Cannoli Cake recipe, an easy from-scratch Italian cake with cannoli filling. This homemade cannoli cake is full of easy to find ingredients including ricotta, mascarpone, orange zest, and mini chocolate chips. Find out how to make a cannoli cake with different flavors for your personal taste.
Another fun Cannoli recipe to add to my collection! This Cannoli Cake Recipe is the best if I do say so myself! So good! Be careful because you may eat more than you mean to. haha! You know I love cannolis like my popular Cannoli Cookies, Cannoli Dip, and Mini Cannoli Dip Cups. So adding a cake to the mix seemed to be the next logical thing to do!
What is a Cannoli?
If you haven’t seen my other cannoli recipes and don’t know what a cannoli is, let’s start with that.
A cannoli is an Italian pastry that is shaped in a long tube with a filling generally made up of ricotta cheese and powdered sugar.
An Italian cannoli may include other things such as candied fruit, chocolate chips, nuts, cinnamon, mascarpone cheese, or a wide variety of other things.
You can find them at Italian grocery stores and bakeries, as well as many other bakeries and grocery stores now.
If you’re never had one, give them a try! National Cannoli Day is also June 16th, so if nothing else get one to celebrate in June!
Check out my “What is a cannoli?” for more info.
How to Make Cannoli Cake:
(Be sure to scroll to the bottom of the post for the complete DETAILED recipe card with the full ingredient list, full directions, and print option)
This Italian cake with cannoli filling frosting may look difficult to make, but it’s actually quite easy. A little tricky for those with no baking experience, but easy for those a bit more experienced. If you’ve never baked a homemade cake before this may not be the best one to start with or please at least read all the info, tips, and suggestions.
The cake is a bit time-consuming though, but worth the trouble in my opinion. The good thing is that I think it’s actually better the next day so you can definitely make this cake ahead of time!
Ok, so to get started on this homemade Cannoli Cake, be sure your oven is preheated. Also butter and flour two round baking pans.
Start making the cake batter by mixing the dry ingredients together including the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt.
In another bowl, beat together the wet ingredients starting with the butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy which may be a few minutes.
Beat in an egg one at a time, then beat in vanilla extract and fresh orange zest.
The orange flavor is not really strong and gives a nice subtle citrus taste to the cake. However, if you really don’t like orange, you can leave it out. I’ve gotten a lot of feedback on the orange in the cake. Some people think it’s too much, not enough, or just the right amount SO definitely a personal choice.
You could also swap out some of the vanilla extract for almond extract. Or you could use Fiori di Sicilia Extract which is part citrus and vanilla.
Pour the cake batter into two 9-inch round baking pans and spread to form an even layer. You could also use 8-inch round baking pans. If you do use the 8-inch just know they may take a little longer to bake.
I like to use these baking strips to put around the pans. They help make level cake layers. They’re not perfect, but do help in my opinion. Be sure to also use good quality cake pans for best results.
Bake the cake until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. Cool the cake layers slightly, then remove from the pans and cool completely on wire cooling racks.
Once the cake is completely cool, use a long serrated knife to cut each cake layer in half to form 4 layers. You don’t have to cut the layers in half. If you just want a double layer cake skip that part.
How to Make Cannoli Cake Filling:
(For the full printable version of the recipe, scroll down to the bottom of the post for the recipe card and print option. Although be sure to read here for more tips and information or check out my other cannoli recipes!)
This Cannoli Cake filling is really just an easy Cannoli Frosting that is in between each layer and on the outside of the cake.
First, start with some good quality THICK ricotta and mascarpone cheese. Both should be readily available at most grocery stores. The mascarpone can be a little pricey so look around and you may be able to find it cheaper. If you have to, you can substitute cream cheese.
Be sure to use full-fat cheeses or ones that are not too runny. If you use lower-fat cheeses the frosting may not be thick enough to frost the cake. Drain off any excess liquid on top of the cheese. You really want the cheeses to be thick (like cream cheese).
FOR BEST RESULTS PLEASE DRAIN YOUR RICOTTA (AND/OR MASCARPONE) OVERNIGHT – If you’re at all unsure about your particular brand of ricotta (and/or mascarpone) or if it seems runny, you should drain it overnight. See my post on how to strain ricotta cheese for directions and info. There are many types and brands of cheese so results can vary A LOT. If you can find it in your area, you can also try ricotta impastata (pastry ricotta).
In a large mixing bowl beat together the ricotta and mascarpone cheeses. Then beat in the powdered sugar, vanilla extract, orange juice, cinnamon, and salt.
Again, you can omit the orange juice if you want, but it’s not too strong.
A few people have mentioned they’ve had a hard time with the frosting. PLEASE make sure your cheeses are THICK and not runny. Different brands can vary slightly. If it’s warm in your house that can also play a factor. Make sure all ingredients are cold. You can also try to add additional powdered sugar (or more cheese if thick) if necessary to thicken the frosting.
