Italian Cannoli Birthday Cake with Strawberries Recipe

This cake is a great quick fix for all you cannoli lovers out there! It's also a great alternative to making the cannoli shells over a hot fryer! The bonus is still having these similar homemade flavors.  Everything  goes together so simple and has all  our favorites in one cake! Thanks for stopping by, Ciao Claudia

My son loves cannoli's maybe you remember this post of his Upstate NY Style Cannoli?


 Well today is my first born son, Chad's, 31st Birthday... It's so hard to believe it and strangely enough, I often wonder how I reached this age when I still feel his? Where does the time go, seriously!

Starting out I decided to make a marble cake first... since he likes both chocolate and vanilla.

Batter for Marble Cake

3/4 cup butter, softened
2 eggs
2 - 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. of almond extract
1 1/4 cups milk, half and half sour milk or buttermilk
1 cup of mini chocolate chip
1/4 cup of unsweetened cocoa powder

After cake is cooked brush with:
1/4 cup marsala wine mixed with 1 tablespoon of butter

* Note :  Cannoli filling recipe to follow below make this while cake is baking and refrigerate till needed.

Mix the butter sugar together until light. Add flour, eggs,baking powder,baking soda, vanilla and milk. Beat till smooth, around three minutes, split batter into two bowls.

Add the unsweetened cocoa powder to one bowl mix well.

Grease a spring form pan, or you can use a bundt pan, a 13 x 9 sheet cake pan or two 8 inch pans using same method. Start with a small amount of vanilla cake batter on the bottom, add a dollop of chocolate batter in the center, swirl around with a knife. Do not stir. Bake at 350 for around 40 minutes till done, test with a toothpick if it comes out clean in the center. When cake comes out of the oven sprinkle with mini chips. Brush top of hot cake with melted butter and marsala wine.

 Cannoli filling.

2 cups whole milk Ricotta or use Homemade Ricotta Recipe
1 teaspoon pure vanilla
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon quick cooking tapioca
dash of cinnamon
Mix all together.

 Spread cannoli filling over cooled cake, brushed with marsala mixture . Top entire cake with whipped cream.
 Optional: garnish with strawberries or other fresh fruit.

If making layers, spread filling between sliced layers, and proceed the same way.