Everyone loves Italian Cannoli. But what if you could have a Cannoli Filling Cake that you could share? This cake filled with cannoli cream combines the classic flavors of traditional cannoli with soft, tender cake layers.
Just a few ingredients transform a vanilla cake into a cannoli cake using ricotta cheese, powdered sugar and chocolate chips to make that delicious cannoli filling used for the best tasting cannoli.
Like chocolate? Try my Chocolate Ricotta Filling with this Cannoli Cake.
This cake was inspired by traditional Italian Cannoli Pastries filled with Ricotta Filling, which make a perfect dessert if you want to serve individualized pastries. Try my other Cream Filled Pastry Horns or my Millefoglie made with puff pastry.
Visit my recipe box for some more great recipe ideas inspired by Italian tradition!
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Ingredients
Make this cannoli cake with the following ingredients: vanilla cake box mix, whole milk ricotta cheese, milk, eggs, powdered sugar, granulated sugar, salt, vanilla extract, almond extract, mini chocolate chips, whipping cream, cannoli shells (homemade cannoli or store bought)
See recipe card for quantities and directions.
How to Make Yellow Cake filled with Cannoli Cream
Make vanilla cake as per box directions, separate the batter and bake in the oven in two 8 inch cake pans. Let cool on a rack, then pop in the freezer until you are ready to assemble.
Drain ricotta fully to remove as much moisture as possible using a strainer. Place in a mixing bowl. Add mini chips, vanilla extract, almond extract, powder sugar and mix well. Set aside.
Place sugar and flour in a double boiler. If you don't have a double boiler, just use a glass or aluminum bowl and place on top of a small pot of boiling water.
Add hot milk to the flour and sugar mixture and stir continually until thickened. Lightly beat the egg in a small bowl. Add about half of the flour/milk mixture to the egg a little at a time mixing after each addition. Return the egg mixture to the double boiler with the remaining milk/flour mixture and continue to mix on the double boiler.
Reserve half a cup of the Ricotta filling if you will be decorating your cake with cannoli filled with ricotta. Fold the custard in to the ricotta filling.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, on medium speed soften the butter and add powder sugar a little at a time. Add whipping cream a tablespoon at a time to smooth out the icing. Do not use all the cream, if you don't need it.
Pipe frosting around the edge of the first layer using a piping bag or zipper bag. Place the ricotta filling in the middle.
Top with second cake layer. Frost your cake. Don't worry if you make a mess, you are only going to eat it!
Frost the outside of the cake. Don't worry if you make a mess, you are only going to eat it!
Take 4 cannoli shells and pipe the ricotta filling you reserved into the shells. Top with the ricotta filled cannoli. Decorate remaining cake with extra chocolate chips. Chill in the fridge.
Storage
You can store the vanilla cake in the freezer and pop it out and finish assembling it when you are ready. Just wrap it in foil. You don't need to thaw it out to assemble and decorate it though. Once you are done assembling it, pop it in the refrigerator.
Frozen cake layers will remain preserved in the freezer tightly wrapped in plastic wrap and aluminum foil.
I don't recommend re-freezing the cannoli cake since it uses ricotta and is prone to spoiling.
Top tips
Level cake layers for even stacking.
Drain ricotta thoroughly to prevent a runny filling.
Chill filling before assembling for easier spreading.
Refrigerate the cake before slicing for clean cuts.
Add chocolate chips just before assembling to keep texture intact.
Substitutions and Varitions
Here are some ideas on how to make this cannoli cake unique:
- Candied Fruit - substitute the chocolate chips for candied fruit
- Orange Zest - add orange zest for a touch of citrus flavor
- Chocolate - add chocolate or cocoa for a chocolate cannoli filling
- Lotus Biscoff - add crushed Lotus Biscoff cookies to your ricotta for that cannoli shell flavor
If you have other ideas, go ahead and try them and let me know how you made this cake different.
