Cannoli Layer Cake

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This Cannoli Layer Cake is a light, moist cinnamon cake layered with cannoli filling, chocolate chips, and mascarpone frosting! All the best elements of cannoli in one irresistible cake!

I love cannoli desserts, and I’m always looking for fun, new ways to work those light and creamy flavors into recipes, like this cannoli cheesecake and my cannoli tart. For another favorite Italian dessert-turned-layer cake, try my tiramisu cake, next!

Why You’ll Love This Cannoli Layer Cake

I’ve been making this cannoli layer cake for years and it remains one of my favorites. It has all the flavors of a classic cannoli wrapped up in a decadent three-layer cake! I recently updated the recipe to make it even better. I decided to change the cake layers to my newer moist vanilla cake recipe. It uses whole eggs, instead of egg whites, so you aren’t wasting the yolks, and it’s also a lighter cake. I also reduced the filling and added some mini chocolate chips and made the frosting a bit thicker and more sturdy to hold the cake together better.

This cake was amazing before so trust me when I say it’s simply irresistible now! Here are a few reasons why:

• All the best elements of cannoli. Cannoli as a flavor for cakes and other desserts always surprises me. It seems like a flavor that’s so light and primarily composed of a little cinnamon and a couple of kinds of cheese would be fairly boring – and yet every cannoli dessert I make I totally fall in love with. They are anything but boring and this cannoli layer cake is no exception.
• Light & lightly sweet. Mascarpone cheese has easily become one of my favorite things to use in desserts. The flavor is incredibly light, but so darn good and just sweet enough. I used it for both the filling and the frosting in this cake.
• Absolute showstopper. This cake really is exceptional. It takes a little time and finesse to work with the soft filling and frosting, but it’s totally worth it. You won’t want to share a single crumb with anyone. It’s so beautiful once assembled and doesn’t really require any special decorating skills either.

Recipe Ingredients

The cannoli filling for this cake is similar to my stabilized mascarpone whipped cream, with a few tweaks and the addition of ricotta cheese. Here’s a run-down of everything you’ll need to make this cake. Scroll down to the recipe card below for the exact measurements.

Cannoli Filling

• Ricotta cheese – Ricotta is a must when it comes to any cannoli filling. You will want to strain it.
• Mascarpone cheese – I use mine straight out of the fridge, but you could also let it sit out for 5-10 minutes. You just don’t want it to get too warm. It’ll turn watery at that point and you can’t really save it.
• Powdered sugar – Sweetens and helps to stabilize the filling.
• Mini chocolate chips

Cake Layers

• All-purpose flour – Be sure to measure it properly. I always recommend a food scale, but the spoon and level method will also work.
• Baking powder & baking soda – Using both helps to give the cake a light and tender crumb.
• Ground cinnamon – Adds just a bit of warmth to the cake layers, which nicely compliments the filling.
• Salt – Enhances the flavors already present. Without a little salt, your cake will be bland.
• Unsalted butter – You could use salted butter, but you’d want to leave out the added salt.
• Vegetable oil – Helps keep the cake extra moist.
• Sugar – This cake uses both white and brown sugar for the best texture and flavor.
• Vanilla extract
• Eggs – It’s best to use room temperature eggs when making as they incorporate into the batter more easily, which helps prevent over mixing. Be sure to use large eggs, not medium or extra large.
• Milk – I typically use 2% but whole milk works too.
• Sour cream – Sour cream adds a bit of extra moisture to the cake.

Buttercream

• Unsalted butter – At room temperature.
• Mascarpone cheese – Again, the mascarpone shouldn’t get too warm or it’ll become watery.
• Powdered sugar – Helps to sweeten, add volume and stabilize the buttercream.
• Vanilla extract
• Mini chocolate chips

How To Make Cannoli Layer Cake

Because the filling and frosting for this cake are made with ricotta and mascarpone cheeses and on the softer side, you’ll need to pay careful attention to the process of building the cake. There’s a bit of waiting involved at a couple of points to make sure things are firm. It’s worth every second, though! You can find the printable version of the instructions in the recipe card below.

Strain the Ricotta

• Strain the ricotta. Line a large strainer with two layers of cheesecloth. Add the ricotta and cover with more cheesecloth. Place the strainer in a bowl with at least 1-2 inches at the bottom of the bowl and place something heavy on top of the cheesecloth to help squeeze out the liquid. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours.

