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Cannoli cupcakes are made with light cinnamon cake and a creamy mascarpone frosting to create a treat that you won’t be able to resist!
It is always an exciting day when a good friend releases a new cookbook! Lindsay from Life Love and Sugar recently released her first cookbook, Simply Beautiful Homemade Cakes. Lindsay’s cookbook is everything I expected and more. Not only does the book include beautiful cakes and cupcakes, but it also includes step by step tutorials, tips and techniques for making bakery quality cakes at home. With everything from Red Wine Chocolate Cake to these Cannoli Cupcakes, you will want to make a new cake or cupcake every week!
While all of the recipes in the book are made to impress, I decided to make these Cannoli Cupcakes to share with you. I love a homemade cannoli but I think that they are even better in cupcake form. You can’t beat the creamy mascarpone frosting piped on top of flavorful cinnamon cake.
The cupcakes come together relatively easily. After the cinnamon cake layer is baked in the oven, a few ingredients combines to create the creamy frosting. Sprinkle with mini chocolate chips and extra confectioners’ sugar to create the cannoli flavor. Made with the freshest ingredients, homemade cannoli cupcakes taste better than anything you can buy at the store. Serve these cupcakes for birthdays, holidays, and dinner parties. Or just make a batch to enjoy for dessert. 
Don’t wait, purchase Simply Beautiful Homemade Cakes and impress your friends and family with these beautiful cakes. Best of all, the book also includes fifty pages of tips and tutorials for creating smooth icing, piping cupcake frosting and more!
I use an extra large closed star tip for piping the frosting.
Cannoli Cupcakes
Ingredients
For the cupcakes:
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup light brown sugar, loosely packed
- 6 tablespoons sour cream, at room temperature
- 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 3 large egg whites, at room temperature, divided
- 1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 6 tablespoons milk, at room temperature
- 2 tablespoons water, at room temperature
For the cannoli frosting:
- 2 cups mascarpone cheese, at room temperature
- 2 cups confectioners' sugar, plus more for dusting cupcakes
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- mini chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and prepare a standard cupcake pan with cupcake liners.
- In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter sugar and light brown sugar until light in color and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the sour cream and vanilla extract and mix until well combined. Add 1 of the egg whites and mix until well combined. Add the remaining 2 egg whites and mix until well combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed to be sure all the ingredients are well incorporated.
- Combine the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt in a medium bowl, then combine the milk and water in a small measuring cup. Add half of the flour mixture to the batter and mix until well combined. Add the milk mixture and mix until well combined. Add the remaining half of the flour mixture and mix until well combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed to be sure all of the ingredients are well incorporated.
- Fill the cupcake liners about halfway with batter. Bake the cupcakes for 15 to 17 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out with a few crumbs. Remove the cupcakes from the oven and allow them to cool for 2 to 3 minutes in the pan, then transfer them to a cooking rack to finish cooling.
To make the frosting:
- Beat the mascarpone cheese, powdered sugar and vanilla extract together on medium-low speed until smooth. Do not overbeat or mix on high, or the frosting can get thin and watery (Mascarpone separates when overmixed.) Mix until just combined.
- Pipe the frosting onto the cupcakes and top with mini chocolate chips. Sprinkle with confectioners' sugar and store in the refrigerator until you are ready to serve. Serve at room temperature. These cupcakes are best eaten within 2 to 3 days.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Excerpted from Simply Beautiful Homemade Cakes: Extraordinary Recipes and Easy Decorating Techniques by Lindsay Conchar. Copyright © 2016. Reprinted with permission from Page Street Publishing Co. All rights reserved. This post contains affiliate links.
I’m. Doing something wrong. I’ve tried thus 3 times already. The first time I didn’t follow the recipe too well, and they came out great but the frosting melted (overbearing I think). The second time they caved and the third came out like muffins.
I’ve followed the recipe to the t the second time. 🙁
Anyone help?
I’m sorry to hear the cupcakes didn’t turn out as expected. They should puff up like a regular cupcake. A dip in the middle usually means they weren’t baked long enough or the batter was over mixed. These cupcakes could also be affected by altitude changes if you live in a higher altitude area. I hope you have success with them in the future as they are one of my favorite recipes!
How to store? Refrigerate? Can I leave out? How long will last?
Hi, Joni! I would store these cupcakes in the fridge up to 24-36 hours prior to serving. Remove from the fridge at least 30 minutes prior to serving.
Hi. My cupcakes had a dip in the middle. Are they supposed to do that or should they have puffed up?
Hi, Jill! They should puff up like a regular cupcake. A dip in the middle usually means they weren’t baked long enough or the batter was over mixed.
Can I do this recipe in a cake form?
Hi, Donna! I haven’t tested this recipe in cake form. However, here is a Cannoli Cake recipe that I highly recommend https://www.lifeloveandsugar.com/2016/08/03/cannoli-layer-cake/ 🙂
Would it be ok to let these sit out for 1hr- 11/2 before serving?
Hi, Korey! If you are setting them out at room temperature (around 70 degrees F) they should be fine. However, I wouldn’t let them sit out outside on a hot day 🙂
Ohmagoodness, Ashley. I’m crazy for cannoli. These photos are making me so happy right now! Do you deliver, by any chance?? I’m, ya know, asking for a friend. Lindsay’s cookbook looks fantastic! Can’t wait to check it out 🙂
your cupcakes are absolutely beautiful! I am going to need that book for sure
Mu husband is OBSESSED with cannoli… And his birthday is veryyy soon. These might be in the cards for me (and him!). Pinned 🙂
These look awesome Ashley! Cannoli flavored things is always one of my faves. 🙂 Thanks so much for sharing them and the book!
Cannoli in cupcake form?!? These must be pure heaven! I can’t wait to see the other beautiful creations in Lindsay’s cookbook!