Cannoli Cake - Bake from Scratch.

      We took the components of the classic Italian pastry and turned them into a luxurious cake perfect for celebrations. This decadent dessert features creamy ricotta cheese both in the cake batter and as a topping, complemented by crunchy pistachios and mini chocolate chips that provide a delightful texture in every bite.

      Makes 1 (10-cup) cake

      **Cake:**

      - 1 3/4 cups (350 grams) granulated sugar

      - 2 teaspoons (4 grams) orange zest

      - 3/4 cup (170 grams) unsalted butter, softened

      - 3 large eggs (150 grams), at room temperature

      - 2 teaspoons (8 grams) vanilla extract

      - 2¼ cups (281 grams) all-purpose flour

      - 1½ teaspoons (5 grams) kosher salt

      - 1 teaspoon (5 grams) baking powder

      - 1⅓ cups (300 grams) whole-milk ricotta cheese*, at room temperature

      - 1/4 cup (60 grams) fresh orange juice

      - 1 cup (150 grams) unsalted pistachios, chopped

      - 1/2 cup (83 grams) mini 55% cacao semisweet chocolate chips

      **Topping:**

      - 1/2 cup (112 grams) whole-milk ricotta cheese*

      - 1/4 cup (60 grams) heavy whipping cream

      - 2 tablespoons (14 grams) confectioners’ sugar

      **Garnish:** chopped pistachios, mini chocolate chips

      Preheat the oven to 325°F (170°C). For the cake: In the bowl of a stand mixer, mix together the granulated sugar and orange zest by hand until well combined and fragrant. Add the butter; with the paddle attachment, beat at medium speed until light and fluffy, about 4 to 5 minutes, pausing to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing until combined after each addition and scraping the bowl as needed. Mix in the vanilla.

      In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and baking powder. In a small bowl, mix the ricotta and orange juice together. With the mixer on low speed, incorporate the flour mixture into the butter mixture in three parts, alternating with the ricotta mixture, starting and ending with the flour mixture, mixing until just combined and stopping to scrape the sides of the bowl. Gently fold in the pistachios and chocolate chips.

      Grease a 10-cup fluted tube pan with flour baking spray. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Firmly tap the pan on a kitchen towel-lined counter to level the batter and eliminate air bubbles. Bake until the cake is golden brown and a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean, about 1 hour to 1 hour and 10 minutes. Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Then invert it onto a wire rack to cool completely.

      For the topping: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat all topping ingredients at medium-low speed until thick and able to be piped, approximately 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer the topping into a pastry bag fitted with a medium open star piping tip (Ateco #824), and pipe it onto the cake as desired. If desired, garnish with pistachios and chocolate chips. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

      *We used BelGioioso® Ricotta con Latte Cheese.

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