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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.
I just finished making this frosting. Oh my goodness is it delicious and.It came out perfectly. I can hardly wait to decorate my cake. Hoping it colors well. My 6 year old granddaughter wants this cake for your dollies birthday. Yes, I am that kind of Grandma.
Hi Lynn, glad it worked so well for you! I’ve never colored it and would love to know how well that worked? Thanks! Krissy
This is the BEST FROSTING I have ever had. Have you ever made a chocolate version? And if so what was the recipe? Does adding food color to this affect it at all ?
Hi Donna, My site is seriously lacking a chocolate frosting! I’ll be making one this year for sure! I haven’t tried coloring this frosting. I’m so glad you liked it!
Hello,
Is there a secret to not overmixing? Last week I did a mascarpone&cream filling but it curdled, so I wonder if there is a particular time of mixing you should not exceed or maybe something that would warn you when to stop… Thanks!
Hi Diana, I just stop when it’s light and fluffy enough to spread. The trick is to stop if you aren’t sure and check it. You can always add more mixing but can’t undo over mixing!
Honestly the best frosting I have ever made and tasted it was truly to die for lol. I followed the recipe and it turned out perfect. I used it to frost a two layer Almond cake i made and they paired together like they were made for eachother. Thank you for this new favorite and it was super easy since i love making homeade whipped cream i knew when to stop wisking I’ve curned a lot of whipped cream in the past so thankfully I didnt mess this delicious frosting up. Im a big cream cheese frosting fan but this may push that to second place !
Thank you so much for leaving this fabulous comment! I’ve had so many people that haven’t been able to get this frosting to work… I was starting to really question my sanity because when I made it I thought it was the best frosting I had ever had! Much appreciated!!!
Seriously my daughters and husband loved it my 3 and 4 year old were fighting over the spoon and bowl wanting to lick it clean which i dont blame them i could eat it with a spoon and i think maybe the hot weather could affect its turn out but also sometimes we have so many things going on we dont pay attention to how long we are wisking or how many eggs we cracked with two toddlers i have had to recount my egg shells in the trash plenty of times your recipe is perfect as long as you pay attention and stop and check to make sure you have peaks sooner rather than later you can always whip it more if its not thick enough but hard to save it when its over whipped but im sure it would still taste amazing next time im going to double it so i can try to do some piping and have extra for a midnight snack love the icebox idea i may make this in icebox form for thanksgiving just have to think of something to add with the frosting and gramcrackers maybe somefruit or nuts so many options but you are a frosting genius dont doubt your amazing concoction
Thank you so much and I’m glad it worked for you! I need to make a video of this recipe to show how it’s done because there are quite a few people who have issues making it. So glad you liked it!
Hi!
I’m looking for a way to make an Ube buttercream anand I had a brief thought that I could combine Ube jam into this amazing looking mascarpone buttercream. What are your thoughts? I think consistency of the buttercream will definitelychange, but hopefully not so much it wont hold its shape.??
,
Hi Rachel, I have never heard of an Ube jam. I think small amounts of any kind of jam would work really well with this frosting. If you try it, please let me know!
I have not seen the marcapone in the store. Where do you purchase it?
I always get it at Trader Joe’s. Do you have them in your area?
This looks delicious! If I fill and frost a cake with it, will the cake keep in the fridge for a couple of days before needed?
Hi Dana, Sorry for the late reply! Although this frosting keeps well in the refrigerator, I don’t think I would frost a cake with this until we were going to eat it. It’s not as firm and stable as, say, an Italian buttercream like this one: https://selfproclaimedfoodie.com/perfect-buttercream-frosting/
I actually didn’t use any extract and i LOVED the way this turned out! The mascarpone flavor really came through 🙂 This was the easiest tasty buttercream I’ve ever made – I’m sold. Thank you!
Hello! Can i use this frosting for a birthday cake? And if yes please can you suggest me a recipe cake?
I’m so sorry for such a late reply! Yes, you can! It’s not a firm frosting, though, so it would be better on top and on the sides than inbetween layers. It would be great on this: https://selfproclaimedfoodie.com/layered-pumpkin-cake/
Thank you for the recipe. I had to remake it after the first go, because I whipped it so much it turned to butter. That’s okay, though. I squeezed out all the liquid and used the butter on my toast the next morning! 🙂 The second time I made it, I reduced the sugar to 3/4 cup and only mixed it right up to the point of being smooth. It tasted great… like a slightly different version of whipping cream. I frosted a chocolate cake with it, and left it out on the counter. Today is the third day and there are brown spots forming in the frosting. Next time I’ll refrigerate it since it stays soft.