Cannoli Cake
Published
Published
Made with box cake mix, sweetened condensed milk, mini chocolate chips, and a mascarpone-ricotta frosting, this easy Cannoli Cake recipe incorporates all the flavors of classic cannoli. It’s made poke-cake style with the sweetened condensed milk drizzled over top, making it extra moist, and the frosting is similar to a cannoli filling. It’s so good!
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While I don’t make traditional cannoli too often, I do love incorporating the flavors into other desserts. I’ve been making cannoli dip for years now and this cannoli cake is another new favorite. It’s a poke cake that begins with a box of French vanilla cake mix, which helps keep the prep quick and easy. The flavors are rich, sweet, and tangy – just like a classic chocolate chip cannoli without all the work.
Helpful Tips
- Ignore the cake instructions. For this cannoli poke cake, there’s no need to follow the box instructions. We’re just using the cake mix to keep the recipe quick and easy by not measuring out the dry ingredients.
- Poke holes while warm. Be sure to poke the holes in the cake as soon as it comes out of the oven. It’s much easier and it also allows the topping to absorb into the entire cake more evenly.
- Chill before frosting. I recommend letting the cake chill for at least 3 hours before adding the frosting, though overnight also works. If the frosting is added immediately, it’ll just melt. It also gives the cake time to absorb the liquid.
- Adjust the frosting consistency. If the frosting is too firm after mixing in the powdered sugar, mix in some additional cream to achieve the desired consistency.
Cannoli Cake
Ingredients
FOR THE CAKE
- 1 box French vanilla cake mix
- 1 cup whole milk
- ½ cup butter, melted
- 3 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk
- 1 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder
- ¼ cup mini chocolate chips
FOR THE FROSTING
- 8 ounces mascarpone
- ½ cup butter, softened to room temp
- ½ cup ricotta
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ¼ cup cold heavy whipping cream
- 1¼ cups cup powdered sugar
- crushed waffle cones or crushed cannoli shells, for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9×13 casserole dish with nonstick spray or grease with butter.
- (Ignore cake box directions.) To a large mixing bowl, add the French vanilla cake mix, whole milk, melted butter, large eggs, and cinnamon. Blend until thoroughly combined.
- Transfer batter to the prepared casserole dish in an even layer and bake for 28 minutes or until a tester comes out clean.
- Remove cake from oven and poke holes 3/4 of the way through with the back of a wooden spoon.
- Mix together sweetened condensed milk and unsweetened cocoa powder. Pour the sweetened milk mixture over the top of the cake, making sure it gets into the holes.
- Sprinkle mini chocolate chips over the top.
- Cover and refrigerate for several hours before frosting.
- To make the frosting: Blend mascarpone & softened butter until just combined. Then add in the ricotta and vanilla and blend until combined. Then blend in cold heavy whipping cream until you get stiff peaks. Slowly add in the powdered sugar and blend. (If the mixture is too firm, you can blend in a bit more cream. If it's too thin, add in a bit more powdered sugar. NOTE, this frosting tends to have a thinner consistency.)
- Frost the cake and top with more mini chocolate chips & crushed up waffle cones or cannoli shells! Serve and enjoy!
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Nutrition
Nutritional information given is an automatic calculation and can vary based on the exact products you use and any changes you make to the recipe. If these numbers are very important to you, I would recommend calculating them yourself.
Did you make this? Leave a rating below!How to Make Cannoli Cake Step by Step
- Prepare cake batter. (Ignore cake box directions.) To a large mixing bowl, add a box of French vanilla cake mix, 1 cup whole milk, ½ cup melted butter, 3 large eggs, and 1 teaspoon cinnamon. Blend until thoroughly combined.
- Bake. Transfer batter to a greased 9×13 casserole dish in an even layer and bake in a 350F preheated oven for 28 minutes or until a tester comes out clean.
- Poke holes in the baked cake. Remove cake from oven and poke holes 3/4 of the way through with the back of a wooden spoon.
- Make the filling. Mix together 14 ounces sweetened condensed milk and 1 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder.
- Pour filling over cake. Pour the sweetened milk mixture over the top of the cake, making sure it gets into the holes.
- Add chocolate chips, cover and chill. Sprinkle a ¼ cup mini chocolate chips over the top. Cover and refrigerate for several hours before frosting.
- Make the frosting. Blend 8 ounces mascarpone & ½ cup softened butter until just combined. Then add in ½ cup ricotta & 1 teaspoon vanilla and blend until combined. Then blend in ¼ cup heavy whipping cream. Slowly add in 1¼ cups powdered sugar and blend. (If the mixture is too firm, you can blend in a bit more cream. If it’s too loose, blend in a bit more powdered sugar.)
- Frost the cake and serve. Spread frosting over the top and sprinkle with more mini chocolate chips & crushed up waffle cones or cannoli shells! Serve and enjoy!
Proper Storage
Leftover cake should be tightly covered and stored in the refrigerator. It will keep for up to 3 days. I don’t recommend freezing it.
More Easy Cake Recipes
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I was amazing the sweetness , everyone raved about , will be making it again.