This cannoli cream cake has three fluffy vanilla cake layers studded with mini chocolate chips, a classic ricotta cannoli filling, and a fluffy mascarpone frosting. Each slice is the perfect amount of sweetness, but with a slight tang from the ricotta cheese, and the added texture from the mini chocolate chips.
Cannolis are my favorite dessert of all time. As someone who grew up with an Italian family and studied abroad in Italy eating multiple cannolis a day, I had a very high bar for this cake. This cake has three fluffy vanilla cake layers loaded with mini chocolate chips, a classic cannoli cream filling, and a whipped mascarpone frosting.
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Why you’ll love this cannoli cream cake
- Luscious cannoli cream. If you’re a cannoli lover, this cake is for you. In between each fluffy cake layer sits a classic ricotta cannoli filling.
- No frying. Making homemade cannolis requires frying the shells. This cake allows you to get that yummy cannoli flavor but without the hassle of frying at home.
- Whipped mascarpone frosting. Mascarpone cheese is sometimes used in cannoli cream as well - it’s a soft Italian cheese that is similar to cream cheese, but milder. It’s used in the frosting and mixed with mini chocolate chips for the ultimate cannoli dessert!
Ingredient notes
- Cake flour: cake flour is used for a soft, moist, and tender crumb.
- Baking soda: baking soda is used as the leavening agent in this cake.
- Sugar: granulated sugar adds sweetness and flavor to the cake. Powdered sugar is used for the cannoli cream and mascarpone frosting.
- Unsalted butter, vegetable oil, and whole milk: all three of these ingredients contribute to the cakes moist texture.
- Eggs: acts as a binding agent for the cake batter ingredients.
- Vanilla extract: good quality vanilla extract is key for great flavor.
- Ricotta cheese: good quality, full-fat ricotta cheese should be used to make the cannoli cream.
- Heavy cream: heavy cream is whipped to whipped cream and folded together with the cannoli cream ingredients. This ensures a fluffy cannoli cream filling.
- Mascarpone: mascarpone cheese is sometimes used in cannoli cream as well - it’s a soft Italian cheese that is similar to cream cheese, but milder. It makes for the perfect frosting when lightly sweetened and mixed with mini chocolate chips. You can also use cream cheese, if you prefer.
- Mini chocolate chips: mini chocolate chips are in every component of this cake - the cake layers, the cannoli cream, and the frosting!
See recipe card for the full list of ingredients & their quantities.
Recipe summary
- Make the cake batter. Whisk together the cake flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside. Beat together the butter and oil until combined, then stream in the granulated sugar and mix. Add the eggs one at a time, then add the vanilla extract. Add half of the dry ingredients and mix until almost combined, then add half of the milk and mix until almost combined. Repeat with the other halves of the dry ingredients and the milk. Fold in the mini chocolate chips.
- Bake. Separate the cake batter evenly into three 8 inch cake pans. Bake for 26-32 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
- Make the cannoli cream. Whip the heavy cream until stiff peaks form. Set aside. Fold together the ricotta cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract. Then fold in the whipped cream until combined. Fold in the mini chocolate chips.
- Make the mascarpone frosting. Beat together the mascarpone cheese and butter until combined and fluffy. Add the vanilla extract and one cup of the powdered sugar and beat until combined. Continue to add one cup of powdered sugar at a time and mix until combined. Add the milk if necessary and mix, then fold in the mini chocolate chips.
- Assemble. Take your first cake layer and pipe a ring of frosting on the top edges of the cake. Add the cannoli filling. Top with a second cake layer and repeat the piping/filling. Top with the third cake layer. Use the remaining frosting to frost the sides and top of the cake. Enjoy!
FAQ
The cannoli cream may not seem set if there is too much liquid. That is why straining the ricotta cheese is a critical step in ensuring a thick, set, cannoli cream filling.
Yes, you can make the cake in advance. Baked and unfrosted layers can be wrapped tightly and frozen for a few weeks. Thaw them before frosting and assembling. The cannoli cream and frosting can also be made 1-2 in advanced and stored in an airtight container in the fridge.
Store the cake in an airtight container at room temperature if planning to eat within 1-2 days. Keep in the fridge for up to 5 days. For longer storage, you can freeze the cake, well-wrapped, for up to three months.
While cake flour is preferred for its finer texture, you can substitute all purpose flour. Keep in mind that the cake's texture may be slightly denser, but it will still be delicious. I would suggest looking up conversions for cake flour to all purpose flour to ensure accuracy.
Cake baking tips
- Use a kitchen scale. I cannot stress this enough - a kitchen scale is the only way to ensure accurate results. They are cheap and will make cleaning up SO much easier.
- Follow the recommended flour. The recipe calls for cake flour for a reason. Cake flour has a lower protein content than all purpose flour, resulting in a softer, more delicate crumb. While you can substitute all purpose flour, if possible, stick to cake flour for the best texture.
- Gentle mixing. When combining wet and dry ingredients, mix just until they come together. Over-mixing can lead to a dense cake. The batter should be smooth but not overworked.
- Avoid opening the oven door. Resist the temptation to open the oven door to check on your cake too early. Sudden temperature fluctuations can cause the cake to sink in the middle. Only open the oven door when you believe the cake is close to being fully baked.
- Test for doneness. To determine if the cake is ready, insert a toothpick into the center. It should come out clean or with a few crumbs, but not wet batter. Remember, baking times can vary, so rely on the toothpick test rather than an exact time.
- Allow for cooling time. Cakes continue to bake after they are removed from the oven, so make sure to allow for ample cooling time in order for the cakes to set properly.
