Instructions
In a medium bowl, add in the flour, salt, and baking powder. Whisk to combine. Set aside.
Add the butter, vegetable oil, and sugar to a large mixing bowl. Beat on medium speed with a hand mixer until light and fluffy.
Add in the vanilla extract and then the eggs one at a time. Beat in each egg just until incorporated before adding the next. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
Alternate adding in the dry ingredients and buttermilk, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. I like to do 3 parts flour and 2 parts buttermilk.
Once everything is combined, scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix in any bits remaining.
Divide the batter evenly into the two prepared pans. For a more even cake, wrap the pans with Wilton bake even strips. Mine are ancient, but they’re the same as the purple ones.
Place in the oven and bake for 55 minutes to 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean or with moist crumbs.
Allow the cakes to cool for 30 minutes before turning out onto a cooling rack to cool completely.
Frosting
Add the mascarpone cheese and drained ricotta to a large mixing bowl. Beat with a hand mixer on medium speed until combined.
Add in the powdered sugar, ground cinnamon, and vanilla extract. Continue to mix until a thick frosting comes together.
Add 1 cup of frosting to a separate medium bowl and mix in ⅓ cup of mini chocolate chips until evenly distributed.
Set aside for filling the cannoli shells.
Ganache
Add the chocolate chips and heavy whipping cream to a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave in 30-second intervals and stir after each interval until the ganache is smooth and completely melted.
Assemble the Cannoli Cake
Using a cake leveler or serrated knife, level the top of the cakes, if they’re domed, and then cut each cake in half so you have four layers.
Add a small amount of cannoli frosting without the mini chocolate chips in it to the center of a cake plate.
Place the first layer of cake cut side down on a cake plate right on top of the frosting. Gently press down.
Add an even layer of cannoli frosting on top of the layer.
Sprinkle about 2 tablespoons (up to ¼ cup if you happen to have ¾ cup of mini chocolate chips on hand for filling the cake) of mini chocolate chips on top of the frosting.
Repeat placing the cakes cut side down, covering with frosting, and sprinkling with mini chocolate chips.
Once you place the last layer of cake on top, pile frosting on top of the cake.
Spread it out evenly using a large angled spatula and push the excess frosting over the edges of the cake.
Grab more frosting and start covering the sides of the cake.
Clean the angled spatula and place the cake plate on a turntable. Holding the spatula so the blade is parallel with the cake, begin slowly turning the turntable and taking off any excess frosting, smoothing out the sides of the cake.
Clean off the angled spatula with warm water and a paper towel to dry it off before you place it on the cake to ensure clean swipes with the spatula.
Add the cooled, but pourable consistency ganache to a sandwich bag. Cut a small hole in one of the corners of the bag.
Run the ganache along the outside edge of the top of the cake. Allow it to drip slightly down the sides. If you are afraid it will run too much, chill the cake first.
Add any remaining frosting without chocolate chips to a piping bag fitted with a round tip or use a storage bag and cut a hole in the corner of the bag. I added some mini chocolate chips to this frosting before adding it to the piping bag to give me more frosting to work with.
Pipe 8 mounds of frosting.
Add the 1 cup of frosting that you set aside into the piping bag. Fill 8 mini cannoli shells or 4 large shells with the frosting. If you’re using large shells, cut them in half.
Place each shell on a mound.
Drizzle the top of the shells and cake with any remaining ganache.
Eat right away or store in a cake container in the fridge.
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