How to Assemble the Cannoli Cake:
Place one of the cake layers on a cake plate or stand. Before I put the cake down, I like to put strips of wax paper that I can remove after I frost and decorate the cake. It helps keep the plate clean. Or at least in theory it helps. I seem to always make a mess regardless. haha!
Frost the top of the layer. Then sprinkle about 2-3 tablespoons of mini chocolate chips on top. You can also add some chopped roasted nuts such as pecans, walnuts, or pistachios if you’d like.
Place another cake layer on top and repeat with the frosting and chocolate chips. Once all the layers are done, frost the outside of the cake.
Use the remaining chocolate chips to decorate the outside of the cake. If you want a lot of chocolate chips, you may need more than one package.
You can also use any extra frosting for piping or decorating. I’m not much of a cake decorator so don’t judge my pitiful piping. haha!
Refrigerate the cake until ready to serve and any leftovers after.
If you make this into a two layer cake you may want to cut back on the frosting recipe. If you make the 4 layers, you’ll have enough frosting for a thin layer of filling between each layer and a thin layer on the outside of the cannoli cake.
I didn’t have much frosting left for piping. If you want to do a lot of piping or have a thicker layer, you may want to make extra frosting.
You can also decorate the outside of the cake with chopped nuts if you’d like. Or top the cake with some maraschino cherries too.
This cake is quite large with all the layers and could easily feed a crowd. A thin slice is plenty!
Serve this cake after a great Italian meal along with some coffee and your guests will love you.
Be sure to store this cake covered in the fridge. Like I said, it’s a little better the next day in my opinion.
Who would like a piece of this fabulous Cannoli Cake?
Quick video to see how easy this Cannoli Cake comes together… (cake is slightly more yellow in the video due to different brand of butter, eggs, etc.)
Want More Cannoli Recipes?
Be sure to check out all my other fun cannoli recipes!
Cannoli Cookies – One of my most popular recipes. These cake-like cookies always get rave reviews.
Best Cannoli Dip – Quick and easy and so fun for parties and potlucks!
Chocolate Cannoli Dip – Perfect for chocolate lovers. All the flavors of a cannoli plus extra chocolate.
Cannoli Milkshake – Fun treat for kids or adults. Add your favorite liqueur for a grown-up version.
Cannoli Dip (Orange Almond) – I added a little extra orange and almond to this version of cannoli dip.
Mini Cannoli Dip Cups – Love these cute little dessert cups. Great idea for parties and potlucks!
Cannoli Cream Chocolate Truffles – These cute little candies make the best holiday treats!
Cannoli Cheesecake Bars – Easy cheesecake bars with all the tastes of cannoli.
Mini Frozen Cannoli Cheesecake Bites – Cheesecake bars cut into bite-size pieces and dipped in chocolate.
Cannoli Poke Cake – an easy cake with cannoli topping.
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You might also like these Cannoli Cupcakes, which is the cupcake version of this cake! Or this fun colorful Spumoni Cake!
Cannoli Cake Recipe
Ingredients
Cake Batter:
- 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon fresh orange zest
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 1/4 cup milk
Frosting: (see notes below)
- 10 ounces ricotta cheese drained overnight if needed (see notes below)
- 16 ounces mascarpone cheese drained overnight if needed (see notes below)
- 3 cups powdered sugar (possibly more if needed)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon fresh orange juice
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 10 ounces mini chocolate chips divided (if you want a lot of chocolate chips on the outside, you may want to have another bag on hand)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Butter and flour 2 9-inch round baking pans (or can substitute 8-inch round baking pans).
- Mix together flour, baking powder, and salt in medium mixing bowl until well combined.
- Beat together butter and granulated sugar in large mixing bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time. Then beat in fresh orange zest and 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract until well combined.
- Alternate adding the dry ingredients and milk into the butter and sugar mixture, beating after each addition until just combined.
- Pour cake batter into prepared pans, spread to form even layers. Bake for about 20-25 minutes or until toothpick inserted into middle comes out clean. (If using 8 inch pans, baking time will be about 30-35 minutes.)
- Cool cakes slightly then remove from pans and finish cooling completely on wire racks. When cakes are completely cool, split each layer in half horizontally with a long serrated knife to form 4 layers.
- For frosting, beat together ricotta and mascarpone in a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until well combined. Beat in powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla, orange juice, cinnamon, and salt until well combined.
- To assemble cake, place one layer on cake dish. Top with frosting then sprinkle about 2-3 tablespoons of mini chocolate chips on top. Repeat with remaining layers. Frost outside of cake and add remaining chocolate chips to outside of cake or as desired. Use remaining frosting to decorate or pipe as desired. Refrigerate cake until ready to serve.
