Easy Cannoli Poke Cake

4.85 from 89 votes

Moist melt in your mouth cannoli cake topped with a decadent cannoli cream frosting. Your favorite Italian dessert in cake form!

Course Cake

Cuisine Italian

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 30

Total Time 40

Servings Slices

Calories 525kcal

Grease a 9x13 inch baking pan. Bake cake according to box directions. Cool completely.
Poke holes in the top of the cake. (I used a wooden spoon.)
Set aside ½ cup of the sweetened condensed milk. Pour the rest over the top of the cake.
Cover and refrigerate for ~1 hour or until milk is absorbed.
In a large bowl combine ricotta cheese, mascarpone cheese, cinnamon, and vanilla extract. Mix under smooth.
Add powdered sugar a little at a time until just combined.
Mix in remaining sweetened condensed milk.
Spread frosting evenly over cake.
Sprinkle with mini chocolate chips and dust with additional powdered sugar if desired.
Refrigerate for 2-3 hours before serving. Store in the refrigerator.

- Ricotta Cheese: Grab the whole milk variety for a richer and creamier topping.
  - - If your ricotta looks watery, drain for a few hours or overnight using cheesecloth placed over a mesh strainer inside a bowl.
      - I also like to place something heavy on top of it to get all that liquid out, such as 2 pounds of butter or a few soda cans.

- Marscapone Cheese: Look for it near the specialty cheeses in the deli (mine is near the wedges of parmesan). Keep it cold until you're ready to use it, as it can "sweat" out water if it gets too warm.

- Sweetened Condensed Milk: Be sure to use sweetened condensed milk and not evaporated milk. Look for it in the baking aisle near the cake mixes.

Line your pan with nonstick foil sprayed with cooking spray for easy cleanup and removal.

Poking Holes: Poke holes using the back of a wooden spoon. Aim for 1-2 inches apart.

Doneness: Cake is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs. If you see raw batter, continue baking for 2-3 minutes at a time.

Topping: This will be thinner than buttercream, but don't panic—you haven't done something wrong. It will thicken a bit as it sets up in the fridge.