Layered Cannoli Cake

This cannoli cake is a cinnamon cake that is topped with a mascarpone frosting mini chocolate chips, and topped with mini cannoli’s. A must make Italian birthday cake recipe.

This cinnamon cake recipe is one of our favorites. A Cannoli cake recipe that gives you all the flavors of your usual Cannoli dessert.

Learn how to make this homemade cake with a wonderful moist cinnamon cake that is smothered in frosting, mini chocolate chips, and decorated perfectly.

Why You Should Make This Recipe

• Butter
• Granulated Sugar
• Sour Cream
• Vanilla
• Egg Whites
• Flour
• Baking Powder
• Cinnamon
• Salt
• Milk
• Ricotta Cheese
• Mascarpone Cheese
• Powdered Sugar
• Mini Chocolate Chips
• Cannoli

How to Make

Cake – Work on mixing up the cinnamon cake batter, and then pour into 8 inch pans. We did 3 pans for this one.

Cooling – Once your cakes are done baking you will allow them to cool. While the cake is cooling work on the filling.

Cannoli Filling For Cake – In a stand mixer work on the cannoli filling. Once your filling is done, you will place in fridge to firm up.

Frosting – Next, work on the frosting. Whip it up in the mixer, and then place in fridge until you are ready to frost.

Chocolate Ganache – The Chocolate ganache we used for decorating the top of our cake. Semi sweet chocolate and heavy cream is all it takes.

Cannoli – we took 6 chocolate chip cannoli’s and cut them in half for decorating the top. You can buy them or make homemade. This chocolate chip cannoli cake was a huge success!

Our Go-To Cake Making Tools

This isn’t a tool for making a layered cake, but a wonderful container to store your cake without messing up the beautiful decorating you did. This airtight container for layered cakes is a must.

Check out this rotating cake stand with some accessories! This is a great beginner’s set to buy and use.

Here is a cake leveler that you can use to cut off the uneven top of the cake layers.

We like the Wilton cake pans but you can use any pan you have just as long as they are the same size pans.

How to Assemble A Layered Cake

Spreading Cannoli Cream Filling On Cake – Place your cake on a serving stand or cake circle. Then you will take 1 1/2 cups of your cannoli cake filling and place on the cake. Spread it out, working quickly.

Then repeat with the next layer of the cake, and do the same with the filling. We do add some chocolate chips in the layers, but that is optional.

Crumb Layer Next you work on the crumb coat of the cake. Take the remaining cannoli filling and thinly spread around the cake creating the crumb coat. Then refrigerate for 2-3 hours.

Cannoli Frosting – Next work on spreading the frosting with an offset spatula. You will take the mini chocolate chips and press into the sides of the cake.

Decorating – For the top we made a chocolate ganache, and then used sliced cannoli’s on top. It is creative and fun, but always, feel free to decorate as you would prefer.

Tips For Making

• Plan to make this cake a day in advance of when you want to serve it up. There is a lot of refrigerating to firm up the filling, frosting, and of course cooling off the cake from being baked.
• Make sure to not overbake the cake or it will be dry.
• Feel free to decorate your cake any way you would like.

Storage Of Cake

This cake does need to be refrigerated once you have it assembled. We recommend not placing the cannoli’s on top until you are ready to slice and serve them up.

The cake will store for 4-5 days in the fridge, or you can freeze for 1-2 months in the freezer. Just store in the proper container or it will go bad.

Practical notes

What type of chocolate chips to use?

Mini semi-sweet chocolate chips is what we used for pressing around the cake, and topping the cannoli filling inside the cake. We found full size chocolate chips to be too much.

What’s inside a cannoli?

Cannoli filling is generally made with ricotta cheese, mascarpone cheese and powdered sugar. A sweet, tangy, and creamy filling.

Can we make this as a 9×13 cake?

Want to skip over the Cannoli layered cake? Go right ahead, and make this a 9×13. Place the filling on top of the cooled cake, followed by frosting, then sprinkle on chocolate chips. You won’t use all the frosting or cannoli filling for a 9×13 size cake.

