Chocolate Cannoli Cake

Calling all chocolate lovers- this Chocolate Cannoli Cake is so moist and decadent, it is sure to become an instant favorite! 

This cake, which is the chocolate version of our popular Homemade Cannoli Cake recipe, is amazing! It consists of rich chocolate cake layers, chocolate mascarpone filling with chocolate chips, and chocolate whipped cream.

It is perfectly chocolatey without being heavy or too sweet.

Why is it Called a Chocolate Cannoli Cake?

Cannoli is a  popular Italian pastry which consists of a tube-shaped shell of fried pastry dough filled with a creamy filling of sweetened cheese.

While we aren't making cannoli, this delicious dessert is the inspiration for our layer cake.

Ricotta & Mascarpone

Originally, ricotta cheese was used most often as the filling for cannoli but over the years, mascarpone has become a very popular option as well. There are a variety of popular add-ins for the cannoli filling, including chopped nuts, candied fruit, and chocolate chips. 

Chocolate cannoli have also become a favorite dessert over the years. Sometimes the cannoli shells are chocolate, and other times, dipped in a chocolate glaze. The filling may be chocolate or vanilla, often with chocolate chips.

This chocolatey version of cannoli was our inspiration for today's layer cake recipe! 

 

How to Make Chocolate Cannoli Cake

*You can find the full, printable cake recipe further down in this post, but here is a quick rundown of our process!

For this layer cake, we used our Chocolate Sour Cream Cake recipe, one of our go-to scratch chocolate cakes. It never fails! The layers are rich, soft, and ultra moist, thanks in part to the sour cream in the recipe.

Reverse Creaming Method

Today's cake uses the Reverse Creaming Method of mixing, which creates cakes with a fine, tender crumb and velvety texture.

As you'll see in the recipe, the reverse creaming method calls for ingredients to be added in a different order than you may be used to--but I promise, you will love the final result!

Preparing the Recipe

• First, Preheat and Prepare Pans: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Prepare three 8 inch round cake pans.  

 

• Dry Ingredients: Add dry ingredients to the bowl of your mixer and mix for one minute to blend. (This includes the sugar, flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.)

 

• Add Butter: Next, add the butter a few slices at a time and mix until it takes on a crumbly, moistened sand-like consistency.

 

• Combine Wet Ingredients: In another bowl, combine sour cream, eggs, milk, and vanilla. Blend with a fork. (We'll add the coffee a little later). 

 

• Add Half of Egg Mixture: Set a timer for 1 ½ minutes and gradually add half of your egg mixture to your butter/flour mixture while mixing. Start mixer on low speed then increase to medium for the remainder of the 1 ½ minutes. Be careful not to mix over medium speed.

 

• Add Half of Remaining Mixture: Next, stop the mixer, scrape the sides and bottom of bowl with a rubber spatula, and add half of the remaining egg mixture. Mix on medium speed for 20 seconds.

 

• Add Last of Egg Mixture: Stop mixer, scrape down the sides as needed, and add the last of the egg mixture. Mix for 20 more seconds on medium speed.

 

• Coffee: Slowly add the very hot coffee and mix for 30 seconds to blend. After adding the hot coffee, the cake batter will be runny-- don't worry! That is how it should be.

 

 

• Finally, divide the batter between the three prepared pans and bake at 325 degrees F for 25-30 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean or with rust a few moist crumbs attached.

 

Chocolate Mascarpone Filling

In researching chocolate cannoli recipes, some use a sweetened vanilla mascarpone or chocolate chip filling as we did in our Cannoli Layer Cake, while others use a chocolate filling.

For today's cake, we are going all out with a chocolate mascarpone filling and chocolate whipped cream frosting to go along with our chocolatey cake layers. 

Making the Filling

The chocolate mascarpone filling is so simple- it is just a combination of softened mascarpone cheese, sifted cocoa powder, confectioner's sugar, and vanilla extract.

It's best to let the mascarpone to soften for 20 minutes or so before working with it. You can either combine these ingredients by hand with a rubber spatula or with a hand mixer on low speed.

Mix just until well incorporated and smooth.

I folded in mini chocolate chips also! They make everything better ;0)

 

Chocolate Whipped Cream Frosting

We wanted to use a light frosting to balance the richness of the cake, and decided that chocolate whipped cream would be perfect! 

This is almost identical to our usual recipe for sweetened whipped cream but this time with a bit of sifted cocoa added to the mix-so good and super simple! (Just remember to freeze your bowl and beaters first for best results) .

Pirouettes Option

*I had originally planned to cover my chocolate whipped cream-frosted cake with pirouette cookies, as we did for our original Cannoli Cake.

However, in the end I used mini chocolate chips instead. Pirouettes are a great option too- especially if you don't want to worry with smoothing the frosting around the sides of the cake!

 

 

Assembling the Chocolate Cannoli Cake 

Place the first chocolate layer layer on the cake stand or serving plate. Spread with the chocolate mascarpone filling. (I usually take my fillings to within about ¼ inch of the edge of the cake.

 

• Next, add the second layer of chocolate cake and repeat. Top with the third layer and frost as usual with chocolate whipped cream. 

 

• Whipped cream doesn't spread as easily as chocolate buttercream or chocolate cream cheese frosting, but I still found it pretty easy to work with.

 

• I'm always a fan of chilling the crumb coated cake for about 20 minutes in the freezer before applying the final coat of frosting. It helps to set things up and gently going over the frosting with a heated spatula helps to give a smooth look also.

 

 

Decorating the Chocolate Cannoli Cake

• Finally, I added mini chocolate chips to the sides of the cake about halfway up. I love the contrast of dark and light shades of chocolate, and the mini chips tie in nicely with our chocolate-chocolate chip mascarpone filling as well!

 

• Next, I made a spiral in the frosting on top of the cake using a small offset spatula. I often create spirals on top of cakes because it's an elegant, super easy look!

 

• Simply apply light pressure to the center top of your frosted cake with the tip of your spatula and rotate it (preferably on a turntable) as you spiral out a little more with each rotation.

 

• Finally, I loaded the chocolate whipped cream into a piping bag fitted with a 6B french tip (any large star piping tip will give you a similar look). I piped a border around the top edge of the cake, and topped each of the whipped cream stars with a chocolate chip.

Here is the finished cake! 

 

 

More Chocolate Cakes to Love

We love chocolate cakes and have made so many favorites over the years! In addition to today's Chocolate Cannoli Cake, here are just a few more for you to scroll through and add to your must-bake list! (You can find our full collection of chocolate favorites here: The Best Chocolate Cakes, Fillings, and Frostings)

Chocolate Buttermilk Cake

Black Forest Cake

Almond Joy Cake

Chocolate Tiramisu Cake

Milk Chocolate Cake

Chocolate Turtle Cake 

Mint Chocolate Chip Cake

Chocolate Sour Cream Cake (Doctored Cake Mix) 

 

Enjoy the Recipe!

Thanks so much for stopping by today! You can find our full, printable Chocolate Cannoli Cake Recipe below. We hope that you enjoy it!! If you make it, please leave a comment and photo below!