Mom's Best Recipes
Recipe

Cannoli Cake

Fluffy vanilla layer cake filled with cannoli cream and mini chocolate chips, finished with a light mascarpone frosting and a powdered sugar dusting.

Author By Matt Campbell
4.8
A tall slice of cannoli cake on a dessert plate, showing vanilla cake layers with ricotta mascarpone filling studded with mini chocolate chips, topped with a light dusting of powdered sugar on a bright kitchen table
Jump to Recipe

If you love cannoli but do not feel like frying anything or dealing with shells shattering all over the counter, this is your dessert. Cannoli cake hits the same notes: sweet ricotta cream, vanilla, citrusy brightness, and those tiny chocolate chips that somehow make every bite feel like a reward.

You will make tender vanilla layers, a thick cannoli-style filling that actually stays put when you slice, and a light mascarpone frosting that looks bakery-fancy without being high drama. This is the kind of cake that makes people hover near the kitchen “just to help” and mysteriously disappear with a second slice.

Measured ingredients for cannoli cake on a clean kitchen counter, including flour, sugar, eggs, ricotta, mascarpone, mini chocolate chips, vanilla, oranges or lemons for zest, and baking pans ready to use

Why It Works

  • Cannoli flavor, cake format: Ricotta and mascarpone give you that classic creamy tang, while orange zest and vanilla keep it bright.
  • Filling that slices clean: Draining the ricotta plus a short chill keeps the cream thick, not weepy.
  • Tender, reliable layers: Buttermilk and oil keep the crumb soft for days, even after chilling.
  • Decorations are flexible: Go full Italian bakery with pistachios and mini chocolate chips, or keep it simple with powdered sugar and a few curls of chocolate.
A glass mixing bowl with ricotta mascarpone cannoli filling being folded with a spatula, mini chocolate chips nearby on a wooden cutting board

Pairs Well With

Recommended

Tiramisu Cake

Tiramisu Cake

All the cozy coffee and cocoa vibes of tiramisu, but stacked into an easy, party-ready layer cake with mascarpone cream frosting.

Berry Chantilly Cake

Berry Chantilly Cake

Tender vanilla cake layers + mascarpone Chantilly cream + fresh berries. Bright, creamy, and surprisingly doable with clear steps and make-ahead tips.

Blank Book Cake

Blank Book Cake

A cozy, crowd-pleasing “blank book” cake that looks like an open notebook. Vanilla cake, fluffy frosting, fondant pages, and simple tricks for crisp edge...

Apple Crumb Pie

Apple Crumb Pie

Tender cinnamon apples under a buttery brown sugar crumb topping, baked until bubbly and crisp. An approachable apple crumb pie that delivers big comfort.

Storage Tips

Refrigerator: Because the filling is dairy-based, store the cake covered in the fridge for up to 4 days. A cake dome is ideal. Plastic wrap works too, just avoid pressing it into the frosting.

Food safety note: Keep the cake refrigerated whenever possible and do not leave it out at room temperature for more than 2 hours total.

Best texture tip: For the softest cake and creamiest filling, let slices sit at room temperature for 15 to 25 minutes before eating.

Freezer: Freeze individual slices for up to 2 months. Wrap each slice in plastic wrap, then foil. Thaw overnight in the fridge.

Individual slices of cannoli cake stored in a clear airtight container on a kitchen counter, showing distinct layers and chocolate chip filling

Common Questions

Do I have to drain the ricotta?

I strongly recommend it. Even “thick” ricotta can carry extra liquid, and that liquid will loosen your filling over time. Drain it in a fine mesh strainer or cheesecloth for 30 to 60 minutes in the fridge. If it looks watery, go longer.

Can I use all ricotta and skip mascarpone?

Yes. The filling will be a little tangier and slightly less plush. Use the same amount of ricotta in place of mascarpone. If you want it lighter, fold in 1/2 cup softly whipped cream (whip it separately to soft peaks, then fold). It makes the filling feel extra cannoli-like.

What kind of chocolate chips are best?

Mini chocolate chips are the move. They spread out more evenly and make every bite feel like cannoli filling, not like you hit a chocolate speed bump.

Can I make this as a sheet cake?

Yep. Bake in a 9 x 13-inch pan at the same temperature. Start checking around 28 to 38 minutes, but go by doneness cues: the center should spring back lightly, a toothpick should come out clean (or with a few moist crumbs), and the internal temp should be about 200 to 205°F if you like to be extra sure.

How do I keep the cake from sliding?

Chill the filling briefly (about 10 to 15 minutes) before assembling, and chill the assembled cake for 30 minutes before final frosting. Also, do not overfill the layers. If you want extra insurance, pipe a quick frosting dam around the edge of the first layer, then spread the filling inside it. Your future self slicing neat pieces will thank you.

How long can it sit out?

This cake is dairy-forward. Keep it refrigerated when you are not serving it, and do not leave it out at room temperature for more than 2 hours total.

I love cannoli, but I also love not committing my whole evening to frying and praying the shells stay crisp. This cake is my compromise dessert: all the cannoli joy with a lot less chaos. The first time I tested it, I meant to “just level the layers,” and somehow half the cannoli cream disappeared into quality control. Consider that your official permission to taste as you go.