What size cake pans to use?

For this 3 layered cake we used 3 of the 8 inch cake pans. Grease and place parchment paper in the bottom to prevent the cake from sticking.

How to tell when cake is done?

Stick a toothpick in the center, and if it comes out clean of no wet cake batter the cake is done. If you find it is still wet batter, cook the cake for a bit longer.

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Ingredients

Makes 1 cake

Cinnamon Cake

• 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 3/4 cup milk
• 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup sour cream
• 6 large egg whites, room temperature
• 2 teaspoon vanilla
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Cannoli Cake Filling

• 1 1/4 cup mascarpone cheese, let rest on counter 15 minutes before using
• 1 1/4 cup ricotta cheese, let rest on counter 15 minutes before using
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 1/4 cup powdered sugar

Mascarpone Frosting

• 2 1/2 cups mascarpone cheese, let rest on counter 15 minutes before using
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Chocolate Ganache

• 1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

Toppings

• 12 ounces mini chocolate chips
• 6 chocolate chip Cannoli’s, cut in half
• 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Equipment

• Nonstick Round 8 inch Cake Pan
• Wilton 46-Piece Deluxe Cake Decorating Set, Cake Decorating Supplies
• Wilton Cake Leveler

Method

Cinnamon Cake

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Then grease all three of the 8 inch cakes and place parchment paper on the bottom.
2. In a stand mixer you will cream your softened butter, and granulated sugar for 4 minutes. It is important to cream it for this long.
3. Add in the sour cream, and vanilla extract. Next you will add in the egg whites mixing well, and scraping down the sides.
4. Next you will add your dry ingredients into a bowl. Then add part of the dry followed by the milk. Mixing well and scraping down the sides of the bowl.
5. Divide the batter into the 3 pans, and bake for 18-22 minutes or until the cakes are baked.
6. Remove cakes from the oven and allow the cakes to cool completely.

Cannoli Cake Filling

1. Strain the ricotta if it is very watery.
2. While the cakes are cooling you can work on the cannoli filling. In a mixing bowl you will add all your mascarpone ingredients in the bowl. Mix until combined, Don’t overmix.
3. Refrigerate the cake filling in a container in the fridge for 2-3 hours to set up.

Mascarpone Frosting

1. Next, you want to work on the frosting. In a stand mixer or bowl you will add your mascarpone, powdered sugar, and vanilla and mix well. Once combined, place in the fridge and allow it to set up as well for 2-3 hours.

Chocolate Ganache

1. In a pot on the stove heat your whipping cream and bring to a boil.
2. Remove from the heat and pour into a bowl of chocolate chips.
3. Allow it to sit for a few minutes, then mix until it is smooth.
4. Pour the ganache into a squeeze bottle.

How to Assemble Cannoli Cake

1. Place your first cake on a cake circle or cake stand. Then you will spoon around 1 1/2 cup of the cannoli filling. Spread it out, Then sprinkle a little bit of chocolate chips on top.
2. Next you will place the next layer of cake on top, and repeat with the cannoli filling.
3. Place the final cake layer on top, and then use the rest of the cannoli filling to spread on as the crumb layer.
4. Place your cake in the fridge for an hour.
5. Next, take your mascarpone frosting and spread around 1/2 cup of frosting around the border of the cake.
6. Take your mini chocolate chips and press into the side of the cake. Work your way all around the cake.
7. Next you will frost the top of your cake, and pipe an edge around the cake.
8. Then take your chocolate ganache then drizzle over the sides of the cake. Add on some chocolate chips on top, and top with your cannoli’s on the dollops of frosting.
9. Cut and serve.

Kitchen notes

Storage

– Store your cake in the fridge for up to 5 days. Or freeze for 1-2 months. You will find the cannoli’s won’t freeze that well. Ricotta Cheese – You will need to strain your ricotta cheese if it is too watery.