Cannoli Poke Cake

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This Cannoli Poke Cake is a simple vanilla cake soaked with sweetened condensed milk and covered with an unforgettable topping that mimics the filling of a classic cannoli! It’s moist, indulgent, and 100% irresistible. A quick and easy recipe you’ll come back to over and over!

Why You’ll Love This Cannoli Poke Cake Recipe

Poke cakes are so fun, versatile and easy to make. If you’re looking for a dessert recipe that will knock it out of the park and not require too much time, this is it. Here’s a few more reasons to love it.

  • Classic Cannoli flavor. If you dream about cannoli, you are going to go nuts over this dessert. The topping captures the glorious, rich, sweet flavor of this irresistible Italian classic perfectly.
  • Perfect texture. Some poke cakes can be a bit soggy. I only soaked this one with half a can of sweetened condensed milk (as opposed to a whole can). It provides the perfect sweetness and moisture with none of the sogginess.
  • Easy to make. Just bake a cake, poke some holes in it, saturate it with sweetened condensed milk, and whip up a quick topping. It’s an awesome beginner recipe.
  • Make ahead. This a great recipe for making ahead of time. You could easily make it the day before you plan to serve it. It will give the cake time to absorb the moisture and the topping plenty of time to set.
A slice of cannoli poke cake with a bite taken out of it served on a plate.

What You’ll Need

Buckle up and head on over to the grocery store. Here’s what you’ll need to bring this cannoli poke cake recipe to life. Scroll on down to the recipe card below for precise measurements.

Ingredients for cannoli poke cake.
  • White cake mix (plus ingredients listed on the box) – I used a store-bought white cake mix. But you could use a homemade vanilla cake mix, which is quite similar to a cake mix in texture. If you’re looking for a denser, butter-based cake, I’d recommend my Funfetti Cake. Just leave out the sprinkles.
  • Sweetened condensed milk – You’ll use it in the topping and pour it over the cake. It adds a nice richness and sweetness to both components. Plus, it adds lots of moisture to the cake and is part of the “poke cake” name.
  • Ricotta cheese – You don’t have to strain the ricotta although, if you are prepping ahead, you certainly can. Wrap it in cheesecloth (optional) and set it in a bowl in the fridge overnight. In the morning, discard the water that has seeped out. I don’t usually strain it and typically use the Galbani brand.
  • Mascarpone cheese – Keep the mascarpone in the fridge until about 10 minutes before using it. You don’t want it to get too warm, or it’ll end up watery.
  • Vanilla extract
  • Ground cinnamon – The cinnamon is optional but I love the extra layer of flavor it adds.
  • Mini chocolate chips – I like the more subtle mini chocolate chips, as opposed to the full-sized ones.
  • Powdered sugar – I dusted my poke cake with extra powdered sugar. You don’t have to but I am a big fan of the look of it.

How to Make Cannoli Poke Cake

Here’s a quick rundown of how to make this easy poke cake. You’ll find more detailed instructions in the recipe card below.

  • Make the cake. Prepare the cake in a 9×13-inch baking pan per the instructions on the box.
  • Poke. Remove the baked cake from the oven and poke holes all over the top.
  • Soak. Reserve 1/2 cup of sweetened condensed milk and pour the rest over the top of the warm cake. Spread it around with a spatula.
  • Cool. Allow the cake to cool completely.
  • Make the topping. Gently mix together the ricotta cheese, mascarpone cheese, and vanilla extract. Stir in the powdered sugar and cinnamon followed by the reserved sweetened condensed milk.
  • Assemble. Spread the topping evenly over the fully-cooled cake.
  • Chill. Refrigerate until the topping is set (3-4 hours or overnight).
  • Finish it off. Top the cake with mini chocolate chips and dust with powdered sugar, if desired.
Closeup of a slice of cannoli poke cake served on a plate.

Tips for Success

  • Poke and pour while warm. When pouring the sweetened condensed milk over the cake, do so while the cake is still warm. If it has cooled too much, the liquid won’t absorb as well into the cake.
  • Let it cool. Allow the cake to cool completely before adding the mascarpone topping. Otherwise, the topping can melt or wilt.
  • Keep the mascarpone cold. Mascarpone cheese has a tendency to turn watery when it gets too warm. So keep it in the fridge until about 10 minutes before you use it.
  • Mix gently. Marscapone can turn watery if it is over-mixed, so, when making the topping, mix gently and just until everything is combined.
  • Be patient. It may be tempting to dive right into this delicious dessert, but it needs time to set up in the fridge (unless you want a runny mess). Refrigerate it for at least 3-4 hours before slicing and serving. I like to let it sit overnight

Why is my topping so thin?

This topping is naturally on the thinner side. It does thicken in the fridge and the longer you let it sit, the thicker it gets. I even think it’s best to let it sit overnight. It doesn’t get as firm as a whipped cream or buttercream, but it certainly stays in place, like it should. That said, you can make it thicker by leaving the sweetened condensed milk out of it. If you choose to do that, you can use the remaining sweetened condense milk on top of the cake along with the rest, if you’d like. The topping will be a little less sweet that way.

