Saturday, September 22, 2012

Cannoli Cake Celebration!

While working in the bakery of Tops Friendly Markets, I came face to face with one of the most delectable melt-in-your-mouth desserts on the planet.

Cannoli Cake.

Now there are multiple variations on this old Italian favorite. Working there I discovered that making an amazing cannoli cake doesn't have to be a really involved process to be wondrous, and that's what Simply Saturday is all about. Short time investment=great return. Wall Street:  Look Out!!!

You will need:

One cake mix, mixed and cooked as directed in 8" or 9" round pans. A 13 x 9" pan can be used but you have to be good at slicing it in half.


The doll is "A.J."  A.J. and Melissa came to live with us about 12 years ago... They are well loved!
Today his help was requested by a cute, small grandchild.


One cup whipping cream, whipped
1/3 cup sugar (mixed with whipping cream)
8 oz. dry ricotta (Ricotta has natural moisture remaining. I dry mine by pressing it out on paper towel layers multiple times. When dry enough, you'll have to peel the paper away from the cheese. This is super quick and works way better than hanging the cheese in cheesecloth overnight for the cats to lick.)
4 oz. Cream cheese, softened.

Mix Ricotta and cream cheese in blender or food processor to remove those tiny ricotta lumps. Add 1 cup confectioners (also known as powdered or 10X sugar) sugar. Blend well. Fold in sweetened whipped cream.

Slice cake.


Use icing (whipped cream, dark chocolate work best) to make a "dam" around outside edge of cake so that the cheesy filling doesn't leak through.




Use 1/2 of cheese filling on bottom layer.

Put second layer in place. Frost.

Add bottom part of top layer. Fill with cheesy filling (repeating step one of damming the edge with frosting)

Add top layer.

Frost.



Done!

Frosting choices:  The dark chocolate I use is the Hershey's dark chocolate frosting recipe found HERE. It's the best dark glossy chocolate frosting I've ever found and it's foolproof, idiot-proof and delicious! I also copied and pasted it below because you have to dig to find it on the webpage. Scroll down on the right and it's tucked under the chocolate cake recipe, which is a crime because this glossy chocolate icing is so perfect it deserves a page of its own.

"PERFECTLY CHOCOLATE" CHOCOLATE FROSTING 

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine 2/3 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa 3 cups powdered sugar 1/3 cup milk 1 teaspoon vanilla extract Melt butter. Stir in cocoa. Alternately add powdered sugar and milk, beating to spreading consistency. Add small amount additional milk, if needed. Stir in vanilla. About 2 cups frosting.

Option Two:

Whipped cream icing:

Whip 3 cups of heavy whipping cream at high speed until thick. Peaks should form. Add in 2/3 cup of sugar while mixing. Frost cake sides first, end with top. 

Refrigerate this cake for optimum taste, texture and to keep from possibly poisoning anyone you love. 

Also:  Some folks add fresh fruit to their cannoli cakes. Fresh fruit, cheese filling and whipped cream can never be considered BAD. So feel free to add pitted sweet cherries, sliced bananas, slivered almonds, sliced peaches, etc. The fruit/cream/cheese mix is a very continental blend and delicious in its simplicity.

My bad!!!  I forgot to do a final pic of the cake and this is the last slice... listing slightly like the Leaning Tower in Europe!!!  But you get the idea, right???  You get the idea while I get a fork!

YUM.

21 comments:

  1. Ok will I be Hung, Drawn and Quartered if I say I dont like Hersheys chocolate?

    Oh have to share I cooked my lamb roast complete with roast potatoes, carrots and peas. Now I have never cooked carrots and peas on there own before (in a spaghetti sauce but not alone) and never done potatoes in any form before. I got out the electric frying pan and its so yucky inside I went and used some money I was sent to buy a new one. Brought it home (Next time I am finding a friend it wasn't so much heavy but awkward to carry and I walked). I put the lamb in searing the edges and then cooked it and the veggies and it tastes good. The best one so far. (the first was ok the second someone put to much water and it drowned, ok it was boiled) This one I really like and I have heaps of meat for the next few days. may even freeze some for later. Its not a cheap meal but it was on special this week. And I will get several meals out of it. I was getting tired of tuna and salad.

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    1. Jenny, that rocks! Good for you, Aussie-woman! And it sounds delicious.

      Hey, you don't have to use Hershey's cocoa, but I do love their cocoa. Any cocoa would work in the recipe... so you choose your own, 'kay????

      Now you have me longing for roast lamb.

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    2. have to say it did taste good. (am patiently waiting for 10.30pm! just another 48 mins but I am ready for bed right now!

