Mega Twinkannoli

Submitted by Bianca

"Growing up with a mother from Italy and a father from the USA, I always had the unique opportunity to experience the best of both worlds. The Mega Twinkannoli is a mash-up of my two culture’s most popular desserts- big enough to share with the whole famiglia!"

 

• Ready In: 1hr
• Ingredients: 21
• Yields: 2 loaves
• Serves: 8

ingredients

• Cannoli Cream

• 8 ounces fresh ricotta, strained overnight
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1 teaspoon orange zest
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• 1⁄2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1⁄4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1⁄2 cup powdered sugar, sifted
• 1⁄2 cup mini chocolate chip

• Cake

• 1⁄2 cup cake flour
• 1⁄4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1⁄4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1⁄4 teaspoon salt
• 1⁄4 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• 1 teaspoon orange zest
• 12 tablespoons unbleached granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons whole milk
• 4 tablespoons melted unsalted butter
• 1⁄2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 5 large eggs, room temperature

directions

1. Strain the ricotta over a bowl with a fine mesh sieve lined with cheesecloth. Place in fridge overnight.
2. Remove the ricotta from the fridge and & place in a food processor with blade attachment. Pulse in a food processor until the cheese is smooth.
3. In a standing mixer fitted with whisk attachment, whisk ½ cup whipping cream on high until stiff peaks form. Transfer to bowl and set aside.
4. Add ricotta to standing mixer fitted with whisk attachment (no need to clean out bowl or whisk for this step) add both zests, vanilla, cinnamon and ½ cup of powdered sugar until combined. Fold in the chocolate chips.
5. Gently fold in the cream into the cheese mixture, careful to not collapse the cream. Place in fridge for about 1 hour.
6. Refrigerate for 2 hours before filling cakes.
7. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Set oven rack to middle position.
8. Spray two (9”L 3.5”W 2”D) loaf pans with cooking spray and dust with flour. Set aside.
9. In a medium bowl, whisk the all-purpose flour, cake flour baking powder, cinnamon, salt, cream of tartar and set aside.
10. In a small pan, heat the milk and butter on low until the butter is melted. Remove the pan from the stove and whisk in the vanilla, orange zest and lemon zest.
11. Separate the egg whites and yolks.
12. In a standing mixer with a fitted whisk, beat the whites on high speed until the mixture becomes foamy.
13. Gradually add the cream of tartar, and 6 tablespoons of sugar. Continue to beat until soft peaks form.
14. Remove whites from bowl of standing mixer and set aside. In the mixer bowl, combine the egg yolks and 6 tablespoons of sugar. Beat on medium high until mixture is a light yellow color and thick. Combine whites to the yolks but do not mix.
15. Sprinkle the dry mixture over the egg whites. Mix on low for about 10 seconds, or until blended. Do not over mix- this will deflate the eggs.
16. Create a well in the center of the batter and add the melted butter mixture. With a rubber spatula, fold gently until thoroughly combined.
17. Fill the two loaf pans about ¾ of the way high and place the loaves on a sheet pan and bake for 25-30 minutes, rotating halfway, until the tops are golden and after inserting a toothpick comes out clean of crumbs or batter. Let cool completely.
18. Once cool, remove the cakes from the pans. With bottom side down, create 4-6 puncture marks on the topside of the cake along the center with a rounded piping tip. Be sure to create space in the cakes for the filling.
19. With a pastry bag fitted with a rounded tip, fill the cakes with the ricotta mixture until a bit billows out. After filling the cakes, flip them upside down to resemble authentic twinkies.
20. Slice and serve!