Proud Italian Cook

I decided I was going to to try and make a Cannoli Cake for the 1st time today. Because you see, I have a husband and a Brother-in -Law that are OBSESSED with it!! They are connoisseur’s (so they think!) Whenever they try Cannoli Cake from a new bakery, or a wedding, or whatever, they make comments like “It tastes Blah,” or “not enough rum” “or their famous word is “garbage!”. So believe me, I knew what I was up for. True Cannoli Cake has sponge cake layers, which that alone was alot of work. You had to separate the eggs and fold the whites into the creamed yolks. Bake that, let it cool, then slice into layers. Actually that turned out perfect. But I could see why you need to soak the layers because sponge cake is actually dry, there is no oil, or butter in it. I made a syrup of sugar, rum, orange slices and boiled that down on the stove. Let that cool. Then I had to mix the Ricotta, confectioners sugar, mini chocolate chips and a pinch of cinnamon for the filling. To frost it I made a vanilla buttercream and folded in some whipped heavy cream. When that was all done I proceeded to assemble everything. 1st I brushed on my Rum syrup, I didn’t put enough on, I should have polked holes in it and then brushed it on, it would have penetrated much better, and the FUSSY guys would have liked it better!!

Then a layer of filling , a layer of cake, more syrup, another layer of filling, then frosting all over. For decoration I put crushed cannoli shells on the side. All in all, it turned out pretty good, but it definitely needed more moisture on the cake layers. Would I make it again??!!! Heck No!!! It’s a lot of work with a lot of steps. My kitchen was totalled!!! And besides, there’s a great Bakery about 10 miles from me who makes it just the way they like it… SOAKED with Rum!!!