Rising up in Wisconsin, Sofia Auricchio dreamed of conventional Italian cannoli, with their crispy shell delicately lined with darkish chocolate and stuffed with contemporary ricotta cream. Impressed by these flavors, she crafted this cake with a lightweight and ethereal selfmade vanilla batter. After baking, she sandwiches the layers with nostalgic ricotta-mascarpone cream and drapes the whole creation in a luscious darkish chocolate ganache. For years, this cannoli cream cake has been a beloved centerpiece at birthday celebrations for her daughters, Anna and Nina. It fantastically marries the very best of cake with the pleasant flavors of Italian ricotta and mascarpone and chocolate, positive to please any crowd.
Sofia’s Birthday Ricotta Cannoli Cake
Makes 1 (9-inch) cake
- 1 cup (227 grams) unsalted butter, softened, plus extra for coating pans
- 1 cup (200 grams) granulated sugar
- 4 giant eggs (200 grams), room temperature
- 2 teaspoons (8 grams) vanilla extract
- 2 cups (250 grams) all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons (10 grams) baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ cup (120 grams) complete milk, room temperature
- Creamy Ricotta-Mascarpone Filling (recipe follows)
- Chocolate Ganache (recipe follows)
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Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Generously butter 2 (9-inch) spherical cake pans. Line backside of pans with parchment paper.
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Within the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and sugar at medium velocity till fluffy, about 4 minutes, stopping to scrape sides of bowl. Add eggs, separately, beating properly after every addition. Beat in vanilla.
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In a medium bowl, whisk collectively flour, baking powder, and salt. With mixer on low velocity, add flour combination to butter combination in two additions alternately with milk, starting and ending with flour combination, beating till simply mixed after every addition. Scrape sides of bowl, and fold in any substances that aren’t absolutely included. Divide batter between ready pans (about 2 cups or 492 grams every), and unfold evenly with an offset spatula.
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Bake till a picket decide inserted in middle comes out clear, 18 to twenty minutes. Let cool fully in pans.
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Take away cooled cake layers from pans. Place 1 cake layer on a cake plate, and unfold Creamy Ricotta-Mascarpone Filling on high. Place remaining cake layer on filling. Pour half of Chocolate Ganache on high of cake, and utilizing an offset spatula, unfold and push ganache over high of cake and onto sides of cake and filling. Add remaining ganache in sparse areas, and unfold, clean, and texture as desired. Serve instantly whereas ganache is shiny and barely heat. Cowl and refrigerate for as much as 3 days.
Creamy Ricotta-Mascarpone Filling
Makes about 3 cups
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Within the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat ricotta and mascarpone at medium-high velocity till thick and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. Add sugar, and beat till properly mixed, about 1 minute. Fold in chocolate, cognac (if utilizing), and orange zest. Use instantly.
Chocolate Ganache
Makes about 1½ cups
- 6 ounces (172 grams) darkish chocolate, finely chopped
- 2 ounces (57 grams) milk chocolate, finely chopped
- ½ cup (120 grams) heavy whipping cream
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In a small heatproof bowl, place sweets.
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In a small saucepan, warmth cream over medium warmth till steaming. (Don’t boil.) Pour heat cream onto sweets, and let stand for 3 to five minutes. Whisk till melted and clean. Use instantly.
