the two listed?
Coconut oil would be fine.
Thank you for sharing your recipe! I absolutely love the icing. Instead of a regular orange though, I thought I’d use a blood orange’s zest. I should have flipped the cakes upside down and glazed the cake’s bottom because I didn’t want to cut the tops crooked. Otherwise, I had a great experience recreating your recipe.
That blood orange zest sounds excellent!
I am getting ready to make the cake but realize my daughter has my 8″ pans, can i use 9″ with success? Or is it worth a trip to the store?
Hi Marie, I’ve never use 9″ pans but if it were me I’d probably go ahead and use them rather than purchase new pans. The cake layers will be thiner though. When baking check at 25 minutes to see if the cakes are done (use my tips in the recipe to check doneness). I would think somewhere between 25-30 minutes is what it would take. Hopefully that helps. Don’t forget to use dry ricotta or drain ricotta well.
Hi, thank you for the recipe.
I wonder if you can help me. I made the cake and it fell apart when I went to decorate it. I let is cool down for plenty of time.
Thank you.
Hi Jane, I’m sorry to hear that your cake fell apart. These cakes (like many) are very delicate. There are a few reasons that this could have happened. Firstly it may still have been a little warm in the middle while the outside seemed completely cool. This seems the most likely because even a slight bit of warmth means that the butter in the cakes hasn’t solidified.
However there could be a couple of other reasons. Did you measure the ingredients accurately? Was the oven too hot and the cakes cracked on the top causing a deeper crack? I use large eggs.The size of eggs make a big difference to some recipes. I like to use use eggs that weigh at least 2 oz (58 grams) that is 24 ounces (700 grams) per dozen eggs. This is specified in my “about” page but I will add it to this recipe just in case.
I hope you were able to salvage the cake and it wasn’t a waste – I know how frustrating that is. I do aim to make fail proof recipes and give you all the tips you need so I’m as disappointed as you are that it fell apart. Let me know if I can be of more help.
Hi I was wondering I think the all purpose flour is plain flour in the UK UK the cake flour is that self-raising flour in the UK.
Thanks for your help
Hi Lyndsay! All purpose flour is plain flour but cake flour is not self-raising flour. Cake flour is a flour made from soft wheat and is very low in protein. Because of the low protein it is perfect for cakes that require a fluffy texture and fine crumb. Both all purpose and cake flour do not contain rising agents. Hope this answers your question. 🙂
I would like to try this but I tend to avoid recipes with the brush on syrups. Is it necessary to use?
Lori, the simple syrup is completely optional. I like it because it adds moisture and flavor. However this cake is quite moist on it’s own and with the delicious filling, it will still work out well. Enjoy!
Silly question but superfine sugar is different than granulated sugar? I can’t seem to find it!
Hi Danielle, I’m not sure where you are but superfine sugar is also known as castor sugar. It is a finer sugar than regular granulated sugar. I like to use it because it dissolves more easily. It’s no biggie if you can’t find it – just use granulated sugar though you may have to beat the butter, sugar and oil for a little longer. Let me know how you go.
Wish I could post a picture. This cake was a huge hit! Absolutely delicious.
I’m happy it worked out so well for you! We love it! I will have to do some investigating on how to post pictures in the comments. I’d love to see your cake!!
Love this recipe. The frosting alone is worthy of just eating out of the bowl!
Totally agree!
I just made this cake for practice and the cakes are about 1 inch thick, if I cut them in half I feel like it’s going to be too thin did my cake not rise enough should I be doubling this recipe?? I used 8” round
Hello Marisa, when you say “about” 1 inch thick – do you mean a little more than an inch? These cakes are not super high but should be more than an inch. No, you don’t need to double this recipe. With 3 cups of flour in total, 4 eggs and lots of butter, sugar and buttermilk there are enough ingredients to make to nice size cakes which can be cut in half easily. Did you follow the instructions exactly? This cake should not be over beaten. Also did it collapse after baking? Maybe you need to keep it in the oven just a little longer. This cake needs to be baked fully otherwise it will collapse. That could be the problem.
