Tender sponge cake layers are brushed with a chocolate liqueur syrup and then spread with a luscious cannoli frosting, perfectly creamy and fluffy.
Cannoli cake is a take on the beloved Italian cannoli pastry. I personally think it's even better in cake form. The fluffy, tender sponge cake layers are infused with a chocolate liqueur syrup and the frosting inside the cake is made with the trifecta of Italian cheeses - cream cheese, mascarpone, and ricotta. Doesn't that sound heavenly? Smooth and creamy, this filling is so luscious and isn't too sweet.
From all the cakes that our family makes, this is definitely in the top 5. And between all my sisters, mom and myself, there's a lot of cake baking happening. Elina was the first one who started making this cake and it has become our go-to for many parties, special events and just when we crave some good cake.
After making this cake for almost ten years, I've been adjusting the recipe until I got it "just right". I use the base sponge cake for many of the cakes that I make and the cannoli cream is great to use not only in cakes but also for pastries and cupcakes too.
Instructions:
Sponge Cake Layers:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line the bottom of 2 round (9 inch) cake pans with parchment paper.
Separate the eggs, putting the whites in one bowl and the yolks in another.
Beat the whites using a whisk attachment on a standing mixer or a hand held mixer until foamy. Gradually pour in half of the sugar. Mix the whites on high speed until stiff peaks form. Set aside.
In the other bowl with the yolks, add the remaining sugar and use the same whisk attachment to beat the yolks until they are pale and fluffy.
Combine the milk, melted butter, and vanilla extract in a bowl or cup. Set aside.
Using a rubber spatula, fold the egg whites into the egg yolks, being careful not to deflate the batter as much as possible. 
Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt over the folded eggs and gently fold in the batter.
When there are still some remaining streaks of flour, pour in the milk and butter mixture into the batter by the side of the bowl.
Continue gently folding until evenly distributed.
Divide the batter in half, pouring into the prepared cake pans.
Bake in the preheated oven until they are golden and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, 20-25 minutes. 
Cool on a wire rack.
Meanwhile, prepare the chocolate liqueur syrup, the cannoli filling, and the frosting.
Chocolate Liqueur Syrup:
Make a simple sugar by heating the sugar and water in a small pot until sugar dissolves and add the chocolate liqueur. Set aside to cool.
Filling and Frosting:
In a standing mixer with a paddle attachment or using a hand mixer, cream the cream cheese and powdered sugar. 
Add the mascarpone cheese and vanilla. You can just fold in the mascarpone cheese with a rubber spatula, since it's soft enough or mix with the mixer just until combined, about 30 seconds. 
Pour in the cold heavy cream and starting mixing the mixture on low speed, gradually increasing to high speed. 
Mix until the heavy cream is incorporated into the frosting, becomes thick and fluffy.
Set aside half of the mixture in a medium bowl. This will be the frosting. Set aside.
Add the ricotta cheese to the second part. This is the cannoli filling. Set aside as well.
Assembling the Cake:
Cut each cake in half horizontally.
Using a serrated knife, make a small cut all around the outside of the cake. This will keep your knife on the same level as you are cutting across. Continue cutting deeper into the cake until you have cut all the way through.
Another trick I use when decorating cakes is to line the serving plate all around the edge with aluminum foil so that the edge of the cake is overlapping the aluminum foil by about ½ inch. This will catch all the drips and crumbs, leaving your serving plate neat and clean. When you're done decorating just carefully pull the aluminum foil out.
Using a pastry brush, brush the top and bottom of each layer with the chocolate liqueur syrup.
Spread ⅓ of the Cannoli filling over the cake layer.
Repeat with the rest of the cake layers, brushing the chocolate liqueur syrup over both sides of the cake layer and spreading the cannoli filling over the other two cake layers. You can sprinkle mini chocolate chips over the filling. I only sprinkled chocolate chips over the middle layer, leaving them out of the first and third layers, but it's completely up to you.
Use the frosting to cover the top and sides of the cake.
Cover the sides of the cake with cake crumbs, any nuts that you like or chocolate chips. I used some leftover scraps from another cake that I was making, putting the cake scraps into a food processor to get fine crumbs. Cup a handful of crumbs or nuts in your palm with one hand and holding the cake with the other hand, slightly turn it, press the crumbs/nuts all around the sides of the cake.
