Mascarpone frosting (VIDEO)

This silky mascarpone frosting is the perfect addition to your cupcakes or cakes. Pipes beautifully and unlike some other frostings, does not include tons of sugar so it is very well balanced in sweetness. Make this delicious, velvety-smooth frosting in less than 5 minutes using 3 simple ingredients.

Jump to:

• 💡 What is mascarpone frosting
• 🌟 Why this is the best recipe
• 📝 Ingredient notes
• 👩‍🍳 How to make this recipe
• 📚 Flavor variations
• 🥣 Equipment notes
• 🎓 Expert tips
• ❓Recipe FAQs
• 🍰 Recipes using mascarpone frosting
• 🧁 More frosting and filling recipes
• Mascarpone frosting (VIDEO)

💡 What is mascarpone frosting

Mascarpone frosting is basically a smooth, fluffy, whipped cake topping that is made of mascarpone cheese and a few other ingredients such as heavy cream and powdered sugar.

Mascarpone is a rich, velvety, spreadable Italian cream cheese made of heavy cream. It's milky and slightly sweet (sometimes slightly nutty too!) unlike cream cheese (eg. Philadephia) which is slightly savory. Since mascarpone is high in fat, you can use it to replace butter when making frosting.

How mascarpone frosting is used in baking

If you have had tiramisu before, you must remember the delicate taste and texture of mascarpone. Amazingly creamy and slightly sweet, the flavor of mascarpone frosting is a wonderful addition to various baked goods. If prepared correctly, mascarpone icing holds shape beautifully.

You can use this easy mascarpone frosting just the way you use regular frosting in baking. Pipe it on top of your cupcakes, use it as a filling or frosting on your cakes, or you can even make a super simple tiramisu cup dessert with it.

🌟 Why this is the best recipe

1. It's easy - You don't need to be a pro baker at all! Just follow this easy guide to get the wonderful mascarpone frosting!
2. It's quick - You can prepare this frosting in less than 5 minutes! You do not need to wait until the ingredients are at room temperature.
3. It has incredible flavor and texture - It yields a sweet and super creamy frosting! And the texture is amazingly smooth!
4. It's versatile! You can use this frosting to decorate various cakes! Also, you can get creative and modify the flavor of this mascarpone topping!
5. It doesn't need fancy baking tools - You will only need a digital kitchen scale to measure the ingredients and an electric hand mixer to whip up the mascarpone cream!

📝 Ingredient notes

This recipe doesn't need any butter! The 3 ingredients needed to make this recipe are:

1. Mascarpone: Use only high-fat mascarpone (minimum 41% of fat content). No need to bring it to room temperature. If mascarpone is not available for you, check my mascarpone substitute article which also has a homemade mascarpone recipe.
2. Chilled heavy cream: This recipe doesn't use butter. So, we need something to replace the fat of the butter so the frosting can hold a stable shape. The combination of mascarpone and heavy whipping cream can do that! Remember that the heavy cream needs to be high in fat (36%) and very cold.
3. Powdered sugar: We will need a small amount of powdered sugar or confectioners sugar! Some frosting recipes might require a lot of sugar. That's not the case for this recipe. Keep in mind that it's best to use fine, sifted powdered sugar to avoid any grainy textures. If you want to learn more about sugar, check out my sugar guide.
4. Vanilla bean paste: It's totally optional, but it can add an amazing flavor. You can get creative and replace this ingredient with another flavoring agent such as cinnamon or cocoa powder.

🛒 You’ll find detailed measurements for all Ingredients in the printable version of the Recipe Card at the bottom of this post

👩‍🍳 How to make this recipe

1. Best mascarpone to use

This no-butter frosting recipe requires mascarpone with a high amount of fat. Only use one with at least 41% fat content. Vermont Creamery Italian Style Cream Cheese Mascarpone is a good example. It has a good amount of fat and a wonderful pack of flavors.

