Name: Cannoli Cake recipe
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 40 min
Ingredients: 2 3/4 cup cake flour; 2 tsp baking powder; 1/2 tsp fine sea salt; 3/4 cup butter, room temperature; 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar; 1/2 cup light brown sugar; 2 eggs at room temperature; 2 tsp vanilla extract; 1/8 - 1/4 tsp almond extract (Base this on taste preference. Mine has 1/4. ); 1 1/2 cups buttermilk at room temperature; 3/4 cup mini semi sweet chocolate chips (If you cannot find mini you can use the regular size and use 1 cup. ); 3 cups powdered sugar; 1 cup ricotta cheese; 8 oz cream cheese; 1/2 cup heavy cream; 1 tsp vanilla extra; Mini or regular semi-sweet chocolate chips

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Soft, moist and creamy Cannoli Cake includes all the flavors you love in a cannoli. This easy to make cake is a simple way to get that classic Italian American cannoli taste but in a cake form to feed a crowd. This sweet and rich cake is perfect for any holiday, birthday or any kind of celebration.

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Growing up as an Italian American, cannoli was a dessert that always made an appearance for special occasions. Getting a batch of cannoli or Italian cookies was always made to feel like a special circumstance, and I didn’t even like them much then. But it would be a big deal whenever my great aunt brought a batch to my grandmother’s from the bakery near her home in Chicago. At the time I remember thinking, “What’s so special about these things?” The filling was never sweet enough for me and the ones with the pistachios? No thank you. I would wrinkle my nose and go for a piece of pie. I figured cannolis were expensive (they are) and that’s what made them valuable.

Continuing through generations

But over Christmas this year – our first Christmas without my matriarch of a grandmother – someone stopped at the Italian bakery and brought cannoli. I think it was one of my cousins. My great aunt stopped coming out for Christmas about a decade ago, sadly. (She hates the suburbs – so she would tell me every time she would visit my grandma’s house for decades – so it really is not a surprise.) However, there those little delicacies sat on a tray at my brother’s kitchen table (where my Italian American family now celebrate Christmas since his house is the largest) and upon eating one I realized three things. 1. They are actually delicious with their fun combinations of textures and flavors. 2. What makes them valuable is the time, patience and effort it takes to make them. They are really a symbol of dessert craftsmanship. 3. The joy and celebrations they symbolize for our heritage and culture that somehow continues through generations even when we lose the matriarchs is what truly makes them valuable.

The flavors of cannoli but in a cake

So while I would love to tell you this is my grandmother’s recipe for cannoli. It is not. I don’t think she had one. (Biscotti, yes. Cannoli, no) Instead of tackling how to make the perfect cannoli, I decided to take all of those flavors and make them into a cake – something that is a little easier for most people to make while still enjoying the flavors found in a cannoli. I promise, even if you are not an Italian pastry chef, my cannoli cake is something you can do and something that will delight any cannoli lovers.

Making the Cannoli Cake

The cake recipe for the cannoli cake is a pretty standard cake recipe. I make this in 2, 8-inch round pans that need to be greased and lined on the bottom with parchment paper. The cold ingredients going into the cake need to be at room temperature before getting started. The flour, baking powder and salt all get sifted or whisked together in one bowl. In another bowl – either the stand mixer bowl or a bowl that can fit the hand mixer blades – cream together the butter and sugars in the recipe below.

Creating the flavor

Then add in the eggs, vanilla extract and almond extract. This step adds the important taste elements to the cake. The brown sugar in the recipe, vanilla and almond extract really make it taste more like a cannoli. The shell of a cannoli is usually flavored in similarly to a pizzelle cookie {HERE} or a traditional Italian American cookie with a slight almond flavor. The darker sugar and the extracts really create that iconic cannoli taste.

Keeping the cake moist

To make sure the cake stays moist, buttermilk is also added in. It evaporates more slowly during the baking and helps to keep the cake crumb moist and soft. It will also help to balance out the sweetness of the cake with the sugars. Once the buttermilk is added (left image) the flour mix gets put in little by little (right image). As a final step, the mini chocolate chips that are folded in last.

Baking the Cannoli Cake

The time range for this cake might vary oven per oven. It should take at least 40 minutes at 350 degrees. Check your cake at 40 minutes with a tooth pick or bamboo skewer. The toothpick or skewer will come out clean or with maybe a few moist crumbs on it when the cake done. The top of the cake may have a crack or two but should not be overly brown. The sides will be more or less brown depending on the cooking spray or butter used to grease the pans. If the cake needs more time, give it another couple of minutes and check again. Mine needs anywhere from 45-48 minutes.

Making the Cannoli Cake frosting

The frosting for the cannoli cake will be different than any other you have ever eaten. It is made to taste like the center cream of a cannoli so it will not form in the same way a butter cream or even a whipped cream frosting forms. You can put it on the cake with a spatula and smooth it out if you like. I never try to make it overly smooth because it is a little drippy on the vertical face of the cake.

Tips for success

Make sure your ingredients are at room temperature per the recipe instructions.
Make sure to spray and line the cake pans with parchment paper. This will be important for proper release of the cakes. If they are having trouble releasing, you can run a thin knife around the edges.
If the cakes have domed, decide which one will be on the bottom and slice off the top with a knife to even it out before placing the second cake on top.
Use a very sharp knife to cut the cake. The frosting in the middle will squish easily since it is so soft. Using a sharper knife will help the cake to keep its shape.

To store and save the Cannoli Cake leftovers

The cake needs to be stored in the refrigerator once assembled due to the cheese in the frosting. If you are saving leftovers, you can save them for about 2-3 days. You can add tooth picks to the top and lightly over it if you like. When serving a cake that has been previously cut, the ends that have been exposed will be slightly drier. You can cut a very thin slice of cake to cut those off and then serve subsequent pieces.

Looking for more desserts?

If you are a dessert person and love a good, sweet treat like my Cannoli Cake, try these recipes too.

One Bowl Chocolate Cake {HERE}
Homemade Strawberry Shortcake {HERE}
Key Lime Pie Ice Box Cake {HERE}
Homemade Angel Food Cake {HERE}
Classic Carrot Cake {HERE}
No Bake Strawberry Lemon Cheesecake {HERE}
Mini Blueberry Lemon Bundt Cakes {HERE}

Thank you so much for stopping by today, friends! I hope you love my Cannoli Cake recipe. You can find the full, recipe below. I hope you will come visit us again. Happy eating.