I piped some buttercream frosting around the top of the cake and sprinkled the decorative dollops with mini chocolate chips. Adding some mini cannolis to the top of the cake gives everyone a hint of what kind of cake this is. For best results, refrigerate the cake for 2-4 hours so that the cake has time to meld together and the filling and frosting soak into the cake. I prefer to do this overnight. Store the cake in the refrigerator, but let it come to room temperature for about 20 minutes before serving it, so that the cannoli filling softens and becomes so velvety and smooth.
Cannoli Cake
Tender sponge cake layers are brushed with a chocolate liqueur syrup and then spread with a luscious cannoli frosting, perfectly creamy and fluffy.
- Prep Time: 2 hours
- Cook Time: 25 mins
- Total Time: 2 hours 25 mins
- Yield: 1 (9 inch) round cake 1x
- Category: Sweets
Ingredients
Sponge Cake Layers: (makes 2 (9 inch) sponge cake layers)
- 8 eggs, separated, room temperature
- 1 cup sugar, divided
- ½ cup milk and melted butter, total (¼ cup each)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1½ cups all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Syrup:
- ¾ cup water
- ¼ cup sugar
- ⅓ cup chocolate liqueur
Filling and Frosting:
- 2 (8 oz) pkg cream cheese, softened
- 1 ½ cups powdered sugar (or to taste)
- 8 oz mascarpone cheese
- 1 ¼ cups ricotta cheese
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup heavy cream, chilled
- Mini chocolate chips, for decorating
Instructions
Sponge Cake:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line the bottom of 2 round (9 inch round) cake pans with parchment paper.
- Separate the eggs, putting the whites in one bowl and the yolks in another.
- Beat the whites using a whisk attachment on a standing mixer or a hand-held mixer until foamy. Gradually pour in half of the sugar. Mix the whites on high speed until stiff peaks form. Set aside.
- In the other bowl with the yolks, add the remaining sugar and use the same whisk attachment to beat the yolks until they are pale and fluffy.
- Combine the milk, melted butter, and vanilla extract in a bowl or cup. Set aside.
- Using a rubber spatula, fold the egg whites into the egg yolks, being careful not to deflate the batter as much as possible.
- Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt over the folded eggs and gently fold in the batter.
- When there are still some remaining streaks of flour, pour in the milk and butter mixture into the batter by the side of the bowl.
- Continue gently folding until evenly distributed.
- Divide the batter in half, pouring into the prepared cake pans.
- Bake in the preheated oven until they are golden and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, 20-25 minutes.
- Cool on a wire rack.
- Meanwhile, prepare the chocolate liqueur syrup, the cannoli filling, and the frosting.
Chocolate Liqueur Syrup:
- Make a simple sugar by heating the sugar and water in a small pot until sugar dissolves and add the chocolate liqueur. Set aside to cool.
Filling and Frosting:
- In a standing mixer with a paddle attachment or using a hand mixer, cream the cream cheese and powdered sugar.
- Add the mascarpone cheese and vanilla. You can just fold in the mascarpone cheese with a rubber spatula, since it's soft enough or mix with the mixer just until combined, about 30 seconds.
- Pour in the cold heavy cream and starting mixing the mixture on low speed, gradually increasing to high speed.
- Mix until the heavy cream is incorporated into the frosting, becomes thick and fluffy.
- Set aside half of the mixture in a medium bowl. This will be the frosting. Set aside.
- Add the ricotta cheese to the second part. This is the cannoli filling. Set aside as well.
Assembling the Cake:
- Cut each cake in half horizontally.
- Using a pastry brush, brush the top and bottom of each layer with the chocolate liqueur syrup.
- Spread ⅓ of the Cannoli filling over the cake layer.
- Repeat with the rest of the cake layers, brushing the chocolate liqueur syrup over both sides of the cake layer and spreading the cannoli filling over the other two cake layers. You can sprinkle mini chocolate chips over the filling. I only sprinkled chocolate chips over the middle layer, leaving them out of the first and third layers, but it's completely up to you.
- Use the frosting to cover the top and sides of the cake.
- Cover the sides of the cake with cake crumbs, any nuts that you like or chocolate chips. I used some leftover scraps from another cake that I was making, putting the cake scraps into a food processor to get fine crumbs. Cup a handful of crumbs or nuts in your palm with one hand and holding the cake with the other hand, slightly turn it, press the crumbs/nuts all around the sides of the cake.
- I piped some buttercream frosting around the top of the cake and sprinkled the decorative dollops with mini chocolate chips. Adding some mini cannolis to the top of the cake gives everyone a hint of what kind of cake this is.
