Cannoli cake is the classic Italian dessert reimagined into a one layer cake. The bakery worthy cake recipe is easy to make and filled with mini chocolate chips, has a cannoli shell crust and the best light, fluffy cannoli frosting.
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Since cake recipes from scratch are always a winner in my book, I’ve got this twist on the authentic Italian dessert for you. As a busy mama and self taught baker, I made sure this one is super easy to make.
Much like my blueberry ricotta cake, ricotta bundt cake and orange cranberry cake, this moist and tender cake uses whole milk ricotta for flavor and texture. Then instead of traditional buttercream or frosting, we use a light and creamy cannoli filling to frost the top of the cake. Since it's one layer, no stacking or fancy decorating required!
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💗 what makes this cannoli cake special
This easy homemade dessert has three layers of flavors and textures. From the crunchy cannoli crust to the soft vanilla cake to the creamy cannoli filling frosting; this to die for cake will have you coming back for more!
🛒 ingredient notes and substitutions
Please scroll to the printable recipe card at the end of this post for the full list of ingredients and baking directions.
Sugar cones ~ I tested the cannoli crust with both sugar cones and waffle cones. The sugar cones won by a long shot for their flavor and texture, but either can be used! If you have access to authentic cannoli shells, I am sure they would be a great substitute.
Buttermilk ~ for the best results, use store bought buttermilk and have it at room temperature before baking. Buttermilk can be substituted with 1%, 2% or whole milk.
Ricotta ~ making cakes with ricotta brings extra moisture, which results in a tender and soft cake crumb. For the best cake, use whole milk ricotta and bring it to room temperature, draining off any excess liquid before using. The ricotta is also used in the creamy frosting, but only needs to be room temperature for the cake batter.
Mascarpone ~ adds creaminess to the cannoli filling frosting. It is typically near the deli section or with the specialty cheeses, not with the cream cheese. I often find that Trader Joe's has the best price for it. You can substitute cream cheese, but it will change the flavor as it has more of a tangy taste. We use this cold from the refrigerator.
Mini chocolate chips ~ I use Ghirardelli mini semi-sweet chips. If you need to substitute regular size chocolate chips, I would chop them so they are smaller.
🍰 how to make this one layer cake
Preheat oven to 350°F and prepare a 9-inch springform pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
For the cannoli crust: Crush the sugar cones into fine crumbs in a food processor or in a zip-top bag with a rolling pin. Then add granulated sugar and the melted butter and pulse until well combined. Set aside.
Using a stand mixer or hand-held mixer, cream together the unsalted butter, granulated sugar and kosher salt.
Scrape up and down the bowl and add the eggs one at a time, scraping the bowl after the first egg and add the vanilla with the second egg, mixing on medium until combined. The batter starts to look fluffy at this point.
Scrape the bowl again and add the ricotta, baking powder and baking soda and mix on medium until combined. The mixture can look a little curdled at this point, but don't let it worry you.
With the mixer on low slowly add the flour and mix until some large streaks of flour remain. Scrape up and down the bowl.
Then with the mixer on low, slowly drizzle in the buttermilk mixing until the batter just comes together.
Now fold in the mini chocolate chips that have been tossed in 1 tablespoon flour with a spatula while you do a final stir.
The cannoli crust pressed firmly into the bottom of a prepared springform pan.
Pour/spread the batter over the cannoli crust {use an off-set spatula to even it out} and gently drop/tap the pan on the counter a couple times to remove any large air bubbles and place the cake in the preheated oven.
Bake for about 35-40 minutes or until a cake tester comes out with just a few moist crumbs. Allow the cake to cool in the pan on a wire cooling rack.
💭 can I bake this in a different pan?
If you don't have a springform pan, a 9-inch round can be used. Butter the pan, then line the baking pan with parchment paper and butter it again for easy removal after baking.
You can also bake this cake in an 8x8 baking pan for a small sheet cake.
I did not test it, but don’t see why you couldn’t double the recipe and bake this cake recipe in a 9x13 pan as a sheet cake.
🥣 how to make the cannoli filling "frosting"
Using a stand mixer with the whisk attachment or with a hand-held mixer, whip the heavy cream on medium-high until stiff peaks form. Move to a separate bowl. Drain any excess liquid from the ricotta cheese.
Add the mascarpone, confectioners’ sugar and vanilla to the bowl you used for the whipped cream {no need to wash it}. Beat on medium until smooth, about 1- 2 minutes.
Scrape up and down the bowl. Add the ricotta cheese to the bowl and beat on low until well combined, about 1 minute.
With a spatula, fold in ½ of the whipped cream to the mascarpone ricotta mixture until combined. Genlty add the remaining whipped cream, being careful to not deflate the whipped cream.
👩🏻🍳 tips for the best homemade cake
For the perfect crumb, use whole milk ricotta and drain off any excess moisture, if needed. It gives the cannoli cake more flavor and moisture. I use Trader Joe's ricotta and find I only have to drain a tiny bit of liquid after the ricotta has come to room temperature. For the frosting, use the ricotta cold from the refrigerator and I didn't have any excess moisture.
Don't over mix the cake batter. Use low speed when combining the wet and dry ingredients and mix until everything is just combined. I usually stop when just a few streaks of dry ingredients remain and use a spatula to finish the mixing.
Don't over bake the cake. Remember your oven is different from mine and baking times may vary a little. The cannoli cake is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs.
Allow the cake to cool completely before adding the cannoli frosting.
🫙 how to store
Store the cannoli cake in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
The cake tastes best at room temperature, so remove it from the refrigerator about 1 hour prior to serving.