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    3. your meal sounds good!
      darn this cake sounds good too and is making me hungry! must resist..wont' be hard since it involves work to make it! ;-)
      Susanna

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  2. I'd never heard of this cake. Oh - but I truly "get it" now...

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  3. Deb, I hadn't either until I worked in the bakery at Tops a few years ago... But it's wonderful, very popular there, and they do a sifting of dark chocolate chips or slivers over the whipped cream. They also garnish the top with a cannoli tucked into a dollop/rosette of whipped cream, but we had already EATEN THE CANNOLI... ;)

    Yummmers! Truly an easy cake that makes people think you fussed...

    I'm all about fooling the masses, Deb!

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  4. Good morning, Ruthy.

    I think I shall admire this from afar. My hips will thank me. :)

    It looks lovely - and so simple - but with no one but me around to eat it, that would not be a good thing for said hips.

    Honestly, you did such a fabulous job describing it, I feel like I already ate the missing slices!

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    1. Mary, I just love you! And that's why I love that they sell individual pieces of pie/cake/ice cream now. Because I can't eat a 48 oz. container of ice cream, but a 6 oz. cup makes me so stinkin' happy...

      and helps self-control because it's EMPTY after 6 oz., LOL!

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    2. unless you have another one in the freezer...talking from experience here! ;-)

      ya'll I've applied for a job outside my comfort zone- I hate change but have been pushing myself with exercise and trying to get my house the way I want..I've been unhappy with this same job I've had for almost 22 yrs - gotten bored and complacent (ok and lazy since I can do the job blindfolded practically and lazy isn't an attractive or ego-boosting feeling) anyways they've opened up my supervisor's old job since she's not doing 2 plus jobs and needs help. the 2 people they expected to take the position are leaning towards a package(they're with the research group and we're the chemical plant group so wre sorta 'leased' to our location in a way and their big cheese decided to axe them all or offer them the wonderful chance to go to NY with no raise or moving expenses but hey a job is there with no place to live and all 3 are a couple of years from 65 and medicare...) but anyways they had hoped one of them would take the position since they're stronger in analytical skills but it's open to all of us to apply. I'm nervous :-( this job would require me actually energizing myself and being organized in a different way than I am now..would also challenge me and let me be more creative. would also take away overtime (don't like overtime but like the $ and this positon might have several times I have to work more hours per week but without pay). so...sorry so long but I come from a 'no change is good' family! hard to break that mentality. plus dont' even know if I'd be offered the job but I need to fight for it if I want it.
      Susanna

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  5. I just ate pizza for my second breakfast. Man O and I keep waking at 3:00 AM!

    This is the perfect dessert to follow pizza!!!

    Why did I not bring back Swiss cocoa! Head slap.

    Peace, Julie

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    1. We have an airline pilot friend that does International flights to Belgium...

      Belgian chocolate is our reward.

      Oh my stars, woman. What were you thinking???? But hey, I've got a WHOLE CANISTER of Swiss Miss!!! :)

      So if we want hot chocolate at the pajama party in Seekerville tonight, we're good to go! No worries!

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  6. My word, yes. I'm definitely trying this for our next church supper. Man, I'm drooling now. I might have to make it before then. :D

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    1. Oh Natalie, BRILLIANT. I'm responsible for the cake for our December faculty birthday celebration. This would be hugely popular!

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    2. Oh, yes, definitely company or party-friendly. And it really is so easy... mixing the cheeses together is like ten minutes and I did that while the cake was baking. Frosting recipe, either whipped cream or dark chocolate? Five minutes. Really. Truly!!!

      But I'm doing the Red Velvet one (from the new and mightily delicious Betty Crocker mix) on Thursday and that one would be fun for Christmas, too.

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  7. I've never heard of this one either but it sounds yummy. I have an Italian bakery in my 'hood too. I'll have to check and see if they carry it because there's no way I'd make this one unless I was going to feed a crowd!

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    1. Oh, Kav, I bet they have some variation of it. And the hard thing is when you're a party of ONE... it's tough to find individual treats! I'll give you a piece of something wonderful when we finally meet!

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  8. I am drooling... *slobber slobber* (rivaling the dog when he wants some human food so badly...)

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    1. Mel, here... honey, I'll share. Need a napkin???? :)

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  9. Oh, MAMA!!!!!!


    I licked the screen!! And AJ comes to our house, too. He must eb able to bilocate. But his name is 'Boo' here.

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    1. Boo!!! Love it! This is the only 'boy' baby I've gotten in the dark-skinned Fisher Price twins... I get so annoyed that the Walmarts and Toys R Us have mostly pale skinned dollies.

      REALLY???? Have they not walked down the street???

      We have three sets of "twins"... two girl sets and A.J. and Melissa... And a bunch of random multi-cultural dolls.

      Gotta play in the land of warmth and reality around here!

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