Cannoli Poke Cake Recipe | Moist Vanilla Cake Recipe (2024)

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This Cannoli Poke Cake is a lovely vanilla cake soaked with sweetened condensed milk and covered in sweet cannoli filling. It’s a moist, indulgent dessert that will rock your socks off!

Cannoli Poke Cake Recipe | Moist Vanilla Cake Recipe (1)

Cannoli Poke Cake Recipe | Moist Vanilla Cake Recipe (2)

Cannoli Poke Cake

Can you believe I’ve never made a poke cake before? I’ve been wanting to for forever, but never quite got around to it. Until now. And boy have I been missing out! This Cannoli Poke Cake is super easy to make and SO tasty!

If you don’t know much about poke cakes, they are basically a cake that’s baked, covered in sweetened condensed milk which soaks up into the cake, making it incredibly moist, and then usually topped with some kind of whipped topping. There are a ton of variations out there. The sky is the limit!

Cannoli Poke Cake Recipe | Moist Vanilla Cake Recipe (3)

A friend requested something “cannoli flavored” for her husband’s birthday a while ago and since I’ve been wanting to make a poke cake for so long, it just popped into my head and I knew I had to do it!

There are so many ways to make cannoli’s – particularly the filling – and when done right, they are absolutely delicious!

The filling really is the best part – and that’s exactly what this cake is covered in. Get pumped!

Cannoli Poke Cake Recipe | Moist Vanilla Cake Recipe (4)

The cannoli filling “icing” on this cake is one of those things that you just cannot get your finger out of. I was lucky any of it made it onto the cake.

And my small group felt exactly the same way! They were basically licking the sides of the pan where the topping was left behind – using their finger of course. So stinkin’ good.

Cannoli Poke Cake Recipe | Moist Vanilla Cake Recipe (5)

One thing I did a little differently with this poke cake is that I didn’t use an entire can of sweetened condensed milk when pouring it over the cake. I didn’t want to the cake to be too soggy, but I wanted it to have the moist-ness and delicious-ness that the sweetened condensed milk gives.

But since it didn’t all go into the cake, and I hate wasting things, I put it into the cannoli filling.

Best. Decision. Ever.

It sweetened the topping up just enough and made it even harder to resist. Pure deliciousness.

Cannoli Poke Cake Recipe | Moist Vanilla Cake Recipe (6)

Have you seen my Baklava Poke Cake? Or my Cannoli Icebox Cake? So yummy!

Update 6/10/14: One thing to note about the topping on this cake is that it is not like a traditional icing. It is meant to be more like cannoli filling. The texture is kind of like whipped cream at the soft peak stage. If you’d prefer it to be thicker, you can do one or both of these two things – leave the sweetened condensed milk out of the topping (as it thins it out a bit) and/or add up to about 3 cups of powdered sugar (which would thicken it). I chose to leave it thinner so that I didn’t dilute the cannoli flavor from the cheeses – I love that flavor! And though it’s thinner, it’s still plenty thick to be on top of the cake. I’ve made this cake a couple of times and it has sat out at parties and the icing stays in place. So it isn’t so thin that it runs or anything, it’s just not a traditional icing. I hope that helps, as I know many have been surprised the fact that it isn’t thicker.

You might also like

Cannoli Layer Cake
Cannoli Cheesecake
Cannoli Tart
Cannoli Icebox Cake
Baklava Poke Cake
Cannoli Stuffed French Toast

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Cannoli Poke Cake Recipe | Moist Vanilla Cake Recipe (7)

Recipe

Cannoli Poke Cake

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 4.9 from 17 reviews

  • Author: Lindsay
  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Cook Time: Box Directions
  • Total Time: 55 minutes
  • Yield: 15-18 Servings
  • Category: Dessert
  • Method: Oven
  • Cuisine: American
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Description

This Cannoli Poke Cake is a lovely vanilla cake soaked with sweetened condensed milk and covered in sweet cannoli filling. It’s a moist, indulgent dessert that will rock your socks off!

