Vintage cake roll recipes of the past are making a big comeback. If you have sweet memories of watching a loved one make them in the kitchen, when you were growing up, and you want to try one too – look no further than this sweet Italian Cannoli Cake Roll recipe!

Cake rolls have a light sponge cake that are pliable enough to be rolled with a filling. This Cannoli Cake Roll has a vanilla sponge cake with a rich ricotta cheese and chocolate chip filling. If you love the classic Italian dessert, you’ve got to try this version. It’s a family favorite that never gets old.

Vintage recipes have so much nostalgia and sometimes I think that’s why we enjoy them the most. When you can associate a loved one to a recipe, it has so much more meaning. That’s how I feel about this cake – it’s a variation of the one I grew up enjoying.

My favorite part of cake rolls are the filling. Every bite seems to have the perfect about of creamy sweet filling. This Cannoli Cake Roll filling is made with ricotta cheese. It adds a rich texture that’s just like traditional cannoli, but it pairs so well with the sponge cake.

I love making this cake for any special occasion and It’s so versatile – I make it all throughout the year!

Looking for even more great cake roll recipes? Once you get the hang of making a cake roll, they’re so much fun to put together. These are some of my favorites:

• Chocolate Cake Roll
• Yule Log Christmas Cake
• Lemon Cake Roll

How To Make An Italian Cannoli Cake Roll

Every cake roll is made in a jelly roll pan. It’s a special type of pan where the side come up, so you can bake the cake batter without it spilling over. Parchment paper is another must because it keeps the cake from sticking to the surface as you roll. The filling is made in a stand mixer, but use an electric hand mixer if you don’t own a standing one.

When To Make A Cannoli Cake Roll

It’s a great cake to make that isn’t seasonal. Bake this cake for any occasion, even a birthday. I love making it as part of our Sunday family dinner. I love serving it with a Grilled Tuscan Steak, salad and dinner rolls. It’s one of my go-to desserts, but the downside is transporting it.

This cake can be fragile and hard to transport, unless you slice it. I don’t make the cake for taking to any event when I’m a guest. I prefer to serve it for home meals.

How To Bake Your Cannoli Cake Roll Ahead Of Time

There are two different ways to prepare your cake ahead of time. First, you can make the whole cake, as directed, and it stays fresh. I roll it onto the serving dish and cover loosely with aluminum foil. Make it up to 24 hours ahead of time before serving. Even with the filling, it won’t get soggy.

The second way to make the cake roll ahead of time is to bake the cake, but not fill it. You can make the filling ahead of time, and the cake, but don’t roll the cake until an hour before serving. Be sure to refrigerate the filling. Making it this way will ensure it’s completely fresh when it’s served.

Either way works well! I think it depends on your own situation and how much prep time you have for an occasion.

How To Keep The Cake Fresh After Baking

After the cake has cooled completely and is filled, it can stay out for several hours without worry. However, I prefer to refrigerate the cake once I’m done serving because of the ricotta cheese dairy component. It will only take a few minutes to thaw to room temperature before enjoying leftovers. For best freshness, enjoy the cake within 3-4 days of baking.

How To Freeze The Cake

To freeze the cake, cover the whole cake in plastic wrap. Place the cake in the back of your freezer, where temperatures vary less. Freeze the cake for up to 3 months. Thaw the cake on the countertop when you’re ready to serve it again. It should only take a few hours to completely thaw. Serve the cake again once thawed. Refrigerate any leftovers.

Tips For The Perfect Cake Roll Every Time

The beautiful spiral design of a cake roll can seem overwhelming if you’ve never made one previously. The worst case scenario is your cake breaking or falling apart. Acting quick and reading up on these few cake roll tips will help you every time:

• Don’t skip adding parchment paper to your jelly roll pan prior to baking. It’s an important step to ensure your cake doesn’t stick to the pan.
• The most crucial part of the whole cake roll process is taking it out of the oven. Turn it over to your parchment paper sprinkled with powdered sugar. Or you can use a tea towel.
• Let the cake cool completely with the parchment paper or the tea towel rolled into it. This is training the cake to roll easily later. It needs to cool completely and that’s when you make the filling.
• The last step is to refrigerate the cake again so it keeps the nice spiral shape.

What You’ll Need From The Grocery Store:

• Eggs
• Granulated Sugar
• Hot Water
• Vanilla
• All-Purpose Flour
• Baking Powder
• Salt
• Powdered Sugar
• Heavy Whipping Cream
• Ricotta
• Cream Cheese
• Cinnamon
• Chocolate Chips

Directions To Make Cannoli Cake Roll Dessert

Preheat oven to 375 F. Line a jelly roll pan with buttered foil or parchment paper. Beat the eggs, gradually adding a cup of granulated sugar. Stir in water and vanilla extract.

Sift in flour, baking powder and salt, and fold batter together. Pour the batter into the pan. Bake for 15 minutes. Cake will be springy to the touch and start to shrink away from the sides of the pan.

Lay out a sheet of parchment paper slightly longer than the cake and sprinkle lightly with powdered sugar. Take off the foil or parchment paper and cut away the crusty edges of the cake.

Roll the cake up in the parchment paper sprinkled with powder sugar. Place in the refrigerator to cool.

Whip heavy cream on high in a stand mixer until cream is thick. Add in Ricotta cheese, cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla and cinnamon and mix on low to medium to combine until ingredients are mixed together well. Stir in chocolate chips.

Unroll cake and spread the cannoli filling over the cake. Tightly roll the cake back up and refrigerate for an hour before serving. 

To slice, run hot water over a knife and wipe dry before slicing straight through. Rinse in hot water and dry knife in between cutting each slice. This allows for a cleaner slice.