How to Make the Best Cannoli Cheesecake
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Cannoli Cheesecake was invented for my husband’s 27th birthday. It was so good, it had to be remade for his extra special 30th birthday. I’ve been making cheesecakes for my husband’s birthday for ages, but of all the flavors I can make, cannoli cheesecake is absolutely the best one.
The Origin of Cannoli Cheesecake
The second year that my husband (then fiancé) and I were living together, he asked for a Cheesecake Factory-style white chocolate blueberry cheesecake.
Well, I got fancy and decided to make it. Thanks to this Rae Gun Ramblings recipe, I was able to treat my man to the most delicious birthday dessert ever. Then the next year, he asked me to make it with raspberries! It was possibly even more delicious.
And then, there was a strawberry version and a cookie dough cheesecake. By then, he decided that every year on his birthday, he would like a homemade cheesecake. So, when he started getting into making homemade cannoli, I decided that as an homage to his delightful new hobby, I’d make him a Cannoli Cheesecake.
We Really Love Cannoli
So, part of the reason Hubs started to make cannoli at home was that we left Los Angeles. With it, we left the tasty handmade cannoli of Sorrento’s Italian Market in Culver City.
These pastry treats were chock full of mini chocolate chips and studded with maraschino cherries, then either dusted with powdered sugar or dipped in chocolate.
Somewhere in that beautiful little package, there was just a kiss of cinnamon, a flavor that balances well with dark chocolate. These were the flavors I wanted to feature in his birthday cheesecake.
Cannoli Cheesecake is Extra
The secret to really good Cannoli Cheesecake is the mousse topping on this cake. It’s a simple mixture of mascarpone, whipped topping, and a little extract for flavor.
Ricotta is good in the cake because the heat smooths out any graininess, but mixed into whipped topping, it’s not a fun texture. Mascarpone, however, is creamy and silky smooth with a milder flavor than cream cheese.
And why not hit it with some amaretto flavor? Well, I mixed up a little vanilla extract and almond extract to recreate that flavor as well. What ended up surprising me most about this mousse was that it brightens up and lifts what would otherwise be too rich of a dessert.
The Subtle Art of Cheesecake Baking
I have made a fair few cheesecakes now. There’s even a post about my simplest recipe, Vanilla Bean, from a few months ago. There have only been one or two cheesecakes that didn’t come out perfectly, and those were ones where I didn’t follow my own rules.
And that is why I have a couple of notes that I want to highlight:
- Don’t skimp on the cream cheese: Use high-quality, full-fat cream cheese, no generics, no low fat… the flavor is well worth it.
- Let your cream cheese, ricotta, eggs, and mascarpone come to room temperature. This makes them so much easier to whip smooth.
- During the 2-hour period that your oven has been turned off and you’re leaving the cheesecake to set, DO NOT open the oven. Just don’t do it.
- Use filtered water for the steam. This may seem silly, but if you have hard water, you will have awful water stains on the dish you use once the water all evaporates.
- Use a rimmed sheet pan as your steam plate. This will not only catch any dripping butter from the pan above, but it also won’t explode like a glass pie plate, for example.
- The chocolate chips and cherries might sink. The first time I made this, it happened. It turned out to be a really cool layered effect that impacted the flavor and texture positively. The second time, they dispersed evenly. It was also fantastic.
- Use a sharp clean knife to run around the edges and make the cuts. This will result in clean, perfect slices. In other words, it just makes for a nicer presentation.
What’s Not to Love About Cannoli Cheesecake?
This recipe is involved. I won’t sugar coat it. You’re going to need a whole day to make this, and you still won’t get a slice until the next day. That said, it’s totally worth it.
You’re going to slice into this gorgeously creamy, decadently bespeckled cake with awe. Whether your chips and cherries sank or managed to disperse evenly, the effect is incredible. The layers of sunken add-ins are dramatic to look at but more fabulous to eat.