Notes
Nutrition:
(Nutrition data is provided when available for informational purposes only and calculated using an online nutritional calculator. For the most accurate information please calculate based on specific ingredients and brands you use as well as any changes you made to the recipe. I am not a certified nutritionist or registered dietician and any nutritional information provided should only be used as a general guideline and estimate.)
tammy says
Hi.. i was wondering if you if this frosting will stand up well if you are decorating a cake? I am going to be making a baby shower cakes and will be using a melted chocolate drizzle( candy melts) on top. do you think it will hold up to that?
Lisa Huff says
Hi! As long as you drain your cheeses really well and they are THICK it should hold up really well in the fridge.
Concetta says
I would like to use a (2)10 inch pans, do i need to change the amount of ingredients? Also would like to use box vanilla cake mix? Would it still come out good? How many would I need?
Lisa Huff says
Most of the flavor is in the frosting so you could make a cake mix and use the frosting. For a smaller cake or less layers you might only need about half the frosting, but depends on the size. You could use any size pan you’d like but the cake layers may just be thinner.
Linda says
I usually don’t have success when I use butter in a cake batter….can it be replaced with oil? If so, how much should I use?
Lisa Huff says
You can just use your favorite cake recipe or cake mix, then use the cannoli frosting recipe.
Michelle says
I made the cake for a coworker. I never heard of a cannoli cake luckily I found your post It came out perfectly, everyone loved it. Thank you
Lisa Huff says
Thanks! So glad it worked out for you and that everyone loved it! :)
Janelle Braig says
Can I use lemon juice and zest instead of orange or do you think it would be too I overpowering?
Lisa Huff says
You could, or you could just omit the citrus. I personally wouldn’t like lemon in this, but personal preference.
Kristin Littlefield says
I made this for my son’s birthday today. I didn’t use the orange zest or orange juice. I replaced it with almond extract. Also, instead of frosting it with the filling, Inused whipped cream and covered it with mini chocolate chips. It turned out perfectly and everyone loved it.
Tatiana Diaz says
Hi, I want to make this cake for my daughters birthday. I’m wondering if i could use a different vanilla cake recipe, if I do would it affect the flavor? And would switching to cream cheese instead of mascarpone cheese change the flavor as well.
Lisa Huff says
It will work ok. Just a personal preference as far as taste, but don’t think it would be a HUGE change.
Heather says
Just made the frosting and had the SAME runny frosting issue! Which surprised me cuz the ricotta and mascarpone were REALLY thick! It still tastes AMAZING! I am wondering if yours has the cinnamon “color” or if I just did something wrong! Yours looks really white! Did I do something wrong?
Lisa Huff says
Sorry it was runny for you! The cheese should be thick like cream cheese before starting. Unless you added a lot of other liquid it should be thick. Sometimes it can just be the brands of cheese that are a lot softer than others. Again, sorry it didn’t work out for you.
TK says
Can this be converted to a Bundt cake ? We don’t have cake pans ?
Lisa Huff says
I haven’t tried it in a bundt pan but I don’t see why not. You may just need to adjust the amount of filling and might need to adjust the baking time. A lot of the flavor is in the frosting, so you could just use the frosting on your favorite cake.
Lynne Polodna says
Thanks so much. Can’t wait to make it!
Lynne Polodna says
Do you use 16 oz of cream cheese if you do t have marscopone?
Lisa Huff says
Yes, 16 ounces cream cheese and soften to room temperature to help prevent lumps.
Joyce says
I made this cake for my daughter’s (virtual) college graduation this past Saturday. OMG! This cake was a hit! I followed it exactly, but only made 2 layers as I was short for time, but it turned out A-MA-ZING! Thank you for sharing. I will definitely be making this, and other versions, again!
Best to you,
Joyce N.
Matt Manni says
I’ve made this cake twice in the past 6 months. Definitely a family favorite for my large Italian Famiglia.
I was wondering though, have you tried baking this cake with cake flour? If so did it hold or was it too delicate?
Thanks!
Manni
Lisa Huff says
Matt, so glad your family likes the cake! Thanks! :) I have not tried with cake flour so can’t say for sure how it would hold up.
Sharon says
I would definitely place “ drain ricotta overnight” as the FIRST instruction! I am a professional baker/ instructor and the “short recipe “ without tips was given to me to make for a birthday cake TODAY! Well suffice it to say, the cake came out fabulous… but I ended up using 7CUPS of confectioners sugar and refrigerating it for a short time to get the icing to a firm spreadable consistency!!!!!!????????♀️???? lesson learned: look up the recipe to get all the “ tips” needed!
Lisa Huff says
Sorry to hear you didn’t get the full recipe but glad it turned out ok!
Elizabeth says
Excellent. Not overly sweet and none of the flavors were overpowering. Brightened our quarentine. Thank you.
Lisa Huff says
So great to hear, thank you!
Shannon says
Made this cake for my Italian boyfriend today, and we were both extremely impressed! I don’t usually like cake but this one I’ll be dreaming about until I make it again. It was surprisingly easy, too.
Lisa Huff says
So happy to hear the cake turned out well for you and your boyfriend enjoyed!! :)