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Mascarpone Frosting made with mascarpone, heavy cream, confectioners’ sugar, and almond and vanilla extracts is a lusciously smooth creamy frosting.
It is stable and holds its shape at room temperature and remains soft when refrigerated. It is a very delicate frosting, however, and works best as a cupcake topper as it will not provide structure to stacked cakes. Similar in look but very different in taste when compared to Cream Cheese Frosting or Italian Buttercream Frosting.
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Mascarpone frosting is my new favorite frosting. This heavenly frosting has changed me forever.
You see, this frosting is light and fluffy and smooth. It’s everything you want a frosting to be. This frosting can be shaped and spread however you like and will, too, hold it’s shape.
I thought it would harden or change when refrigerated. Nope! We had extra after frosting our lemon cupcakes so I stored the leftover frosting in the refrigerator. I ended up eating it on a graham cracker and it was downright heavenly. Don’t judge me! In fact, I might just make an ice box cake out of it this coming summer!
This frosting would go perfectly with any cake or cupcake. I can’t wait to top my heavenly homemade chocolate cupcakes with it!
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What is mascarpone?
I have a friend who helps me cook. When I told her we were making mascarpone frosting, she asked “what’s that?”.
Mascarpone is an Italian cream cheese. This is definitely not to be mistaken by our American cream cheese. They are quite different.
Mascarpone cheese is made from cow’s milk. It is off-white in color and is spreadable. If you’ve ever enjoyed tiramisu, it was most likely made with it. I also use it in my cannoli filling with mascarpone. I love spreading it on raisin toast. It melts like a cross between whipped cream and butter, but isn’t exactly like either.
Mascarpone can be used in a wide variety of ways including desserts like cheesecake or adding richness to a risotto.
Now that I’ve used it in frosting, I swear it will be my favorite frosting recipe to make from here on out.
Is there a substitute?
In my opinion, no. Nothing is quite like rich and creamy mascarpone. If a recipe calls for mascarpone, I won’t try to substitute.
That’s not to say it’s not possible.
If you’re really in a pickle and are right in the middle of making a recipe that calls for mascarpone, and you just realized you either ran out or it went bad, there is a way to cheat.
The work around is to combine a brick, or eight ounces, of softened cream cheese with a quarter cup heavy cream and two tablespoons sour cream. The cream cheese and sour cream must be full fat. Actually, don’t break my heart and use low or nonfat anything. Gross.
Does it taste just like mascarpone? Not exactly, but it’s close enough if you need a quick substitute.
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Equipment
Ingredients
- 8 ounces mascarpone cheese chilled, I used Trader Joe's brand, results may vary with other brands
- 1 cup confectioners sugar
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream chilled
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- RECIPE TIP: For best results, chill the mixing bowl in the freezer prior to making the recipe. Also, ensure both mascarpone and heavy cream remain refrigerated right up until the time you start mixing.
- Place the mascarpone in the bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment and start beating on medium speed. While beating, add the almond extract and vanilla followed by the confectioners sugar. Scrape sides and continue beating until light and fluffy. DO NOT OVERMIX as it will cause the frosting to curdle.
- With the mixer running on high speed, slowly add the whipping cream until the frosting becomes light and fluffy, about 1-3 minutes. DO NOT OVERMIX as it will cause the frosting to curdle.
- Spread onto cake or cupcakes. This frosting also holds its shape incredibly well, so it’s easy to pipe on using a decorating set. Makes enough to frost 24 cupcakes or two 9-inch rounds.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
How do I make the icing thicker? It seems runny. I added powdered sugar but I am still running into the same problem.
If the ingredients are chilled, they should have an easier time thickening.
Maybe this works for squirting out of a pastry bag on top of a cupcake. It doesn’t work to ice a cake. It curdled even though I made it without an electric mixer. It never sets up even when placed in the freezer. So there’s no hope of making a crumb coat. Using it as a filling is also a problem as it is so soft, without adding any cream, that it squishes out. And mascarpone is about $4. I had to scrape it off my cake into the trash and start over with something else! I wish you had been clear up-front about this as I struggled most of the afternoon to try to make this thing work.
I’m very sorry this recipe didn’t work for you. It has always worked for me, but I know based on the comments I get that there are a lot of mixed reviews. Were you able to use Trader Joe’s mascarpone? I did update the recipe card and the top of the post to indicate that it is a very delicate frosting and is best used as a cupcake or a cake topper and not for stacked cakes as it does not provide structure like a true buttercream.
OK, so this is DEFINITELY a “trust the process” recipe … after adding the marscapone, extracts and vanilla, I thought it was too liquid-y and had definitely considered adding more sugar (especially with the addition of the heavy cream)… however, I trusted the process and followed the recipe exactly as written, and the end result was WONDERFULLY amazing – light, fresh and delicious. I find it more similar to a firm whipped cream than a traditional buttercream, but it will absolutely be added to the regular rotation.
Best comment ever. I think I should add what you wrote to the post because it’s super helpful. Glad you enjoyed it!
Absolutely wonderful
I doubled the recipe and used 1/2 mascapone + 1/2 ricotta and used some unflavored gelatin at the end of the whipped cream step. Used for a raspberry chocolate chip cannoli cheesecake
Delish and nice to work with for piping. Held shape well
The gelatin is a great recommendation! I use it to make stabilized whipped cream and it definitely makes it more sturdy without effecting the taste or texture.
This is the best frosting I’ve ever tasted <3 I’ve made it a couple times now and really complements any cake flavors my personal favorite so far would be with a spiced carrot cake
love this recipe!
do you have a recipe for chocolate mascarpone?
I don’t… sorry!
Can I melt this and color it to make a swirl tye dye? If not can I use white chocolate ganache on top of this or will it melt?
This frosting is very light and delicate. Any kind of heat will likely ruin it. Same with any kind of weight, so I would avoid covering it with ganache. The only thing you could do would be to add a bit of gel coloring.
I made this last night and this recipe is wonderful! Thank you!
This sounds really yummy and I can’t wait to try it!
I have not made this recipe, as I do not have a stand mixer. I’m wondering if I could make it with a hand held mixer. Any thoughts on this?
Thanks, Deb
Absolutely!
Hi there, I would like to use this recipe on a Wedding cake, the cake will be a rustic naked cake with real flowers, the Wedding will be out doors in September, do you think this would hold up in warm weather.
Thankyou in advance.
I think it would taste and look amazing on a naked cake like that, but I’m not confident it would hold up in warm weather. I would definitely try a trial run before hand to see how it does.