Make the Filling

• Make the filling. Mix the strained ricotta, mascarpone, and powdered sugar on low speed until well combined. You can also mix it by hand with a spatula. This is a thinner filling and you do not want to over mix it.
• Chill. Refrigerate for 2-3 hours. (If you start making the cake layers now, it’ll be ready when the cakes have cooled.)

Make the Cake

• Prep. Line three 8-inch cake pans with parchment paper circles in the bottom. Grease the sides and preheat the oven to 350F.
• Make the batter. Combine the dry ingredients and set aside. Beat together the butter, oil, sugars, and vanilla until light in color and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing until mostly combined after each and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
• Combine. Mix in half of the dry ingredients until mostly combined then slowly add in the milk and sour cream. Add the remaining dry ingredients, mixing until well combined and smooth.
• Bake. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared cake pans. Bake for 20-24 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few crumbs.
• Cool. Remove the cakes from the oven. Allow to cool for 2-3 minutes then remove to cooling racks to cool completely.

Make the Buttercream

• Beat the mascarpone. Beat the mascarpone and butter just until smooth. Do not overmix or the mascarpone will become too thin and watery.
• Add the powdered sugar. Add the powdered sugar in two parts, mixing until combined and smooth. It may look a bit separated but it will come together as you add more. Gently stir in the vanilla extract.

Build the Cake

• Prep the cakes. Use a large serrated knife to remove the domes from the tops of the cakes so they’re completely flat.
• Assemble. Place the first cake on a serving plate. Pipe a dam of frosting around the edge then fill with 1/2 of the filling. Add the second layer of cake, another dam of frosting, and the remaining filling inside the dam. Add the final layer of cake on top then add a thin crumb coat of frosting to the outside of the cake.
• Chill. Refrigerate the cake for 1-2 hours, until firm and sturdy (Or you can also pop it in the freezer for 30 minutes). Place the remaining frosting in the fridge as well but remove it about 20 minutes before continuing.
• Decorate. Frost the outside of the cake with the remainder of the frosting. Finish by pressing some mini chocolate chips along the bottom. Pipe the remaining frosting on the top edge. I used Ateco tip 847. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Tips for Success

Here are a few tips for making this stunning cannoli layer cake. You can also refer to my detailed tutorial on how to fill and stack a layer cake for more helpful tricks.

• Strain the ricotta well. This really isn’t something you want to skip, or your filling can be too thin. I like to do it the night before to save time. I usually get a few tablespoons of liquid after straining it.
• Mix the mascarpone with care. The big thing you have to be careful of when using mascarpone cheese is that you don’t want to over-mix it or mix it at a high speed. The lowest speed you have is best. It easily gets watery if you aren’t careful or it gets too warm.
• Can I use less powdered sugar? The buttercream uses 8 ½ cups of powdered sugar. You can add less powdered sugar to the frosting so that there isn’t so much sugar, but you won’t end up with as much frosting and it won’t be as thick. You need it thick enough for the dam to stay in place and keep the filling in place. I highly recommend using the full amount of powdered sugar.
• Thicken the filling. The filling is on the thinner side. I didn’t add too much powdered sugar to the filling because I like the taste of the cheeses, but you could add more to thicken it further if you’d like.
• Chill the filling. It’s important to make the filling ahead of time and allow it to chill for a few hours before using it in the recipe, to allow it thicken a bit.
• Refrigerate the assembled cake. Once the cake layers are assembled, be sure to give it time to chill and set. Otherwise, the layers can slide everywhere as you try to frost the outside. If you’re in a rush, you can freeze it for about 30 minutes.

Proper Storage

Keep the cannoli layer refrigerated until ready to serve. It should be stored well-covered or in an airtight container, such as this cake carrier. It’s best when enjoyed within 3-4 days.

To freeze the cake, flash freeze for 1-2 hours, then wrap well. Thaw in the fridge before serving. You can also slice the cake and freeze the individual slices. Wrap them individually or store them in an airtight container.

More Italian-Inspired Desserts To Try

• Cannoli Icebox Cake
• Cannoli Poke Cake
• Tiramisu Cupcakes
• Mini Tiramisu Trifles

This recipe was updated September 30, 2024 based on reader feedback. For the original version, download this recipe PDF.

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