Ingredients

  • 1 box white cake mix, plus ingredients on box
  • 1 14 oz cans sweetened condensed milk
  • 1 1/2 cups ricotta cheese
  • 1 1/2 cups mascarpone cheese
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon, optional
  • 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
  • powdered sugar, for dusting

Instructions

  1. Bake cake according to directions on box for a 9×13 pan.
  2. Remove cake from the oven and poke holes all over the top of the cake. (I used a straw)
  3. Reserve half a cup of sweetened condensed milk and pour the rest of the sweetened condensed milk over the cake.
  4. Put cake in refrigerator for about an hour to absorb milk.
  5. Combine ricotta cheese, mascarpone cheese and vanilla extract in a mixer bowl. Mix until smooth.
  6. Add powdered sugar and cinnamon, if using and mix until combined.
  7. Add reserved sweetened condensed milk and mix until combined.
  8. Once cake has absorbed milk, spread cannoli topping evenly over cake.
  9. Top with mini chocolate chips and a sprinkling of powdered sugar.
  10. Cover cake and allow to set in refrigerator for 2-3 hours. Cake should keep for 4-5 days.

Notes

Do consider straining the ricotta before using, especially if it’s a particularly watery brand. Also, when mixing together the ricotta and mascarpone cheese, DO NOT over mix it. If mascarpone cheese is over mixed, it becomes very thin.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 Slice
  • Calories: 429
  • Sugar: 28.5 g
  • Sodium: 144.5 mg
  • Fat: 22.7 g
  • Carbohydrates: 50.6 g
  • Protein: 8.3 g
  • Cholesterol: 75.7 mg

Filed Under:

  • Cakes and Cupcakes
  • Recipes
  • Sweets and Treats

Enjoy!

Cannoli topping modified from The Vintage Mixer.

Cannoli Poke Cake Recipe | Moist Vanilla Cake Recipe (8)

Cannoli Poke Cake Recipe | Moist Vanilla Cake Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is a secret ingredient for cakes? ›

To summarize, applesauce is a secret weapon for creating moist and healthier cakes. Its natural sweetness and moisture make it a great substitute for high-fat ingredients like oil or butter. So go ahead, embrace the power of applesauce and elevate your cakes to new levels of deliciousness!

Why is my poke cake soggy? ›

Make sure the holes aren't too close together or too far apart—if they're too close together, your cake could be too moist; if they're too far apart, there may not be enough filling throughout the cake.

What's the best way to poke holes in a cake? ›

A clean wooden spoon handle is the best tool and gives you nice big holes to fill with liquid gelatin, but in a pinch a chopstick or even a fork could work. Holes about 1½ inches apart in a grid pattern are ideal, but poke cakes are forgiving; it'll be delicious regardless of the spacing.

How do you make a box cake taste like it came from the bakery? ›

Step 1: Look at the directions on the cake mix. Step 2: Add one more egg (or add 2 if you want it to be very rich). Step 3: Use melted butter instead of oil and double the amount. Step 4: Instead of water, use whole milk.

What is the main ingredient that makes a cake moist? ›

USE VEGETABLE OIL. While butter undoubtedly imparts excellent flavor, vegetable oil can really elevate a cake when it comes to moisture. Replacing butter with vegetable oil in your cake recipes typically yields moist results.

What are the 5 ingredients in cake? ›

These basic ingredients for baking a cake are; flour, eggs, fat (usually butter), sugar, salt, a form of liquid (usually milk), and leavening agents (such as baking soda).

When to poke holes in poke cake? ›

After the cake is baked and cooled, you take the back of a wooden spoon (that's what my mom always used), and poke holes all over the cake. A poke cake then has some kind of glaze or soak (caramel, chocolate, fruit soak, etc.) poured on top and is finished with a whipped cream topping.

