Whipped Mascarpone Frosting
Thick, silky, and deliciously light mascarpone frosting that's perfect for filling and stacking layer cakes, using as frosting, and piping onto cupcakes. It has the consistency of stabilized whipped cream frosting with rich, complex notes of mascarpone cheese and isn't too sweet!
Servings 3 Cups
Ingredients
- 1 Cup (8oz, 227g) mascarpone cheese*, cold see notes for substitutes
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 1 Cup (240ml) heavy whipping cream, cold
- 2 1/4 Cups (270g) powdered sugar
Instructions
- Make the frosting right before you're ready to use it (otherwise it may lose air and become softer if stored for too long). Place the bowl of your stand mixer (or other large metal bowl if using a hand mixer) into the refrigerator for about 20 minutes to chill before starting the recipe.
- Using the whisk attachment on your stand mixer or a hand mixer, beat the mascarpone, vanilla, and salt together in the chilled bowl at medium speed until creamy, about 1-2 minutes.
- Turn the mixer to low speed and add the heavy whipping cream slowly, then turn the mixer to medium-high speed and beat until soft peaks form. You should be able to dip a spatula into the mixture and a peak forms but slightly droops when you hold the spatula upright. This could take less than 1 minute, so keep a close eye on your mixer! If it looks curdled at this point, it means you've over-whipped. See the troubleshooting tip in the notes section below for the fix!
- Once you've reached soft peaks, add the powdered sugar all at once and mix on low speed until incorporated, then turn the mixer to medium-high speed and whip for about 30 seconds longer, until the frosting is thick and silky. Use right away for the thickest consistency and best results, especially if you're piping with it! Otherwise, you can store this frosting in the refrigerator for up to 2 days in an airtight container, but it may lose some air and deflate a little in the storage process.
Notes
*Mascarpone Cheese: if you can't easily find mascarpone cheese, you can substitute it for an equal amount of full-fat brick-style cream cheese or use the stabilized whipped cream frosting from this recipe.
Frosting Troubleshooting: If your frosting starts to look curdled or split, it means you have accidentally over-whipped it. To fix it, mix the frosting on low speed while you slowly add 1-2 tablespoons of cold heavy whipping cream and mix until smooth and silky.
To Make it Ahead: For best results, use this whipped mascarpone frosting right after making it, as it will be the most aerated and easy to work with. You can technically store it in the refrigerator for 1-2 days in an airtight container, but it may lose some air in the storage process and become softer/less stable for piping. If this is the case, you can try re-whipping with the whisk attachment on your stand mixer for 30 seconds to 1 minute to incorporate some air back in.
Yield: This recipe makes enough to:
- Fill and frost a 3-layer 6-inch cake or 2-layer 8-inch cake with a semi-naked finish.
- Pipe a swirl onto 20-30 cupcakes