Mascarpone Cream
Mascarpone is essentially cooked cream, so it behaves like very soft butter: stir it too hard and the fat separates into grains. The discipline is simple — both dairies straight from the fridge, a mixer on medium, and no more than two minutes in total. It is far easier to overwork mascarpone than to underwork it.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Rest
- 30 min
- Total
- 45 min
- Servings
- 12
- Level
- Easy
- Per serving
- 320 kcal
Ingredients
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What to use instead
Swap half the mascarpone for thick cream cheese: slightly tangier and noticeably steadier in a warm room.
Makes: about 800 g — enough for a 22 cm cake with 3 layers, or tiramisu for 12
Shopping list
The ingredients for the servings you chose — copy them or send them to a messenger. Tick what you already have at home: only the rest goes on the list.
Method
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Step 1: Match the temperatures
Take the mascarpone and cream out of the fridge together. Warm cheese meeting cold cream sets into grains that never smooth out.
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Step 2: Whip the cream
Whip the cream with half the icing sugar to soft peaks, about 2 minutes on medium speed.
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Step 3: Loosen the mascarpone
In a second bowl, work the mascarpone smooth with a spatula along with the remaining sugar, vanilla and salt. No mixer needed.
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Step 4: Combine carefully
Stir a third of the whipped cream briskly into the mascarpone to lighten it, then fold in the rest with a spatula, bottom to top.
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Step 5: Check the body
The finished cream holds a clear spoon mark and stays put on a spatula turned upright.
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Step 6: Chill
Give it 30 minutes in the fridge before assembling. It firms up and sits in clean, defined layers.
Tips & variations
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Tip
If it turns grainy, blitz a small portion with a stick blender and fold it back in. More beating only makes it worse.
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Variation
For classic tiramisu, replace part of the cream with egg yolks beaten with sugar over a water bath to 70 °C. Richer and more custardy.
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Swap
Swap half the mascarpone for thick cream cheese: slightly tangier and noticeably steadier in a warm room.
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Storage
Two days in the fridge. Do not freeze — mascarpone separates once thawed.
Nutrition
| 1 serving | Whole dish 12 servings | |
|---|---|---|
| Energy | 320 kcal | 3,840 kcal |
| Protein | 5 g | 60 g |
| Fat | 30 g | 360 g |
| Carbohydrates | 10 g | 120 g |
Approximate values calculated from standard ingredient data.
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