Remember to snap a picture and tag me @twosugarbugs on Instagram if you make this Easy Cannoli Cake. It warms my heart to see you bring these recipes to life! Thank you for being here and happy baking!
If you make this recipe {or any recipe!} from two sugar bugs please come back and leave a review and a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ star rating. I read every comment, and I LOVE hearing from you!
📖 recipe
Simple One Layer Cannoli Cake
Cannoli cake is the classic Italian dessert reimagined into an easy one layer cake. The bakery worthy cake recipe is filled with mini chocolate chips, has a cannoli shell crust and the best light, fluffy cannoli frosting.
I highly recommend using weight {metric} measurements when available for more accuracy and the best results.
Ingredients
cannoli crust
- 10-12 sugar cones*, crushed to fine crumbs (140g)
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar (25g)
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted (57g)
chocolate chip cake
- ½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature (113g)
- 1 cup granulated sugar (200g)
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (5mL)
- ¼ cup whole milk ricotta, room temperature and drained of excess liquid (55g)
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour (188g)
- ½ cup buttermilk**, room temperature (120mL)
- ½ cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips (90g), tossed in 1 tablespoon flour
cannoli filling "frosting"
- ¼ cup whipping cream, cold (60mL)
- ½ cup mascarpone (113g)
- ⅓ cup confectioners' sugar (45g)
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ½ cup whole milk ricotta, drained of excess liquid (110g)
garnish
- confectioners' sugar, mini chocolate chips, broken sugar/waffle cone pieces and chopped pistachios, if desired
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F and prepare a 9-inch springform pan** with parchment paper. Set aside.
- For the cannoli crust: Crush the sugar cones (10-12 cones*/140g) into fine crumbs in a food processor or in a zip-top bag with a rolling pin. Then add granulated sugar (2 tablespoons/25g) and the melted butter (¼ cup/57g) and pulse until well combined. Press firmly into the bottom of a prepared springform pan and set aside.
- In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment (or using a hand-held mixer), cream together the unsalted butter (½ cup/113g), granulated sugar (1 cup/200g) and kosher salt (½ teaspoon). Start on low and once incorporated increase to medium-high (6 on a KitchenAid) and cream until light, about 3 minutes. Scrape the bowl at least once during the creaming process.
- Scrape up and down the bowl and add the eggs one at a time (2 large total), scraping the bowl after the first egg and add the vanilla (1 teaspoon) with the second egg, mixing on medium (speed 4) until combined, about 1-2 minutes.
- Scrape the bowl again and add the ricotta (¼ cup/55g), baking powder (1 ½ teaspoons) and baking soda (¼ teaspoon) and mix on medium (speed 4 on KitchenAid) until combined about 30-60 seconds. The mixture can look a little curdled at this point, but don't let it worry you.
- With the mixer on low (stir on KitchenAid) slowly add the flour (1 ½ cups/188g) and mix until some large streaks of flour remain. Scrape up and down the bowl.
- Then with the mixer on low, slowly drizzle in the buttermilk (½ cup/120mL) mixing until the batter just comes together. Use a spatula to do a final stir while you fold in the mini chocolate chips (½ cup/90g) that have been tossed in 1 tablespoon flour.
- Pour/spread the batter over the cannoli crust (use an off-set spatula to even it out) and gently drop/tap the pan on the counter a couple times to remove any large air bubbles and place the cake in the preheated oven.
- Bake for about 35-40 minutes or until a cake tester comes out with just a few moist crumbs. Allow the cake to cool in the pan on a wire cooling rack.
- Once the cake is cool, gently run a knife between the edge of the pan and the cake and then release the sides of the pan and move the cake to your serving plate.
- For the cannoli filling "frosting": Can be made up to one day in advance, store covered in the refrigerator. Using a stand mixer with the whisk attachment or with a hand-held mixer, whip the heavy cream (¼ cup/60mL) on medium-high until stiff peaks form. Move to a separate bowl.
- Drain any excess liquid from the ricotta cheese.
- Add the mascarpone (½ cup/113g), confectioners’ sugar (⅓ cup/45g) and vanilla (½ teaspoon) to the bowl you used for the whipped cream (no need to wash it). If using a stand mixer, switch to the paddle attachment. Beat on medium (speed 4 on KitchenAid) until smooth, about 1- 2 minutes. Scrape up and down the bowl.
- Add the ricotta cheese (½ cup/110g) to the bowl and beat on low (speed 2 on KitchenAid) until well combined, about 1 minute.
- With a spatula, fold in ½ of the whipped cream to the mascarpone ricotta mixture until combined. Genlty add the remaining whipped cream, being careful to not deflate the whipped cream.
- Spread the frosting over the top of the cake, garnish if desired and serve.
Notes
*Waffle cones can be substituted, you'll need about 8 to get to 140g. I suspect authentic cannoli shells would be amazing here too, but I did not test the recipe with them.
**I use buttermilk, but 2% or whole milk can also be used.
***The cake can also be baked in a parchment lined 8x8 baking pan, baking time should be similar. A 9-inch round baking pan can also be used; butter the pan, line it with parchment paper and then butter the parchment paper.
The cannoli cake should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
16Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 542Total Fat: 28gSaturated Fat: 15gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 12gCholesterol: 76mgSodium: 310mgCarbohydrates: 68gFiber: 3gSugar: 40gProtein: 9g
The nutrition information is based on third-party calculations, is an estimate only and may not be entirely accurate. Actual nutritional values will vary based on brands used and portion sizes.
Michelle
Such a fantastic way to enjoy cannoli in cake form! One of our favorite indulgences! 😀
Tasia
Thanks Michelle! My family can't get enough of it!