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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 can’t find marscapone cheese. Any substitutes?
You can substitute the mascarpone cheese with cream cheese. The flavor is slightly different but will yield a cream cheese frosting. Enjoy!
What happens if the frosting is too loose? Is there anything you can do to fix it?
You can add more sugar and it should thicken it up, however it shouldn’t be thin.
Can I skip the cinnamon ?
Yes, you can skip the cinnamon.
Can I use 2% milk?
Yes, 2% milk works great. Enjoy!
Can It make up the frosting and refrigerate until I am ready to serve the cupcakes? I am traveling with the cupcakes for a weekend trip, and it will be easier to travel them unfrosted I think
You should be able to make the frosting in advance. However, you may need to mix it again just before frosting to get the right consistency. Enjoy!
Hi again, I ended up chickening out and didn’t make a cake from the recipe. I doubled the recipe and made them as cupcakes again. One thing I did do, was scoop out a little cake from the center and fill with frosting and mini chips. Turned out delicious!
I made these a few months back for a birthday party. They were a big hit! Wondering if I can make it into a 2 layer cake? Have you ever done that? Did you double or triple the recipe? Any advice would be appreciated. Thank you!
Hi Colleen! While I haven’t tried this recipe in cake form, I think it would work fine if you double and bake two layers in 9 inch cake pans, or possibly up to three layers in 8 inch cake pans. If you try it, let me know how it turns out. Enjoy!
Can I use ricotta instead of mascarpone?
Hi, Mandy! No, you can’t use ricotta instead of mascarpone. Cream cheese is a good substitute for the mascarpone. The flavor is slightly different, but will yield a cream cheese frosting.
Hello Again!
I was wondering if you could freeze the cupcakes? How would you suggest doing so? I also was wondering if there would be a way to store the icing? I would imagine that the icing would not freeze properly, I would love your opinion!
Hi Hope! Yes, you can freeze the cupcakes. I would wrap them individually and place in an airtight container or freezer safe bag for up to 3 months. I do not recommend freezing the icing as it will not hold up, especially with the mascarpone. It’s best to make the frosting just prior to serving. You can also prep these up to 2 days in advance and store in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Bring them to room temperature for at least 30 minutes before serving. Enjoy!
Hello!
Should I keep these cupcakes in the fridge? I am serving them at a birthday tomorrow!
Yes, store in the refrigerator until tomorrow. Bring them to room temperature about 30-45 minutes before serving. Enjoy!