Other Amazing Desserts
Recipe Details
Cake with Cannoli Filling
https://easyhomemaderecipes.caAffiliate Disclosure
This page contains affiliate links, which means I may receive commissions if you choose to purchase through links I provide (at no extra cost to you). Thank you for supporting the work I put into this site! As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Equipment
- 2 cake pan
Ingredients
Cake
- 13½ oz Vanilla Cake Mix 1 box cake mix
Ricotta Filling
- 7½ oz Ricotta drained
- ¼ cup mini Chocolate Chips
- ¼ cup icing sugar
- ½ tsp Vanilla Extract
- ¼ tsp Almond Extract
Custard Filling
- ⅓ cup Sugar
- ¼ cup all purpose flour
- 1 cup Milk warm
- 1 medium Egg
Icing
- 1 cup butter room temperature
- 5 cups icing sugar or more depending on texture
- ½ tbsp Vanilla Extract
- ¼ cup Heavy Cream up to ½ cup
Instructions
- Make vanilla cake as per box directions, separate the batter and bake in two 8 inch baking pans. If you don't have 2 baking pans, you can bake in one pan, then cut the cake through the middle to create two cakes.13½ oz Vanilla Cake Mix
Ricotta Filling
- Drain ricotta and place in a bowl. Combine all ingredients and mix well. Set aside.7½ oz Ricotta, ¼ cup mini Chocolate Chips, ¼ cup icing sugar, ½ tsp Vanilla Extract, ¼ tsp Almond Extract
Custard Filling
- Heat one cup of milk until just at boiling.1 cup Milk
- Place sugar and flour in a double boiler. If you don't have a double boiler, just use a glass or aluminum bowl and place on top of a small pot of boiling water. Be careful not to let the bottom of the bowl touch the boiling water.⅓ cup Sugar
- Add hot milk and stir continually until thickened.
- Lightly beat the egg in a small bowl. Add about half of the flour/milk mixture to the egg a little at a time mixing after each addition.1 medium Egg, ¼ cup all purpose flour
- Return the egg mixture to the double boiler with the remaining milk/flour mixture and continue to mix on the double boiler.
- Cook for one minute then remove from heat and let cool. If you don't use the custard immediately, let cool, then place plastic wrap directly on top of the custard and store in the fridge. This will prevent a thin linin of skin buildup on top of the custard.
- Reserve half a cup of the Ricotta filling if you will be decorating your cake with cannoli filled with ricotta.
- Mix ricotta filling and custard filling together. If you don't want to use all of the custard, don't. Combine them to your preference.
Cake Icing and Assembly
- Make the buttercream icing by softened the butter in a stand mixer. Add powdered sugar a little at a time. Add vanilla extra and then add the cream a tablespoon at a time to smooth out the icing. It's not meant to use all the cream, if you need it use it, otherwise only add what you need to get the consistency you need.1 cup butter, 5 cups icing sugar, ¼ cup Heavy Cream, ½ tbsp Vanilla Extract
- Place a dollop of frosting on a cake board and place one layer of the cake on it centered.
- Pipe frosting around the edge of the first layer, then place the ricotta filling in the middle.
- Top with second layer.
- Frost your cake. Don't worry if you make a mess, you are only going to eat it!
- Take 4 cannoli shells and pipe the ricotta filling you reserved into the shells. Place a dollop of frosting strategically on four corners of your cake, then top with the ricotta filed cannoli.
- Decorate remaining cake with extra chocolate chips. Chill in the fridge.
Notes
Top tips
Level cake layers for even stacking. Drain ricotta thoroughly to prevent a runny filling. Chill filling before assembling for easier spreading. Refrigerate the cake before slicing for clean cuts. Add chocolate chips just before assembling to keep texture intact.Nutrition
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Food Safety
Note that the storage guidelines provided on this page and site are estimates from personal experiences. We are all adults and as an adult you are responsible to ensure that the food you eat is safe to eat. Since, I'm not a food safety expert, you are responsible to review your local guidelines on food storage prior to storing any food left-overs.
Remember to:
- Not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
- Wash hands after touching raw meat
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended
- Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove
For Canadian Guidelines check the Government of Canada Food Safety Guidelines or see more guidelines at USDA.gov.
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