Cannoli poke cake in a baking pan with slices taken out of it.

Proper Storage

Wrap the cake (in its pan) tightly with plastic wrap or arrange slices in a single layer in an airtight container. You can store it in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. If you choose to freeze it, allow the cake to thaw in the fridge before diving back into the leftovers.

More Poke Cake Recipes

Enchanted by this whole idea of an incredibly easy, insanely delicious poke cake? I’ve got more where this one came from. Here are a few other flavor profiles I think you’ll love.

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A slice of cannoli poke cake served on a plate.
Recipe

Cannoli Poke Cake

  • Author: Lindsay
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Chill Time: 4 hours
  • Cook Time: 25 minutes
  • Total Time: 4 hours 40 minutes
  • Yield: 15-18 Servings
  • Category: Dessert
  • Method: Oven
  • Cuisine: American

Description

This Cannoli Poke Cake is a simple vanilla cake soaked with sweetened condensed milk and covered with an unforgettable topping that mimics the filling of a classic cannoli! It’s moist, indulgent, and 100% irresistible. A quick and easy recipe you’ll come back to over and over!


Ingredients

  • 1 box white cake mix, plus ingredients on box*
  • 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk, divided
  • 1 1/2 cups (372g) ricotta cheese (most of a 15 oz container)
  • 1 1/2 cups (339g | 12oz) mascarpone cheese
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 cup (115g) powdered sugar
  • 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon, optional
  • 1/2 cup (85g) mini chocolate chips
  • Powdered sugar, for dusting, optional

Instructions

  1. Bake a 9×13 cake according to the box directions.
  2. While the cake bakes, pour ½ cup of sweetened condensed milk into a measuring cup and set aside.
  3. When done baking, remove the cake from the oven and poke holes all over the top of the cake. I use a knife sharpener, but the end of the handle of a wooden spoon or spatula would work too.
  4. Pour the remaining sweetened condensed milk over the top of the warm cake, then spread it around with a spatula, allowing it to soak into the holes. If a little bit remains on top of the cake, that’s ok. Allow the cake to cool completely.
  5. When the cake has cooled, make the topping. Add the ricotta cheese, mascarpone cheese and vanilla extract to a mixer bowl and gently mix together until well combined and smooth. You do this by hand with a spatula, or mix on low speed with a mixer. You don’t want to over mix this mixture or it can turn watery.
  6. Add the powdered sugar and cinnamon and gently stir until well combined.
  7. Add the reserved ½ cup of sweetened condensed milk and gently stir together until well combined. The mixture will seem very thin.
  8. Spread the topping evenly over the top of the cake. Refrigerate until the topping is set, at least 3-4 hours, or overnight.
  9. Top with mini chocolate chips and a sprinkle of powdered sugar, then serve.
  10. Store cake well covered in the fridge. Cake is best if eaten within 4-5 days.

Notes

I used a store-bought white cake mix. But you could use a homemade vanilla cake mix, which is quite similar to a cake mix in texture. If you’re looking for a denser, butter-based cake, I’d recommend my Funfetti Cake. Just leave out the sprinkles. 

Do consider straining the ricotta before using, especially if it’s a particularly watery brand. Also, when mixing together the ricotta and mascarpone cheese, DO NOT over mix it. If mascarpone cheese is over mixed, it becomes very thin.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 Slice
  • Calories: 429
  • Sugar: 28.5 g
  • Sodium: 144.5 mg
  • Fat: 22.7 g
  • Carbohydrates: 50.6 g
  • Protein: 8.3 g
  • Cholesterol: 75.7 mg

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304 Comments
  1. Rebecca

    I can’t find the recipe on the page! This looks so delicious and I really want to try it! It looks like it was supposed to go at the end of the writing but there are just some link-type words, so maybe a bad link?

    1. Lindsay

      Hi Rebecca, I redesigned my site yesterday and it seems to have caused some issues with recipes displaying on mobile. If you can view it on a computer, you should be able to see it.

  2. Tina

    This cake was a HUGE hit with my big Italian family. We have cannolis at every family party and for our Sunday dinner someone dropped the ball on placing and order so I baked this. It was quite popular and crazy inexpensive to make especially in comparison to buying cannoli from a bakery. I did however cheat and sub low fat cream cheese for the mascarpone 🙂

    This cake tasted even better the two days after I baked it!

  3. Morgan

    I absolutely loved this recipe. I did strain my ricotta. The consistency of the frosting was perfect and I wanted to eat the whole cake myself!

  4. Jenn C

    This cake looks amazing! I was thinking about making it in two 8″ pans and stacking the cakes with some of the topping in the middle as well as on top… Will the cakes stand up to stacking, or does the poke and soak make them too flimsy to try stacking them? Thanks!

