Cannoli Cake
This homemade Cannoli Cake is a moist layer cake with all the classic cannoli flavors everyone loves!
A light cinnamon cake with delicious ricotta and mascarpone cheese cannoli filling is a decadent treat, ideal for special occasions and the dessert table. With a coating of mini chocolate chips and, mini cannoli on top, this is guaranteed to be the most popular dessert cake!
If you love Italian cannoli and cake, 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!
While not as simple as my easy vanilla cake, poached red wine pears, or budino al cioccolato, this cake recipe will become a firm favorite that your family and friends will ask for time and time again!
Why you’ll love this recipe
- Made from scratch – this recipe uses basic ingredients available in most grocery stores to create a deceptively light dessert.
- Impressive – Your family and friends will be impressed by your skills and talent when you serve this impressive, make-ahead dessert.
- Make in advance – Bake and assemble the cake the day before. The following day, decorate with filled 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. The cannoli cake frosting also uses mascarpone for extra creaminess, which you’ll love.
- 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 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 assembling 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 recipe. All-purpose flour is used for structure and moisture, and cake flour is used for lightness and fine texture.
- Buttermilk – easily available at the grocery store. Combined with baking soda, this 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 for moisture, not flavoring.
Instructions for cake
Preheat oven to 350ºF/180ºC and grease two 8-inch (20 cm) 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 that deserves to use full-fat, quality ingredients.
- Mascarpone cheese is a thick, creamy Italian cheese found in most grocery stores. Substitute cream cheese if you can’t find it, though the flavor will differ.
- Powdered sugar – Also known as icing sugar or confectioners sugar, powdered sugar 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. However, 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. If you can’t purchase them at the grocery store, make homemade cannoli shells using my recipe. Fill them with reserved cannoli filling.
- Chocolate Chips – Mini chocolate chips add the finishing touch to 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, then 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 assembled cake and decorate it 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 it first, then spoon it into the cup so 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 frosting 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 smooth exterior, you can frost it with Italian meringue buttercream instead of the filling.
This recipe for Cannoli Cake uses rum, which adds flavor and moisture. To make a non-alcoholic cake, use fresh orange juice instead of 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
Blueberry Pound 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! Be prepared that this cake will take some time and effort. Baking the cake component a day or so beforehand will make it easier. The unfilled cake can be wrapped well in plastic and frozen until needed.
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 approximately 1 cup of ricotta filling evenly over the cake. Judge how much filling you have. You may want to use a little less than one cup to ensure you have plenty for the decoration and cannoli.
- 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. This will take time and patience and can be left off if preferred. Arrange 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 combines 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 it is not overpacked.
- Ricotta cheese and mascarpone cheese vary greatly from brand to brand, country to country. Both cheeses must be thick, almost like cream cheese otherwise the frosting will be runny. I can’t stress this enough. If you doubt, drain both cheeses overnight in a muslin-lined sieve. Keep them separated so that you can measure them 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 tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice. Add milk to the 1 1/2 mark, and 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.
I am hoping to make this for a big family birthday soon , but I need help to know how to make sure there will be enough frosting to cover the cake after the 4 layers have been frosted. The recipe says to spread 1c of frosting on each layer, so we need 4c just for that. But if the total amount of frosting is 4 3/4c from 3 3/4c (ricotta) + 1c ( marscapone) then there will only 3/4 c to cover the sides with frosting!!
My math suggests using 2/3 cup to frost each layer and 2c for the sides of the assembled cake, totaling 4 2/3c
But I wonder if the buttermilk should be included when estimating the total amount of frosting we will have?
I truly appreciate this recipe and all your care in explaining the details to make it wonderful!!!
Diane, you’ll need 1 cup of frosting between each layer, that’s a total of 3 cups. The 4th and final cake layer isn’t included in that calculation. Take a look at the photos I’ve provided—especially the cross-section of the sliced cake. You’ll see that I used only a thin layer of frosting on the top (4th) layer and a light coating on the sides. That’s my preference because I like more frosting between the layers and just a little on the outside. Feel free to add more frosting if you prefer or adjust the amounts between the layers as you mentioned. I hope that helps.
Please note, there is no buttermilk in the frosting. The buttermilk is for the cake.
Can you provide measurements for a 1/4 slab cake instead of round?
I have never made this cake as a 1/4 slab cake. What cake pan are you going to use?
is it possible to use all 00 flour for this recipe
It may be possible to substitute the all purpose flour with 00 flour but definitely not the cake flour. If you do, the result wouldn’t be the same.
Hello Marcellina, this cake looks delicious and I would love to make it for Christmas. I will need to transport it so would love to know how tall it is after it is assembled so I will have the proper container for transportation. thank you so much for your wonderful recipes.
You’re welcome, Silvana! I have never actually measure how tall the cake is. It would have to be at least 6 inches without the cannoli on top. Add another three or four inches for the cannoli on top so that’s around 10 inches to be safe.
Disregard my last comment. My scale wasn’t right for some reason
I’m glad you worked that out, Joanne. Enjoy the Cannoli Cake!
Is 1 1/2 sticks butter correct or is the weight wrong? 1 1/2 sticks weighs 75 grams. I’m just about to make this and now am not sure if it’s going to work!
The cake was delicious, but the filling was a little labor-intensive. I didn’t have the food processor handy so I used something similar to it with two blades and it took a long time to get it to the consistency of a frosting there also wasn’t enough after putting one cup in between each layer. I only had enough to pipe three or four little rosettes on top and none for any cannolis. Also putting the mini chips on the side was a chore lol. The cake turned out great, but I don’t think I would make this feeling again.
I’m so glad that you loved the cake, Joanne. Yes, this is a cake for special occasions so it does take a little effort. It’s a pity that you didn’t have a food processor. That would have made the job a bit harder. If you used the correct amount of ricotta (3 3/4 cups) plus 1 cup of mascarpone, you should have had at least 4 3/4 cups of filling. One cup used in each of the 3 layers leaves you with 1 3/4 cups for the remaining. It works for me every time but I’ll add into the notes that it’s important to judge the filling for yourself. Thank you for taking the time to give me feedback.
I’d live to make this for my son’s birthday- it looks delicious! Can I make the cake ahead of time and freeze the layers and can I frost the cake the day before? Thankyou!
Yes, the cake layers can be made in advance. Wrap each layer in plastic wrap while still warm. This traps in the moisture so that the cakes don’t dry out. Freeze for up to two weeks. You can also frost the cake the day before. I always prefer cakes freshly frosted but it’s hard when there is so much to do on the day of the birthday. Be sure to wrap the completed cake well in plastic wrap (or in an airtight container) before refrigerating overnight.