Cannoli cupcakes with raspberry filling are your new favorite cupcake! These homemade cannoli cupcakes are light and fluffy and perfect for a special occasion.
This post was originally published in March 2021 and has been updated for content.
We love all things cannoli in our house. From traditional cannoli made with homemade ricotta filling to cannoli cake and more, this sweet Italian dessert is so delicious.
These homemade cupcakes are filled with raspberry preserves with a dollop of creamy cannoli frosting on top of the cupcake. Finished off with mini chocolate chips and fresh raspberries, these sweet treats are fun twist on the classic Italian dessert.
Serve these raspberry cannoli cupcakes with dark chocolate covered marshmallows for valentine's day or alongside pork tenderloin for Easter or Mother's day.
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🧁 Ingredient notes
- Cupcakes - The recipe for this cupcake has been adapted from Life, Love and Sugar's vanilla cupcake recipe. It's light and fluffy and comes out perfectly every time.
- Filling - Your favorite store bought raspberry preserves can be used for this recipe. If you don't like the seeds, I recommend getting a seedless raspberry jam instead.
- Frosting - Adapted from Snappy Gourmet's cannoli frosting, this sweet and fluffy frosting is perfect on top of these cupcake. Use whole milk ricotta cheese to make sure your frosting isn't watery.
📋 Substitutions and variations
- Different fruit - Try different types of preserves or jams in the filling for these cupcakes like blackberry, strawberry, blueberry, or even cherry!
- Boxed mix - Not up to making cupcakes from scratch? Use a vanilla cupcake boxed to make things a bit simpler and add ¼ teaspoon almond extract to the batter.
🥣 Step by step instructions
Start by sifting or whisking together the flour, baking powder, and salt together in a medium bowl. Next, mix together the butter, sugar, oil, and almond extract using a stand mixer or in a large bowl with a hand mixer on medium speed.
Mix in the eggs and then scrape down the sides of the bowl. Next, alternate adding the dry ingredients and the milk until you have a smooth and fluffy batter. Evenly divide the batter up into a greased cupcake tin or use cupcake liners.
Bake the cupcakes until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the middle. Let them cool completely and then remove the middle of the cupcakes with a piping tip or small spoon. Then, fill the inside of the cupcakes with the raspberry preserves.
To make the cannoli frosting, beat together the ricotta cheese, mascarpone cheese, powdered sugar, almond extract, orange zest, cinnamon and salt in a mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Top the filled cupcakes with the frosting and garnish with fresh raspberries and mini chocolate chips.
If you ever don't recognize a tool or skill that I mention, be sure to look it up in the Glossary of Cooking Terms and Definitions for more information.
⭐ Expert tips
- For best results, make sure to sift or whisk the dry ingredients together and also beat the butter and sugar mixture until fluffy. This will make sure you have super light and fluffy cupcakes.
- For a thicker frosting, strain the ricotta cheese in cheesecloth overnight to remove as much excess moisture as possible.
- Make sure the cupcakes cool completely before filling and frosting them. If not they will fall apart and the frosting won't stay on the cupcakes.
- Use a pastry bag with a large open tip or a baking scoop to easily add the frosting to the filled cupcakes.
⏲️ Make ahead and storage instructions
- Plain unfilled and unfrosted cupcakes will keep up to 4 days when stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
- Filled and frosted cupcakes will keep up to 2 days when stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
- Cannoli frosting can be made ahead of time and stored up to 2 days in the airtight container in the refrigerator.
🥣 More baking recipes
If you loved these cannoli cupcakes with raspberry filling, check out these other baking recipes, that I know you will love too!
📖 Recipe
Cannoli Cupcakes with Raspberry Filling
Ingredients
Cupcakes
- 1 ¼ cup all purpose flour
- 1 ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon table salt
- 6 Tablespoon unsalted butter room temperature
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup whole milk
Cannoli Frosting
- 5 ounces whole milk ricotta cheese
- 8 ounces mascarpone cheese
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract
- 1 teaspoon orange zest
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 pinch table salt
Raspberry Filling & Garnish
- ¾ cup raspberry preserves
- fresh raspberries for garnish
- mini chocolate chips for garnish
Instructions
Cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to 350˚ and line a cupcake tin with liners or grease generously with butter or baking spray.
- In a medium bowl, sift or whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
- In a separate large bowl, combine the butter, sugar, oil, and almond extract. Using a hand mixer, mix the ingredients together on low until they are just combined. Increase the speed to high and beat for 3 minutes until light and fluffy.
- Add in the eggs and mix until incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and continue to mix until everything is well combined.
- Add half of the dry ingredients to the butter and sugar mixture and mix until incorporated. Add half of the milk in and mix together. Repeat with the remaining dry ingredients and then the remaining milk. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix until everything is well combined.
- Divide the cupcake batter into the prepared pan and bake in the preheated oven for 15-18 minutes until the edges are golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the middle of a cupcake.
- Let the cupcakes cool completely before filling and frosting.
Cannoli Frosting
- While the cupcakes are cooling, combine all of the ingredients for the frosting together in a medium bowl. Mix on medium speed with a hand mixer for 2 minutes until everything is well combined. Place the frosting in the fridge until ready for use.
Assembly
- When the cupcakes have cooled completely, remove part of the center of the cupcake using a large piping tip or a small spoon.
- Fill the inside of the cupcakes with approximately 1 Tablespoon of the raspberry preserves.
- Using a piping bag with a large open tip or a baking scoop, add the frosting to the top of the filled cupcakes.
- Garnish cupcakes with a fresh raspberries and a sprinkling of mini chocolate chips.
Notes
Substitutions and Variations
- Frosting - For a thicker frosting, strain the ricotta cheese in cheesecloth overnight to remove as much excess moisture as possible.
- Fruit - Try different types of preserves or jams in the filling for these cupcakes like blackberry, strawberry, blueberry, or even cherry.
- Boxed mix - Add ¼ teaspoon almond extract to the batter of a boxed mix.
Make Ahead and Storage Instructions
- Plain unfilled and unfrosted cupcakes will keep up to 4 days when stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
- Filled and frosted cupcakes will keep up to 2 days when stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
- Cannoli frosting can be made ahead of time and stored up to 2 days in the airtight container in the refrigerator.
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