    1. lifeloveandsugar@gmail.com

      I haven’t ever tried it. If you do stack it, I probably wouldn’t poke the cakes and soak them.

  5. Lauren

    Holy Cannoli!!! This was gooooood! Of course, I didn’t read the recipe ahead of time, so on the day I made it, I realized that I wasn’t going to have enough time to make the cake (with the soak and set times) so I made cupcakes. I used one of the OP’s suggestions, and added 3 Tbsp (ok, it might have been more like 4) of the sweetened condensed milk and 1 3/4 cups of confectioners sugar, since the icing was going on top of cupcakes & I didn’t want it too thin. Finished it with mini chips & powdered sugar & they were adorable! And yummy! I made 24 for a barbecue & there were none left. Even my picky DS loved them! Thanks!

  6. JudyL

    This popped up on my facebook today and I almost didn’t give it a second look. I’ve only heard of poke cakes with pudding or jello poured over them & I don’t care for them. But this looked SO DELICIOUS that I just HAD to click on it & see – and I’m glad I did. The recipe is more like a Tres Leche cake, which I LOVE, and the idea of the cannoli filling sounds perfect. And then I see all of the other cakes to tempt me following this recipe & now I’ going to be stuck looking through your recipes for several hours now 😀
    Pure sweetened condensed milk sounds a little too sweet to me, so I may try to make 2 version – yours, and then do one with the tres leche millk mix and the cannoli topping and see which we like best.

    1. lifeloveandsugar@gmail.com

      I’m so glad you clicked over to check it out. Most of my poke cakes use something other than pudding or jello to flavor them, so you’re in the right place. 🙂 The comparison sounds like a great idea. It all depends on how sweet you like things. I definitely have a sweet tooth. 😉

  7. Stacia

    I just made this cannoli poke cake last night and it’s delicious!! My husband doesn’t like treats because they are usually too sweet for him, but he loved it! Thank you!






  8. Lumpy Icing

    I just made this cake and I beat the icing FOREVER and could not get lumps out! I beat just the cheeses first and then when I couldn’t get them smooth I added the milk to see if that would help. It still tastes pretty good but I’m worried people will think its too lumpy to enjoy. I have read and re-read all the instructions thinking I missed something and I read most of the comments and no one else had this issue so I’m wondering if I did something wrong.

    1. lifeloveandsugar@gmail.com

      Hmm, I’m not sure. There isn’t much in the ingredients that could be lumpy. Maybe the ricotta? There’s definitely a lot of variation in the texture of ricotta. If you make it again, maybe try smoothing the ricotta first, then add in the mascarpone and other ingredients.

    2. Laura James

      It’s probably the brand of ricotta. I bought the store brand the first time, and it was grainy. Tasted delicious, but the texture was a bit off. The last time I got the ricotta in the “fancier” cheese section and it was as smooth as the ricotta in these pictures.

  9. Rachel

    Hi!
    This looks so good. I’ve never made a poke cake before and I was just wondering, do you poke the holes all the way down to the bottom of the cake or only part way through?
    Thanks so much!
    My cake is in the oven now. Can’t wait to try it!

    1. lifeloveandsugar@gmail.com

      You’ll poke the holes all the way through (or at least mostly) so that everything soaks in. Enjoy it!

    1. lifeloveandsugar@gmail.com

      That depends on why the replacement. Do you not care for chocolate? The chocolate chips are more of a garnish that add a little chocolate flavor and are usually on the ends of a cannoli. You could leave them off if you’d prefer. If you’d like to replace the chocolate with something, you could try some crushed nuts, maybe a sprinkling of cinnamon or cocoa?

  10. Kristina

    I’m making this for the second time in a week tonight. Tested it out on my family on Sunday – LOVED it. Making it for a work function tomorrow & have no doubt it will be a BIG hit. THANKS!

  11. Jewel Penzam

    I just made this for Easter and everyone loved it! The frosting came out just like normal frosting for me. I used whole milk ricotta which I could not drain at all. I also used only a 1/4 cup sweetened condensed milk in the frosting, along with 1 1/4 cup powdered sugar and it came out exactly like normal frosting. I will definetly be making this cake again!

  12. Catherine

    Dear Lindsay, this cake sounds marvelous. It looks so light and moist…I will be dreaming of this all day! xo, Catherine

  13. tamatha

    I love cannolis. A real connisuer. I made this cake on Sunday. The reviews from family and friends were some of the best I have ever gotten and I bake a lot. I love this cake! So much so, that I am making it again, this Sunday! SO Delish and kind of refreshing! Thank you, Recipe Maker.
    1 note; I used 1 1/2 bars of the new “greek” cream cheese in stead of the mascapone for a nice little tangy zip. I think I’ll keep it that way on the count of the extra protein. Thanks again..Love Love LOVE this recipe!

Lindsay
About Lindsay

I’m the baker, recipe developer and photographer behind Life, Love and Sugar. I love sharing trusted recipes with helpful tips to give you great results.

Scripture I’m Loving

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” Matthew 11:28-29