I sifted ingredients, and baked 30 minutes.. it didn’t sink. And there wasn’t much I had to level off. I don’t think I overbeat it but I’m making it again next week. And I’ll try to follow it again exactly … I did not however measure the baking powder & soda correctly because I couldn’t find my spoons. Also, the cake came out a little dry? Any ideas? And lastly, is this icing pipeable for the top? I feel like it might be on the thinner side to pipe stars. Can I make it thicker for that part? Thank you .. it does taste great though.
And yes, 1” thick for sure
Marisa, it should be thicker than that. Maybe the problem is in measuring the baking powder and soda. This cake is very precise in the measurements. I have just update the recipe to include the site from where this recipe was adapted. The owner of the site is no longer active but her recipes were brilliant.Check that out – it may help. It certainly shouldn’t be dry. When I make this, guests often ask if it’s a mud cake because it’s so moist. The buttermilk does that.
As for the icing, I use fresh ricotta from the deli. It’s quite dry and not like what you get in the tubs. If you can’t find dry ricotta, you will need to put the ricotta in a strainer lined with a clean cloth/muslin, and drain it in the fridge for 12-24 hours. In this case, buy more ricotta because you will lose quantity when you drain it. Very important – the ricotta must be dry or the icing will be sloppy. There is only a thin amount between layers so that there is enough to pipe the stars. I didn’t have any trouble piping with the ricotta I use. Let me know if there is anything else I can help you with. 🙂
My daughter requested a Cannoli cake for her birthday so being I am the family baker I came across you recipe and decided to to make it for her instead of buying one. It was a big surprise and a bigger hit as well. I ran into two minor issues for a otherwise perfect cake. I used Wilton Cake Strips for a even rise no dome finish which worked out well except the cake took about 50 minutes to bake and did not come out of the pan as cleanly as it does without using the strips. Not the first time i’ve had that problem using the strips. Yes I did grease/flour the pans and use parchment as directed. Other issue was I ran a bit short on the Ricotta frosting. I purchased a 32 ounce container thinking 3 1/2 cups equals 28 ounces by weight (8 oz per cup) looks like it was meant to be by volume not weight. so after all was said and done I was a tad short for the top hence no piped stars in-between the cannolis. Everyone was happy and well fed with cake. Everyone (all 7 of us) had a nice size piece and plenty left over. Great recipe and when I make it again, i’ll forego the cake strips and get more ricotta! Thanks for the amazing recipe! P.S. I did the pictures but don’t see where I can upload them here for you and all to see.
Hello Mike! I’m so glad you enjoyed the cake. I’d love to see the photos but I’m not sure how I can add that function into the comments (it would be great and I’m going to look into that). I have never used Wilton Cake Strips so I’m not sure why that would happen. As for the ricotta frosting, I’m pretty sure the measurements are correct but the frosting is spread thinly on the outside of the cake. Maybe that’s why you were a bit short – I also used fresh ricotta from the deli counter. Overall, it sounds like it was a great hit and your family loved it as much as my family does. So glad you daughter got a homemade cake for her birthday – I always think that’s so special! Take care and thanks for commenting!
I haven’t had a cannoli cake in years and of course, it wasn’t nearly as pretty as yours it and I’m sure yours tastes as great as it looks.
Wow, quite a project but this cake looks fantastic. A true work of art!
Such a fabulous cake! My family loves cannoli. They would go bonkers over this cake!
Chella which brand of cake flour do you use?
This cake looks amazing!
wow I am drooling over this gorgeous looking layered cake! You have done an excellent job, Marcellina.
Thank you, Angie! You are always so kind!
Wooooow this are so beautiful and perdect and the fillings sound so so delicious too.
Thanks for your nice comments 🙂
Thank you to all for such wonderful and encouraging comments. I am honoured to be among such talented bakers of the world! Thank you!
I can just imagine your face when you read the challenge after just making 1500. Muphy's Law. Well your experience shows, they are gorgeous. And how lucky to be tought how to make ricotta first hand like that!
they all look colorful and delicious. amazing what you did with this challenge.
Audax, you are sooooo kind and really this coming from you means so much. Thank you.