Chef Jacquie’s Three-Layer Cannoli Cake with Ricotta Filling and Chocolate Ganache

Three decadent layers of cannoli goodness.

Recipe by Chef Jacquie.

–For the Cannoli Filling:

• 15 ounce container of whole milk Ricotta cheese
• ½ cup Confectioner’s sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon
• 3 ounces of mini chocolate chips

–For the Three 8” round Vanilla Cakes

• 1-1/2 cups salted butter (room temperature)
• 2-1/4 cups sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
• 3 cups flour
• ¼ teaspoon baking soda
• 1 Tablespoon baking powder
• 1-1/2 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon salt

–For the Chocolate Ganache

• 8 ounces semisweet chocolate
• ½ cup heavy cream

–Make the Cannoli Filling:

In a medium bowl add all ingredients, except chocolate chips, and mix for a few minutes until well incorporated, then gently fold in chocolate chips.
Place the mixture in a piping bag with rosette tip and keep in refrigerator until ready to assemble cake.

–Bake your Cakes:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Butter bottom and sides of three 8” round cake pans and then place parchment paper on the bottom of them.

In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar with a mixer on medium speed about 2-3 minutes, until light and fluffy.  Add eggs and vanilla and beat for about 1 minute.

In another bowl, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.

Add 1/3 of the flour mixture to the wet mixture and beat until incorporated, add half of the milk and beat until incorporated and continue adding and alternating flour and milk; scrape down the sides.

Divide the batter between the cake pans and then bang pans on hard surface about 3 times to remove air bubbles.

Place in oven and bake 30-35 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in middle of cakes comes out clean.

Remove cakes from oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes. Remove them from pans and place on cooling racks and let completely cool before frosting.

–Assembling cake:

Make sure your cakes are cooled!

When ready to assemble cake: cut off top of cakes to even them out and give them the perfect, definitive flat edges for icing.

Place your first cake on the bottom and cover the top with a layer of cannoli filling. I think it’s so much easier to pipe the cannoli filling mixture between the layers, starting in the middle and then moving out to the sides.

Repeat with the second cake, stacking it on top of the first.

Now with the final cake, you want to flip it upside down, nestling the cut side into the cannoli filling, and leaving the perfect “bottom” side on top!
Chill the cake for at least 30-60 minutes before you enrobe it with the chocolate ganache, otherwise your layers will slip and slide around.

–Make the Chocolate Ganache:

In a double boiler, over simmering heat place a large bowl and fill it with chocolate and heavy cream, stir occasionally until all melted and ganache is a rich dark brown color and has a glossy sheen.

Once your cake is completely cooled, carefully pour the ganache over the cake and with a flat cake spatula spread the ganache so it flows over the sides of the cake and evens out the texture on top.

Place cake in the fridge to harden the ganache.

–Decorate!

Once the ganache has cooled, place your cake on a round piece of cardboard or cake bottom and then put on a spinning cake stand.

Add strips of wax paper about 2″ thick to the edges of the cake along the bottom.

Time to add cannoli filling rosettes to the top of the cake and decorate the sides! Be creative!

Apply crushed cannoli shell crumbs.

Remove the wax paper, and your cake stand and the edge of your cake will be clean! Well done, you!