A freckled cake, on the other hand, gives you a different but equally amazing bite. Instead of tasting each flavor separately, you get the combined balance.
The crust has cinnamon in it, but no extra sugar. Some graham cracker crusts call for sugar and salt. It’s really unnecessary. Think of your standard pie crust. It’s not that complex, flavor-wise. You just need a good base for your filling to shine. Balance is nice, though.
Don’t over-sweeten your cake or it will be too much. The filling itself has 1/4 cup of sugar (across 16 servings), and honestly, I’ve left this out before and no one could tell. Remember, there is sugar in the sweetened condensed milk.
Cheesecake is Not for Your Diet
I have mentioned before that cheesecake, my way, is not really a diet food. There are some really good, easy, diet-friendly cheesecakes out there. This is definitely not one of them.
Like I said before, do not use low fat or fat-free anything. You’re about to spend a whole day making cheesecake. If you have any reservations about calories, it’s probably best to save yourself some time and make a different recipe.
While I usually welcome substitutions and making my recipes work for you, this is not one of those times. Sorry, but this is definitely one of those recipes where you do need to follow the instructions. You can sigh. It’s fine. But trust me when I say you will be glad you did when you’re taking your first bite of Cannoli Cheesecake.
The Tools You’ll Need for Cannoli Cheesecake
Here are the tools you’ll need to make your cannoli cheesecake:
Comment below if you have questions, concerns, or opinions. And tag me @ellejayathome on Instagram or Twitter if you share pictures from any of my recipes. I love to hear from you!
Cannoli Cheesecake
Equipment
- Springform pan
- Sheet pan
- Stand Mixer with whisk attachment
- Rubber spatula
- Offset spatula
Ingredients
Cannoli Cheesecake
- 1½ cups cinnamon graham crackers crushed (about 1 1/2 packages)
- ½ cup unsalted butter melted
- 2 8-oz packages cream cheese room temperature
- 8 oz ricotta room temperature
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- 14 oz sweetened condensed milk
- ¼ cup sugar
- 3 Tbsp lemon juice
- 1 Tbsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup mini chocolate chips
- ½ cup maraschino cherries chopped and drained
Optional Mascarpone Mousse Topping
- 1 tub whipped topping thawed, optional
- 1 cup mascarpone room temperature, optional
- ½ tsp almond extract optional
- 1 tsp vanilla extract optional
Instructions
- Place a pan with medium height walls on the lower rack of your oven. Preheat the oven to 300°F.
- Using the food processor, crush the graham crackers into fine crumbs. Pour the melted butter in, and mix thoroughly.
- Press the buttered crumbs firmly into the bottom and sides of a springform pan.
- In a large mixing bowl, cream together the cream cheese, ricotta, and sugar. Once smooth, blend in the sweetened condensed milk. Add the eggs in one at a time. Finally, beat in the lemon juice and vanilla extract. Using a rubber spatula, stir in the mini chocolate chips and maraschino cherries.
- Pour the cheesecake filling over the graham cracker crust. Wiggle the pan around, and firmly but gently tap the pan against the counter to bring air bubbles to the surface.
- Place your cheesecake on the top rack of your oven, and pour 1 cup of water into the pan that you placed in the oven at the preheat stage. Promptly close your oven.
- Bake the cheesecake at 300°F for 75 minutes. When the timer goes off, turn off the heat to the oven but leave the oven sealed shut for 2 hours to allow the steam to continue cooking your cake.
- Chill the cake in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.
- In a medium bowl, mix together the whipped topping and mascarpone. Flavor with vanilla and/or almond extract. Spread over the top of your cheesecake. Cover the pan with foil, and place the cheesecake back in the fridge overnight.
- To serve, run a paring knife under HOT water and carefully trace the knife between the crust and the springform pan. Gently unlatch the springform and remove the base from the sides. Admire your craftsmanship for a moment… then once again using a hot knife, slice the cake and serve.
- Serves 12-16 slices.
