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This easy Mascarpone Whipped Cream is a thick, stabilized whipped cream made with mascarpone cheese, heavy cream and powdered sugar. Sweetened with vanilla or a citrus zest, this is the perfect whipped cream frosting for cupcakes, cakes and even tiramisu.
I can’t remember the first time I made mascarpone whipped cream, I just remember that I instantly fell in love with it.
It’s subtle flavor and creamy texture really bring to life the other flavors in your dessert because they don’t over power the dessert. My favorite way to enjoy it is with berries.
Mascarpone whipped cream is often referred to as stabilized whipped cream because it’s thicker and well, just more stable than whipped cream meaning it holds it shape much better. Another way to make stabilized whipped cream is by using powdered gelatin.
This mascarpone whipped cream makes a great frosting for cakes and cupcakes and is perfect for desserts like Tiramisu. But honestly, I’ve been known to just eat it with a spoon because it’s so dang good.
When making mascarpone whipped cream, we’re using a combination of mascarpone cheese, heavy whipping cream and powdered sugar for increased stabilization.
The powdered sugar will definitely add a bit of a sweet flavor to your whipped cream, which you may or may not like as much. Personally, I prefer it to be sweeter and that may be because I used powdered sugar in all my whipped cream recipes, so that is the way I am used to having it.
You may also enjoy adding a touch of vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste to your mascarpone whipped cream. Another way I like to flavor it is by adding some lemon or orange zest.
I even made a cinnamon honey flavored mascarpone whipped cream for this pumpkin cake that I made. It was freaking delicious!
You don’t need to get fancy with it, it’s perfectly amazing with some fruit and vanilla cupcakes, but scroll down to the end of this post for more recipe inspiration using mascarpone whipped cream.
How to make mascarpone whipped cream
- Starting with a cold bowl helps to keep the cream cold as it’s whipped. Place the mixing bowl and whisk attachment in the freezer for 5 to 10 minutes to chill.
- Spoon the COLD mascarpone whipped cream into your bowl and beat on a medium-low speed (speed 3 on your stand mixer). Slowly pour in the heavy cream, allowing the mascarpone cheese to turn to a liquid consistency.
- Once that happens, increase the mixing speed to high (speed 8-10) and beat it until soft peaks form.
- Then add your powdered sugar and vanilla extract, beating on low until incorporated. Then continue beating at a high speed until stiff peaks form.
- Keep your mascarpone whipped cream refrigerated, as well as any desserts that you added this too. If kept in the fridge in your bowl for too long, you may need to rewhip it, adding additional powdered sugar to re-thicken. I prefer to use it right away.
What is Mascarpone cheese?
Mascarpone is an Italian cream resembling a softer cream cheese. It has a light tangy flavor and is much less subtle tasting than a traditional cream cheese. Its creamier texture is due to the higher fat content than cream cheese.
Can I substitute cream cheese for Mascarpone?
Yes, my recommendation would be to substitute a regular full-fat cream cheese. The taste will not be quite as subtle.
What brand of Mascarpone cheese do you use?
In my humble opinion, not all brands of mascarpone are created equally. I’ve purchased a variety of brands, and some have had a waterier consistency than others. The ones that are more watery do not tend to produce as stiff a texture I am looking for with a whipped cream.
My preferred brands are BelGioioso and Vermont Creamery.
Where do I find mascarpone cheese?
You can find it in the deli section of your grocery stores, usually near the hummus and other fancy cheeses.
I have found that Whole Foods tends to actually have decently priced options for mascarpone cheese as well.
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Mascarpone Whipped Cream
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 4 cups
Print Recipe
Pin RecipeDescription
Mascarpone Whipped Cream is a thick, more stable whipped cream made with mascarpone cheese, heavy cream and powdered sugar. Sweetened with vanilla or a citrus zest, this is the perfect topping for cupcakes, cakes and even tiramisu.
Ingredients
For 12-18 cupcakes:
- 8 ounces mascarpone cheese, cold
- 1 1/4 cup (296 ml) heavy whipping cream
- ½ cup (65 g) powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon (2.5 ml) vanilla extract
For a 3 layer cakes (makes approximately 4 cups)
- 16 ounces mascarpone cheese, cold
- 2 ½ cup (592ml) heavy whipping cream
- 1 ¼ cup (163g) powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon (5ml) vanilla extract
Instructions
- Place the mixing bowl and whisk attachment in the freezer for 5 to 10 minutes to chill.