- For best results, refrigerate the cake for 2-4 hours so that the cake has time to meld together and the filling and frosting soak into the cake. I prefer to do this overnight.
- Store the cake in the refrigerator, but let it come to room temperature for about 20 minutes before serving it, so that the cannoli filling softens and becomes so velvety and smooth.
I made it for my daughter's birthday. It's an amazing cake, light and fluffy. Thank you for sharing the recipe.
Happy birthday to your daughter! I'm so glad you enjoyed this cake, Mina. Thank you for taking the time to write.
Hello, can this canoli cake be frozen?
I have never tried freezing it Laurel, so I can't say for sure. I don't typically freeze cakes, but I know many people do.
Hi Olga, I just wanted to say thank you for this recipe, it was very delicious. I made it for my husband and daughter's birthdays and it's such a light, fluffy cake recipe, we really enjoyed it. I put fresh strawberries in between the middle layers, and mini chocolate chips between the top & bottom layers. Huge hit!
I'm so happy to hear that you enjoyed the Cannoli Cake for you family birthdays:). That is such an honor for me to hear. Thank you for taking the time to write.
I made this cake and it was fantastic and impressive. My only change was I used slivered almonds instead of cake crumbs for the outer coating. It turned out so close to that of my family's favorite special occasion cake from the best Italian bakery from my childhood in NYC, and that is quite a feat, IMHO. It was for my husband's birthday and he loved it. Thanks for the great recipe and directions!
That's so awesome, Elaine! I'm so happy that you were pleased with the cake:). Thank you for taking the time to write.
The filling/frosting did not thicken!! Should the whipping cream be beat separately until thick & fluffy before adding to cream/cheese mixture??
I have never had that happen before. The heavy whipping cream needs to be really cold. If you have trouble with it, whip the heavy cream separately before folding it into the rest of the frosting.
This cake is amazing! I have made it twice for two different functions and everyone has raved about it. I even tripled the recipe to make a 12 x !8 sheet cake. Thank you for sharing.
I'm so happy to hear that you enjoy the Cannoli Cake, Leslie:). Thank you for taking the time to write.
Hi Olga! Can I use this крем на торт медовик? Wasn't sure if ricotta would mess up the soft medovik layers.
Thanks a lot.
You can try it, if you'd like, Lena. I haven't done it myself, so I am not sure how it will turn out.
Hi I was looking at the directions and I see you add ricotta cheese but I don't see it in the recipe how much do you add?
You show in photo double portion of chocolate syrup and say half that amount is good for one cake. Since recipe makes two cakes does that mean that the recipe amount for syrup given should always be doubled?
No, this is a recipe for one cake, not 2. There are two sponge cake layers, that you will cut in half horizontally, but it is all assembled into one cake. I had a double portion of chocolate syrup in the picture because I was making 2 Cannoli cakes. I'm sorry that was confusing for you. Just follow the ingredients listed in the recipe.
I hope that helps.
Hi Olga, I wanted to know if I can replace the sponge cake with a vanilla cake or angels food cake? Would the cake be too moist?
I honestly don't know Linda. I've only used this recipe for Cannoli Cake. I think sponge cake works best for this cake, but you can try something else if you'd like.
I have written you before and my question does not show. Then I checked my e-mail and confirmed so I pray it shows now. I am making your recipe for cannoli cake for Christmas. I would like to know if the 1/4 cup of chocolate liqueur can be substituted with coffee. It is expensive and not much is needed. Does brushing each layer make that much of a difference if not done in the taste of the cake? I have been baking for many years I always bake all the Italian cookies for Christmas. They know I am making this so I get not get out of it ha. I want it to be perfect. Thank you
Hi Linda,
If you have never commented on my blog before, your question will not show up until I approve it. I have this set up for all comments.
You can certainly substitute the chocolate liqueur with coffee if you prefer.
The chocolate liqueur gives more flavor to the cake as well as make it more moist. I hope you enjoy the cake.
Thank you. But can the cake be made without the brushing of the layers? Once the cake is cut in half they will be very thin. Really don't want to spend that kind of money on the liqueur for one cake.
The cake will be more dry without the liqueur mixture and will not have the same flavor, but you can omit it if you prefer.
I hope my question went through?
I am making your cannoli cake soon. Can I replace the 1/4 cup of liqueur with coffee? If I don't brush the layers at all will it make a difference in the taste?