Cannoli Cake

Adapted from: food.com recipe #126279

For the Cake:
6 large eggs, separated
1 cup sugar, divided
3/4 cup flour
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. water
1 tsp. vanilla extract

For Brushing Cake Layers:
2 large oranges
2 Tbsp. orange-flavored liqueur (optional)

For the Filling:
1 (32 oz.) container ricotta cheese
1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1/4 cup semi-sweet mini chocolate chips

Vanilla-Cream Frosting:
3 Tbsp. butter, softened
3 Tbsp. milk
1 3/4 cup confectioners' sugar
3/4 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups heavy whipping cream

For the cake: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In mixing bowl, beat 6 egg whites until soft peaks form. Gradually sprinkle in 1/2 cup sugar, beating until sugar is completely dissolved and whites stand in stiff peaks. In a large mixing bowl, on low speed, beat 6 egg yolks, flour, baking powder, salt, remaining 1/2 cup sugar, 1 tsp. vanilla, and the 2 Tbsp. water until well blended. With rubber spatula, gently fold beaten egg whites into egg yolk mixture. Spoon the batter into an ungreased 10x3-inch springform pan. Bake 30-35 minutes, or until cake is slightly golden and springs back after being lightly touched.

For brushing the cake layers: From the oranges, grate 2 tsp. peel (use the rest of the peel for the filling) and squeeze 1/3 cup orange juice. Stir liqueur into juice; set aside.

For the filling: In large bowl, beat ricotta, cream cheese, rest of the grated orange peel, confectioners’ sugar and 1 tsp. vanilla until smooth. Stir in 1/4 cup semisweet-chocolate mini pieces. With metal spatula, loosen cake from edge of pan; remove pan side. Loosen cake from pan bottom; remove pan bottom. With serrated knife, cut cake horizontally into 2 layers. Brush juice mixture evenly over cut side of each layer. Place bottom cake layer, cut-side up, on cake plate. Spoon filling on center of cake layer. Spread some filling out to edge, leaving a center rounded to create dome effect. Cut small wedge out of remaining cake layer; gently rest cake layer over filling. (Cutting wedge will allow cake layer to bend, without cracking, to fit over dome shape.)

For frosting: In small bowl, beat butter, milk, confectioners’ sugar, and vanillat until smooth, adding more milk if necessary until mixture has an easy spreading consistency. In large bowl, beat heavy whipping cream until stiff peaks form; fold confectioners’sugar mixture into whipped cream. Spread over top and down side of cake.

Phew! Did you get all of that? I will first say that this cake really was a doozy. I was ill-prepared for the time it would take to make this baby, and the joke was obviously on me! I thought that even though the recipe seemed a bit lengthy, I would be able to knock it out in no time, brush my hands off, and be done with it. Nuh-uh! So didn't happen. I would also like to say that the time put in this cake was more than worth it. My sister-in-law has been requesting a cannoli cake for quite some time, and I thought that her birthday was the perfect way to break this puppy out and try it!

The flavors were incredible, and my only regret is that we didn't take a picture of the cake once we cut into it. It was beautiful (on the inside). The icing and I were about to have an all out war, but this wasn't the recipe's fault, it was the wonderful humidity and the fact that no matter how long I beat the whipping cream, it would not "whip". Frustrating! The icing was hard enough to put on in the first place because it was a little runny. By the time we got the cake to Vann's brother's house, it looked like the Wicked Witch of the West when she was hit with water in the Wizard of Oz. If it could have talked, you would have heard it scream "I'm meeeeellllttttiiinnnggg!!!" I made the best efforts to make it look pretty by putting chocolate chips around the whole thing, but somehow it just made it look even more pitiful when it melted.... like little chocolate tears. It was so sad! But it was still delicious, and in the end, the way it tastes is what truly matters. :)