- Spoon the COLD mascarpone whipped cream into your bowl and beat on a medium-low speed (speed 3 on your stand mixer). Slowly pour in the heavy cream, allowing the mascarpone cheese to turn to a liquid consistency.
- Then increase the mixing speed to high (speed 8-10) and beat it until soft peaks form.
- Next, add the powdered sugar and vanilla extract, beating on low until sugar is incorporated. Then continue beating at a high speed until stiff peaks form.
Notes
- This is best prepared and used right away. I don’t recommend preparing in advance.
- If kept in the fridge in your bowl for too long, you may need to rewhip it, adding additional powdered sugar to re-thicken.
- Keep your mascarpone whipped cream refrigerated, as well as any desserts that you added this too.
- Great to flavor with citrus zests or extracts
- My preferred brands are BelGioioso and Vermont Creamery, I find they produce the best results
- Category: Frosting
- Method: Mixed
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: Mascarpone frosting, cake frosting recipe, easy frosting recipe, cream cheese frosting recipe, whipped cream frosting, whipped cream recipe,
Recipes using Mascarpone Whipped Cream
Lemon Blueberry Mascarpone Layer Cake
This is absolutely the best frosting ever! Very easy to make and tastes amazing. I used it to frost a birthday cake for my granddaughter. I like the fact that it not super sweet like a buttercreme and holds up well for piping. This will be my new “go to” frosting!
★★★★★
Awesome Ro! Thank you so much for sharing this feedback!
Can I fold this in to cheesecake batter to make it more rich and creamy?
Hi Noche, for a no-bake cheesecake some recipes you can use mascarpone instead of cream cheese.
Hello! This recipe looks fantastic! I have two questions –
1) Would it be alright to halve the cupcakes version? I only need a little to decorate a pie, but I’m sure the full recipe will be too much.
2) Would it be better to make this earlier in the day and then decorate closer to show time, or can I make, decorate, and chill the pie to be enjoyed later?
Thank you in advance!
Hi Isabelle, yes for a pie, I would halve the cupcake version. It is best to make, decorate, and chill the pie all in one step.
Frosting was too die for melt in your mouth luscious
★★★★★
Thank you Cindy!
Thank you! I must be doing something wrong as I tried it twice and it all turns into water with grainy lumps of mascarpone. Any ideas why? Thank you so much.
★★★★★
First I’d try making sure that you are slowly adding the heavy cream and scraping down the sides of the bowl to prevent lumps. It could be the type of mascarpone you’re using if it’s more watery. Or you may not be mixing it for long enough, are you getting the stiff peaks and then it turns watery? You can also try adding more powdered sugar
Any idea if I would be able to freeze any leftover frosting? Going to try a batch of this later in the week for you lemon and blueberry cake 🤤
Hi Adam, I am sure it will freeze fine but I’d be concerned that when thawed, it would wilt/melt.
I made her mascarpone whipped cream with her delicious vanilla cup cakes! It was delicious and not overly sweet, super moist! My son even asked if it was a tres leches cupcake because of how milky flavorful it was and not dry at all! Her recipes are easy to follow so if you’re new to baking you won’t go wrong! I can’t wait to try making her chocolate cup cakes with Oreo frosting!! 🤗
★★★★★
Thank you so so much Cristine! I am so glad to hear this!
May never make plain whipped cream again! I substituted in 2 T. strawberry cream cheese for for part of the marscapone and blended in 3 diced large fresh strawberries. Wow, a nice subtle fruity flavor! Served over Ga’teau au Chocolat (which my husband says is French for fancy brownie!).
★★★★★
OMG YUM!!!! That sounds amazing- and I totally agree with you this is SO much better than everyday whipped cream!
Is the mascarpone whip cream frosting dense enough to make a three tiered 1st birthday cake? This would also include rosettes and lots of decorations on the sides made of the same frosting with a little bit of food coloring to add some color.
Anything frosted with this cake does have to stay refrigerated, but it’s still a whipped cream frosting and therefore less stable than buttercream. You’ll still need to dowel the cake for stability. I have some cakes using this frosting with some piping but again, they are much less stiff. I recommend you test it out on a single layer to see if it fits your needs.
This was great! You answered a nagging question i had, gave me some new(!!!?!) recipes to try, and gave me a giggle! I really loved that all-frosting cupcake at the end. First time at your site, but not the last. Thanks!
That’s great, thank you!
really liked the reci[ie thanks for sharing