I made this Cannoli Poke Cake for my wife to celebrate a co-worker’s birthday. I was very clear that I wanted some photos after the birthday girl blew out her candles and cut the cake.
Well, that didn’t happen. Apparently, this cake was so good that it was gone before she could snap some pictures of my cake! And you know what that means. I get to make it again!
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I’ve published a couple of recipes for poke cakes before: Black Forest Poke Cake, Pumpkin Poke Cake and Almost Better than Sex Cake but this one might be the best one yet!
I know you are all looking at the ingredients and surprised to see ricotta cheese but trust me, this Cannoli Poke Cake is delish!
I’ve made Homemade Cannoli in the past and published the recipe in my Recipe Book, but this Cannoli Poke Cake tastes just like a real cannoli! If you love Cannoli, you will absolutely love this cake.
What is Poke Cake
I was curious where poke cakes come from. I couldn’t find much history about them except it looks like it goes back to the early ’70s.
But you don’t have to be a brain surgeon to figure out what a poke cake is. It’s a cake that you poke holes in after baking. The holes are then filled with condensed milk, pureed fruit, chocolate cream, or pudding to add a little more flavor into every bite.
Gather your Ingredients
You will need the following ingredients to make this Cannoli Poke Cake recipe (see recipe card for quantities): White Cake Mix, Sweetened Condensed Milk, Mascarpone Cheese, Ricotta Cheese, Vanilla Extract, Powdered Sugar and Milk Chocolate Chips.
How to Make Cannoli Poke Cake
- Coat a 9 x 13 inch baking dish with cooking spray. Set aside.
- Make the cake batter according to the directions on the package. Bake the cake for the duration listed on the package or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let the cake cool before moving on to the next step.
- Using the end of a wooden spoon, poke holes about 1 inch apart all over the top of the cake.
- Reserve 2 tablespoons of the condensed milk in a small bowl and pour the remainder over the top of the cake trying to fill all the holes as much as possible.
- In a large bowl, beat mascarpone, ricotta cheese and vanilla extract until creamy. Beat in powdered sugar and the reserved condensed milk until smooth.
- Spread frosting evenly over top of the cake. Sprinkle with chocolate chips. Refrigerate the cake for at least 2 hours before serving.
Cannoli Poke Cake
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Ingredients
- 15 ¼ oz White Cake Mix, 1 box
- 14 oz Sweetened Condensed Milk
- 8 oz Mascarpone Cheese
- 1 Cup Ricotta Cheese
- 1 Tsp Vanilla Extract
- 1 ½ Cups Powdered Sugar
- ¼ Cup Milk Chocolate Chips
Instructions
- Coat a 9 x 13 inch baking dish with cooking spray. Set aside.
- Make the cake batter according to the directions on the package. Bake the cake for the duration listed on the package or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let the cake cool before moving on to the next step.
- Using the end of a wooden spoon, poke holes about 1 inch apart all over top of cake.
- Reserve 2 tablespoons of the condensed milk in a small bowl and pour the remainder over top of the cake trying to fill all the holes as much as possible.
- In a large bowl, beat mascarpone, ricotta cheese and vanilla extract until creamy. Beat in powdered sugar and the reserved condensed milk until smooth.
- Spread frosting evenly over top of the cake. Sprinkle with chocolate chips. Refrigerate the cake for at least 2 hours before serving.
This poke cake is delicious and very moist, even the second day. My family loved it. I gave some to my neighbour who said it was the best cake they had in a long time.