Baking in grams
I rely on gram measurements when testing recipes because they offer the highest level of accuracy (and less cleanup!). Unlike volume measurements, which can vary, grams provide a reliable and consistent standard. I carefully test all of my recipes using this kitchen scale, therefore I cannot guarantee the outcome when using volume measurements. However, volume measurements are available in the recipe card.
Other cake recipes to try
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Cannoli Cream Cake
Equipment
Ingredients
Cake
- 3 cups (360 grams) cake flour spooned and leveled
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ cup (113 grams) unsalted butter room temperature
- ½ cup (100 grams) vegetable oil
- 1 ½ cups (300 grams) granulated sugar
- 4 eggs room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup (240 grams) whole milk room temperature
- 1 cup mini chocolate chips + 1 tablespoon (180 grams) cake flour
Cannoli Cream
- 2 cups (500 grams) ricotta cheese
- ¾ cup (90 grams) powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ cup (60 grams) heavy whipping cream cold
- ¼ cup (45 grams) mini chocolate chips
Mascarpone Frosting
- 8 oz (226 grams) mascarpone cheese room temperature
- 1 cup (226 grams) unsalted butter room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 6-7 cups (720-840 grams) powdered sugar
- 1-2 tablespoons whole milk or heavy cream
- 1 ¼ cups (225 grams) mini chocolate chips
Instructions
- Please read through all of the instructions thoroughly before baking.
Cake
- Preheat oven to 325F and line three 8 inch cake pans with parchment paper. If you are greasing the pans with spray, make sure to NOT overspray otherwise the sides/edges will brown/crisp up because of the excess fat from the spray.
- Toss together the mini chocolate chips with one tablespoon of flour. This will prevent the chips from sinking to the bottom of the pan.
- In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the cake flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- In a medium-sized bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and oil together on high speed until completely combined. This will only happen if the butter is fully at room temperature. About 2-3 minutes.
- With the mixer on low speed, stream in the granulated sugar then beat on medium speed until combined and fluffy. 1-2 minutes.
- Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well on low speed in between each addition, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl as necessary. I normally scrape the sides and bottom after every egg addition. Add the vanilla extract and mix on low-medium speed until combined.
- With the mixer on low, add half of the dry ingredients. Once almost fully incorporated, add half of the milk and mix until almost combined. Repeat this with the other halves of the dry ingredients and the milk. Do not over mix. Fold in the mini chocolate chips.
- Divide the batter evenly amongst the three cake pans (about 475-485 grams per pan). Bake the cakes for 26-32 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. The edges of the cake will be slightly pulling away from the pan. Let cool in the pan for 10-15 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Cannoli Cream
- Place the ricotta in a mesh strainer or a cheese cloth over a large bowl and put it in the fridge. Leave in the fridge for the water to drain, ideally overnight, but for at least three hours.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, or a small bowl if using a handheld mixer, whip the heavy cream until stiff peaks form. About 2-3 minutes on medium-high speed. Set aside.
- In a separate bowl, fold together the strained ricotta, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract. Then fold in the whipped cream until fully incorporated.
- Fold in the mini chocolate chips. Place in the refrigerator until ready to assemble the cake.
Mascarpone Frosting
- While the cakes are cooling, make the mascarpone frosting. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or a large bowl if using a handheld mixer, beat the mascarpone and butter together on medium-high speed until combined, smooth and fluffy, and no more lumps exist.
- Add the vanilla extract and one cup of the powdered sugar and beat until combined - starting at low speed so the sugar doesn’t fly out of the bowl, then bumping it up to high speed. Continue to add one cup of powdered sugar add a time and beat.
- If needed, add the milk then mix until combined. Once everything is combined, beat on medium speed for 2 minutes until fluffy. You may need to add more powdered sugar (to thicken) or more milk (to thin) depending on desired consistency.
- Add the mini chocolate chips and fold to combine.
Assembly
- Once the cakes are COMPLETELY cool (there should absolutely be no heat to them), we assemble the cake. You can even refrigerate them for 10 minutes to ensure they are extra cold.
- The cakes should not have much of a dome top, but if they do, feel free to use a serrated knife to level them off.
- Fill a piping bag with the tip cut off with the mascarpone frosting. Set aside.
- On top of the first cake layer, pipe a ring of the frosting on the outer edge of the cake - this will act as a wall to hold the cannoli filling. Add about half of the cannoli filling (but don’t over-fill) and spread into an even layer.
- Place the second cake layer on top and repeat this process of piping/filling. You may have some cannoli cream left over.
- Place the third cake layer on top. Use the remaining mascarpone frosting to frost the sides and top of the cake.
- Slice and enjoy! To store, cut the cake into slices, wrap in plastic wrap, and keep them in the fridge.
Tried this recipe? Make sure to rate and review and tag @sturbridgebakery on Instagram!
Erika Roldan
I want it to do it so bad!!! What brand do you recommend me for cake flour, please ??
Greetings Jess!
Jess Italiano
Hi! I like King Arthur brand 🙂
Brandi Q
I made this cake for a bbq and everyone loved it.
The directions said to FOLD the ricotta with the sugar and whipped heavy cream, but I think it should have been beaten in the mixer. The texture wasn’t as smooth as cannoli cream usually is. It’s also not sweet at all, so if you prefer sweet stuff, I’d suggest adding more sugar, or maybe doing a layer of the frosting beneath the cream to help sweeten it.
Also, putting chocolate chips in the frosting made using it more difficult than it was worth. When I make it again I’ll leave them out, frost the cake, then press them into the frosting afterwards. They clogged my tips and made it really hard to get full coverage. You definitely need to do a thin layer and refrigerate it to harden, then do another layer of frosting. I also only used 6 cups of the sugar and it was plenty sweet, which made a good balance for the filling.