Italian Cannolli Cupcakes

♥♥ Intermediate

These cupcakes were a real treat around our house.  With my family being part Italian (my maiden name is Vivona, is there any question?) they were a real crowd pleaser.  The only tough thing with these is that you should only really make as many as you can eat in one sitting (or have fridge space for). But really, they make such a great dessert.  And they need to be eaten with a fork, so I can call it dessert!

Because they are filled with a riccotta cheese, they'll need to be refrigerated once they're made. 

What you'll need:

Vanilla Cupcakes: (Or you can use a Vanilla Cake Mix like this one)
Yields 24 Cupcakes

• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 large eggs
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 cup oil
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup sour cream

Chocolate Chip Cannolli Cream Filling:

• 16 ounces whole milk ricotta cheese
• 3/4 cup confectioners' sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup mini semisweet morsels

How it's done:

1. Preheat the oven to 350* and line the cupcake pans with liners.

2. Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl. Set aside.

3. In a mixing bowl fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the eggs and sugar until blended. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the oil and vanilla. Mix until well blended. Add the sour cream. Mix until just mixed in, not too long.

4. Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, and mix until just blended.

5. Fill the cupcake liners three-quarters full with batter and bake until baked through and golden brown, about 18 to 22 minutes. Let them cool completely on a wire rack.

For the Cannolli Filling:

1. In a mixing bowl fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the ricotta, confectioners' sugar, and vanilla on medium speed for about 5 minutes. Stir in the mini morsels.

To Assemble:

Using a small knife, cut on an angle directly into top of the vanilla cupcake in a circular pattern, staying within the perimeter of the top, removing the inside of the cupcake in one piece. Take all of the removed pieces of cupcake and crumble all together into a small bowl.

 

Using a piping bag (without a tip), fill the inside of the cupcake with Chocolate Chip Cannoli Cream. 

Top the filled cupcake hole with the crumbled cupcake fillings, and frost with a Classic Buttercream Frosting. Top with mini chocolate chips if desired!