What is poke cake made of? ›

Usually made with a boxed cake mix and either Jello (gelatin dessert) or pudding (thickened custard), it's made by baking the cake in a sheet pan, poking it with rather large holes (many recipes suggest using the handle of a wooden spoon) and pouring the filling on top so it fills the holes.

How long is poke cake good for in the fridge? ›

Store the Jell-O poke cake, tightly covered with storage wrap or foil, in the refrigerator for up to three days.

What is a cake with a hole in the middle called? ›

Bundt cakes are a round, one layer cake with a hole in the middle. The cake's name comes from the name of the cake pan with fluted sides that they are baked in. This special, aluminum non-stick cake pan is called a Bundt pan. These cakes are doughnut-shaped, and often drenched in icing or glaze.

Why does my cake have tunnels? ›

Adding too much sugar can weaken the gluten structure in a cake to the point that it may collapse. Why does my cake have large holes or tunnels? When a cake batter is overmixed, gluten strands are strong enough to trap air bubbles inside the cake. Slowly mix batter on a low speed until ingredients are just combined.

How do you keep chips from sinking in a cake? ›

You can counteract this by coating the chips with some flour or cocoa before mixing them into the batter. Place the chips in a bowl or jar, add a bit of flour or cocoa — I use 1/2 teaspoon for up to 2 cups (340g) of chips — and stir or shake to coat.

What happens when you add sour cream to cake mix? ›

Sour cream is one of the fattiest dairy products; the extra fat content (for example, adding sour cream to a cake instead of milk) will make the cake moister and richer, says Wilk. "Fat, in any form (butter, lard, cream, etc.) shortens gluten strands, which essentially leads to the most tender baked goods," she adds.

Should you beat eggs before adding to cake mix? ›

For chemically-leavened cakes — that is, cakes calling for baking powder or baking soda — it's OK if you don't remember to add the eggs until the end. Martina says, “Late in the mixing stage, eggs will incorporate better if you lightly beat them before adding to the batter.

What's the secret to a moist cake? ›

Seven Bakery Secrets to Incredibly Moist Cakes Every Time
  1. Use Buttermilk Instead of Milk.
  2. Add Vegetable Oil.
  3. Use Instant Clearjel or Instant Pudding Mix.
  4. Use the Right Recipe.
  5. Don't Overbake.
  6. Bake in Sheet Pans Instead of individual Cake Pans.
  7. Use a Simple Syrup or Glaze.
Apr 23, 2021

What is the secret to a good cake? ›

The next time you're baking a cake, keep these simple tricks in mind:
  • Prep the ingredients. Have all of the ingredients at room temperature, unless the recipe directs otherwise. ...
  • Use the right flour. ...
  • Prep your pans. ...
  • Alternate wet and dry ingredients. ...
  • Preheat. ...
  • Release air bubbles. ...
  • Test for doneness. ...
  • Cool down.
Jun 29, 2022

What is the secret of a delicious cake? ›

Success of a cake depends on the correct blending of ingredients, the careful creaming of butter and sugar, as well as the gentle folding of egg whites (if added separately) to maintain maximum aeration. Please read Basic Rules For Baking. Fold or Folding: A method of gently mixing ingredients.

What is your best baking secret? ›

Combine ingredients as gently as possible without overmixing. Creamed butter and sugar should be pale and fluffy, never yellow and gritty. Butter temperature is a vital detail that should not be overlooked. Don't open the oven door until goods are done baking.

What is the secret to baking a moist cake? ›

Use Your Ingredients Wisely
  1. Choose Fresh Leavening. ...
  2. Opt For Full-Fat Dairy. ...
  3. Reach For The Right Flour. ...
  4. Don't Double Down. ...
  5. Use Eggs And Butter At Room Temperature. ...
  6. Measure Accurately. ...
  7. Avoid Over Baking.
Apr 5, 2024

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