Siciliana Coffee Canoli Cake Recipe

This is a very tasty dessert made with coffee ingredients.  Using premium ingredients will make for a better tasting canoli.  This is one dessert that you should NOT use cheap or frugel ingredients.

Ingredients
1/4 cup of milk
2 tablespoons, plus 2 teaspoons butter
8 eggs
2 cups, plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups fresh ricotta cheese
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
3 tablespoons rum
3 tablespoons candied lemon peels, finely chopped
3 tablespoons candied orange peels, finely chopped
4 tablespoons chopped pistachio nuts
1/4 cup heavy cream, whipped until stiff
1/4 cup Grand Marnier or Cointreau, or other orange liqueur
1 1/2 cups sweetened whipped cream
3 cups semisweet chocolate, cut into pieces
1/2 cup cold espresso coffee
1/2 pound cold butter, cut into cubes

Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
In a small saucepan, heat the milk and 2 tablespoons of butter together. Using an
electric mixer fitted with a wire whip, combine the eggs and sugar together.
Beat on medium-high speed for about 8 minutes, or until the mixture is pale
yellow, thick and has tripled in volume.
With the machine running, slowly add the heated milk and butter.
In a mixing bowl, sift the flour, baking powder and salt together. Fold the flour
mixture into the egg mixture and mix thoroughly, so that there are no lumps
and the mixture is smooth. Fold in the vanilla.
Grease a half sheet pan (13-by-18-by-1-inch pan) with 2 teaspoons of butter.
Sprinkle with a tablespoon of sugar. Pour the cake batter into the pan and bake
for about 25 minutes, or until the cakes spring back when touched. Cool for about
2 minutes.
Using a thin knife, loosen the edges of the cake and flip onto a wire rack.

In a mixing bowl, whisk the cheese, sugar, vanilla and 2 tablespoons rum. Mix
well. Add 2 tablespoons each of the candied citrus and 2 tablespoons of the nuts.
Mix well. Fold the whipped cream into the mixture. Mix well.
Cut the cake lengthwise into 4 equal pieces. Trim the edges of the cake to fit a 10-
inch loaf pan.

Brush the tops of each cake with the orange liqueur. Line the bottom of the loaf
pan with parchment paper. Place one piece of the cake on the bottom of the pan.
Spread 1/3 of the cheese filling evenly over the piece of cake. Repeat the layering
with the remaining cake and cheese filling. Cover with plastic wrap and
refrigerate for 2 hours.
Remove from the refrigerator and unmold the cake. Place the cake on a wire
rack with a sheet pan underneath. Spread the top and sides of the cake with the
sweetened whipped cream. Place the cake in the refrigerator and chill for 1 hour.
In a saucepan, over medium heat, add the chocolate and coffee. Stir until the
chocolate is melted. Stir in the half pound of butter and remaining tablespoon of
rum. Mix well. Cool the mixture until it is spread able.
Pour the chocolate frosting over the entire cake. Place the cake back in the
refrigerator and chill for 2 hours, until the cake sets.
Remove the cake from the refrigerator. Using a long spatula, carefully lift the
cake from the rack and place on a serving plate.
Garnish with a sprinkle of the remaining nuts and candied citrus. Slice and
serve.

Yield: 10 servings