Mascarpone Frosting

Mascarpone Frosting is a great way to elevate your favorite cinnamon rolls, cupcakes, cakes, crepes, cookies, and anything else that calls for delicious icing.

Here are some incredibly delicious desserts to use mascarpone frosting on. Homemade Cinnamon Rolls, Orange Strawberry Cupcakes, Red Velvet Cupcakes,  Lemon Pound Cake Loaf, and Red Velvet Crepes.

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• Latest Recipe Video:
• Key Ingredients
• How To Make Mascarpone Frosting Recipe
• How To Store Mascarpone Frosting
• Pro Recipe Substitutions, Tips & Tricks
• FAQs
• More Dessert Recipes
• Before You Begin
• 📖 Recipe

Regardless if you're looking for a mascarpone icing or frosting recipe. This is the only one you'll need. This 5-ingredient recipe will take 15 minutes if you remember to take the mascarpone cheese and butter out of the refrigerator early enough to get to room temperature.

Everybody always runs to cream cheese frosting for cake layers, cinnamon rolls, or dipping sauces for fresh fruit. However, once you try mascarpone, you'll realize you've been missing out on greatness.

Most of us only know of this Italian cream cheese from eating Tiramisù; you can use mascarpone cheese anywhere you use traditional cream cheese.

You can find it in the specialty cheese section of the grocery store; you know, the same place you find gouda or whole mozzarella. Now that you know where to find it, let me teach you how to make something simple and memorable with it.

Key Ingredients

Here are the stars of this easy mascarpone frosting.

Mascarpone Cream Cheese

The slightly tangy flavor separates this Italian cream cheese from a traditional cream cheese frosting.

Powdered Sugar (Confectioners sugar)

Occasionally, I use sifted powdered sugar to ensure no lumps in my icing or frostings, but I skipped that step here. However, if you're using an older opened bag of powdered sugar, sift it to remove any sugar lumps.

Unsalted Butter

This will create a stable frosting that can be spread over various ingredients.

Vanilla Extract

A little vanilla extract wakes up and balances out a frosting recipe that could be overly sweet.

How To Make Mascarpone Frosting Recipe

It’s effortless to make a mascarpone frosting in a matter of minutes. The most important thing to remember is to let your mascarpone and butter be softened to room temperature. This will make it super easy to make.

Add the mascarpone, powdered sugar, butter, vanilla extract, and salt in a medium bowl. Mix on medium speed with a hand mixer until smooth. Icing should be thick enough to spread. You can also do this in a stand mixer with a paddle or whisk attachment.

Mascarpone Whipped Cream Frosting:

Use the same steps above, but add ½ - 1 cup of heavy whipping cream to the frosting to make it as light and fluffy as you like for your whipped mascarpone frosting.

How To Store Mascarpone Frosting

Mascarpone frosting can be made one day in advance and kept in an airtight container. It can be stored for 1 month in the refrigerator. 

Pro Recipe Substitutions, Tips & Tricks

Here are some of my top tips and tricks to help you make the best mascarpone icing.

• Add ½ cup of cold mascarpone cheese to some 1 cup cold heavy cream and beat until stiff peaks form to make a yummy mascarpone whipped cream. This is great for strawberry shortcake!
• Cut open one vanilla bean, scrape the seeds out, and add it to your mascarpone frosting for more flavor. 1 teaspoon of vanilla bean paste will work great, too.
• Add the zest of 1 medium lemon for lemon mascarpone frosting.
• Melt 2 oz. of chocolate and add it to your mascarpone for a chocolate mascarpone frosting.
• Feel free to use salted butter instead of unsalted; omit the added salt.
• If you're using an older opened bag of powdered sugar, sift it to remove any sugar lumps.
• If you forget to take your mascarpone out, add it to a bowl and cover it with warm water for 5 minutes. Be sure that the cheese is not opened.
• Slice the butter into tablespoons, and keep in the butter paper while you measure your ingredients if you forget to take it out. You can also soften it by popping it in the microwave for 15-20 seconds on 40% power.

FAQs

Here are the top questions people have about making homemade mascarpone frosting.

What is mascarpone frosting made of?

Mascarpone frosting is made with mascarpone cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and butter for a light and fluffy frosting. You can also use heavy cream to make a mascarpone whipped cream frosting.

Can you substitute mascarpone for cream cheese in frosting?

Cream cheese is classic, but adding mascarpone is a great way to add more flavor. Mascarpone cheese is creamier and richer than cream cheese and can be swapped for cream cheese in any recipe.

If you want a similar salty and tangy flavor of some cream cheese, add a pinch of kosher salt or a teaspoon of lemon juice to balance it out.

Is mascarpone or cream cheese better for frosting?

If you want a richer and creamier frosting or icing, use mascarpone instead of cream cheese for your cake frosting.

Is mascarpone cheese just cream cheese?

Italian cream cheese is mascarpone cheese, except it uses whole cream instead of milk to produce the cream cheese. However, just like cream cheese, it's a fresh, unaged cheese.

Can you overwhip mascarpone?

If you overwip your mascarpone frosting by noticing its grainy texture, add 1 or 2 tablespoons of heavy cream to smooth it out. Whip mascarpone on medium speed should only take 1-2 minutes.

How long can mascarpone frosting sit out?

If you want to keep the mascarpone icing out on the counter, store it in an airtight container in a cool room away from direct sunlight. This tip is handy when frosting a whole cake for an event or party. Just remember, after about 4-5 hours, the frosting might start to melt.

How do you fix over-beaten mascarpone frosting?

If you find your mascarpone frosting runny, it could be from being over-mixed. To fix this, let the mixture come to room temperature, then use a stand or hand mixer to whip it back together on a low speed until it's smooth and spreadable.

More Dessert Recipes

Here are a few recipes to satisfy your sweet tooth.

• Chocolate Cinnamon Rolls
• Sweet Potato Cinnamon Rolls
• Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies
• New Orleans Beignets
• New Orleans Bread Pudding with Bourbon Sauce
• Fried Peach Pies
• Lemon Cupcakes

Before You Begin

Here are my steps to stay efficient in the kitchen.

Step 1: Read the recipe one full time before you start pulling the ingredients.

Step 2: Put everything measured into individual bowls.

Step 3: Start following the recipe and get ready for some incredible mascarpone frosting!

Making mascarpone frosting is a delightful experience that adds an exquisite touch to your desserts. Its creamy texture and rich flavor elevate any sweet treat to a higher level of indulgence. I can't wait for you to try it out on your favorite dessert!

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