Mascarpone Brand	Fat Content	Flavor Profile
BelGioioso (Mascarpone Cheese)	50%	buttery, slightly sweet
Vermont Creamery	43%	creamy, rich (with a subtle nutty flavor)
Galbani (Mascarpone Cheese)	40%	rich, buttery
Cello	39%	rich, slightly tart

2. Step-by-step preparation process

Making mascarpone frosting is super simple. Before you whip up the ingredients please make sure that the heavy cream is very cold and that you discharge any potential liquid (water) that is in the mascarpone package.

Follow this method to help you achieve the best result:

1. In the mixing bowl, add the mascarpone, heavy whipped cream, and SIFTED powdered sugar.
2. Whip them together using an electric mixer. Add the vanilla bean paste or another flavoring agent.
3. When it reaches a nice, pipeable consistency, stop the process right away. You don't want to overmix it. Overmixing can cause the frosting to curdle or get runny.
4. The lovely mascarpone frosting is ready. Scoop it into a piping bag and use it to decorate your favorite cake!

💡Top Tip:  The whipping process will take only about 2-3 minutes. During this time, watch the mixture carefully and do not overmix.

📚 Flavor variations

The default version of this frosting is amazing already! However, you can get creative and try to modify the flavor. Feel free to adjust the flavor and color of this frosting according to your need!

If you want to make a mascarpone cake filling, you can also adjust the flavor to the theme of the cake. For example, you can make coffee mascarpone frosting or lemon mascarpone frosting.

What flavoring can you add to this frosting? Here are some ideas:

• cocoa powder
• cinnamon powder
• pumpkin spice
• melted chocolate (very small amount at room temperature)
• coffee (very small amount at room temperature)
• strawberry reduction (very small amount at room temperature)
• mango puree (very small amount at room temperature)
• caramel (very small amount at room temperature)
• peanut butter
• maple syrup
• peppermint
• almond extract

If you decide to use powder-based flavoring agents such as cocoa powder, always sift it first to avoid any grains and start with a small amount. Always monitor the taste and color before adding more of it.

If you want to use gel-based flavoring agents such as caramel or strawberry reduction, start with 1 tablespoon during the whisking process. Monitor the flavor and consistency and slowly add more amount (if desired) but not too much as it can break the frosting.

If you want to use liquid-based flavoring agents, just add 1 teaspoon of it during the whisking process and check the frosting consistency.

💡Top Tip: If you want to use liquid flavoring agents, make sure that it's not warm as it can ruin the frosting consistency.

🥣 Equipment notes

This easy and quick frosting recipe doesn't need too many baking tools. In fact, you will only need two things: the digital kitchen scale and the electric hand mixer.

A digital kitchen scale is required to help you measure the ingredients precisely. In baking, using the right amount of ingredients is super important as it can affect the consistency and flavor. So, use the digital scale instead of the measuring cups to prepare the ingredients of this recipe.

The second thing that you need is the electric hand mixer. It's the tool to help you mix all of the ingredients and build a nice, fluffy frosting.

Is it a must to use a hand mixer or can you use a stand mixer? Well, if you only make a small amount of frosting, a hand mixer is highly recommended as opposed to a stand mixer. The reason behind this is that the frosting mixture is prone to separating due to overmixing. Using a stand mixer has a higher chance of overmixing, especially when you use the beater one. If you decide to use a stand mixer, use the whisk attachment, not the beater one. Also, keep a close eye on your frosting, and do not walk away during the whipping process.

🎓 Expert tips

1. This frosting recipe doesn't use butter. So, the mascarpone and heavy cream need to be very high in fat. Do not use the low-fat version as it can get the frosting thinner in consistency.
2. Sift the powdered sugar and the powdered-based flavoring (if you use one). This needs to be done to avoid any lumps or grains in your frosting.
3. Use an electric hand mixer instead of a stand mixer. If you want to use a stand mixer, use the whisk attachment instead of the beater attachment to avoid overmixing.
4. Avoid overmixing at all costs. Once your frosting looks nicely pipeable, stop the whisking process. Overmixing can get your frosting separated and runny.
5. You can get creative and add a flavoring agent to the mixture. Use a powdered-based version if possible and start with a small amount before gradually adding more of it. It's important to also avoid overmixing after adding the flavoring agent.

❓Recipe FAQs

🍰 Recipes using mascarpone frosting

🧁 More frosting and filling recipes