This delicious mascarpone whipped cream recipe uses 5 ingredients and only takes 10 minutes to make! It’s the perfect whipped cream frosting for fruit, cakes, cupcakes, and your favorite desserts!
Did you know you could add mascarpone cheese to whipped cream to thicken it up and stabilize it for piping and sitting out? Seriously, if you love whipped cream but you’re not familiar with Mascarpone cheese, now is the time to check it out!
Mascarpone cheese (sometimes mispronounced ‘marscapone)’, is a thick and delicious Italian cream cheese. It is most commonly known for its use in the Italian dessert, tiramisu.
It’s often compared to American cream cheese, creme fraiche, or even ricotta cheese and can be used place for cheesecakes, cannolis, or topping desserts. But, it has a much less tangy flavor, and an added sweetness that makes it perfect for pairing with regular whipped cream or sweetened whipped cream (also known as chantilly cream).
Plus, the addition of the mascarpone cheese to the whipped cream makes it thicker and more stable for sitting out. Unlike regular whipped cream or chantilly cream, this mascarpone version can be piped on top of cupcakes as a mascarpone frosting, and used as a filling for layer cakes. And, just like whipped cream stabilized with gelatin, it will last a day or two in the fridge without getting watery.
Why you’ll love it:
- Easy to Make: this recipe has only 5 ingredients and you can whip up a batch in less than 10 minutes!
- Versatile: while this vanilla mascarpone cream recipe is delicious, you can mix up the flavors by adding lemon, almond, or chocolate!
- Unique: The addition of the mascarpone cheese adds such a nice and unique flavor to whipped cream and pairs perfectly with fruit, honey, and other desserts!
Ingredients
- Mascarpone Cheese: this is the main ingredient in this recipe, thickening and flavoring the whipped cream. Common brands in America are BelGioioso and Di Stefano.
- Heavy Whipping Cream: You must use heavy whipping cream in this recipe. Regular milk or half and half will not whip up into a whipped cream.
- Sugar: This recipe uses granulated sugar, but you can also use powdered sugar or confectioners sugar.
- Vanilla: Vanilla extra, whole vanilla beans, or vanilla bean paste all work great. You can also use other extracts like almond extract, lemon extract, etc.
How to make
This is such a simple homemade whipped cream. And with just a few tips, tricks, and troubleshooting tips you’ll have the perfect whipped cream mascarpone topping.
Step 1: whip heavy whipping cream
Add the cold whipping cream, granulated sugar, vanilla, and salt to a large bowl or standing mixer fitted with a whisk attachment.
Whipped the heavy whipping cream until soft peaks form, about 1-2 minutes on medium to medium high speed (more if using a hand held mixer or mixing by hand). The whipped cream should thicken up, and start to form lines in the whipped cream that linger when mixed.
Step 2: Mix in Mascarpone
Once very soft peaks form, turn off the mixer and add in the softened mascarpone cheese.
Start mixing on the lowest setting until it starts to combine. Be sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula as necessary to make sure it’s all incorporated.
It is very important not to over mix the whipped cream. I recommend mixing on low with short bursts of mixing at a higher speed. You can also mix in the mascarpone using a hand held whisk to ensure it doesn’t over mix.
Once stiff peaks form and whipped cream is thick enough to hold it shape, stop mixing. It’s ready to serve with your favorite dessert!
Tips and tricks
- Using a cold bowl can help whip up the whipped cream.
- Do not over mix! This is the most important part, getting the mascarpone cheese mixed in without over beating the whipped cream. Be gently and go slow.
- This recipe makes about 3 cups of whipped cream and can easily be halved for a small batch or doubled for a large batch.
FAQ
This is because the whipped cream was overmixed. To keep a smooth and creamy consistency, it’s really important to not over mix the mascarpone topping.
Once adding the cheese, I recommend mixing on a low setting, and only increasing the speed for a second or two at a time. You can also whisk by hand to ensure it doesn’t get overmixed.
Yes, technically you can use regular cream cheese but it will totally change the flavor profile and will no longer be mascarpone whipped cream but cream cheese whipped cream.
The main difference in these is in the flavor profile. Mascarpone will thicken and stabilize the whipped cream with the added sweetness and flavor of mascarpone cheese.
Stabilized whipped cream made with gelatin looks and tastes just like regular whipped cream but holds it shape for piping and sitting out.
Yes, leftover whipped cream or desserts made with this whipped cream can be frozen for 1-2 months. Let defrost in the refrigerator before serving. Check out the storing and making ahead section for more details.
Flavor Variations
There are many different ways to flavor this whipped cream. In addition to mixing up the extracts, you can also add the following:
- Honey: Mix in 2 tablespoons honey along with the mascarpone cheese.
- Chocolate: similar to this chocolate whipped cream, add 3 tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa powder to the heavy whipping cream before whipping.
- Lemon: add in two teaspoons of lemon zest and/or 1 teaspoon of lemon extract, to the whipping cream before whipping.
- Espresso: add 1 tablespoon of espresso powder to the heavy whipping cream before whipping.
- Liquor: You can also mix in 2 tablespoons of your favorite liquors along with the mascarpone. Bailey’s Irish Cream, Kahlua, Chambord, or even whiskey work great!
Uses and Recipes
This whipped cream is super versatile and goes with so many different desserts! Because of its thickness it’s great for piping on cakes and cupcakes, using in trifles, cream puffs, jar cakes, and layer cakes (try it in place of ermine frosting in this strawberry vanilla cake, delicious!).
This recipe makes about 3 cups of whipped cream and can easily be doubled for large batches or or halved for smaller servings. Once batch is enough to cover about 18-24 cupcakes or a 9×13 inch cake. I recommend 1.5 or doubling the recipe for layer cakes.
In addition for using on cakes and cupcakes, it’s also a nice topping for peach cobbler, panna cotta (goes great wit this limoncello version!), pavlova, tarts, and even hot chocolate.
And don’t forget to try it on simple desserts like grilled peaches, or poached pears. Or just add a dollop to some fresh strawberries, raspberries, or watermelon. It’s so simple and delicious, you really can’t go wrong with however you decide to serve it!
Storing and Making Ahead
While this recipe is best the day it is made, it can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 1-2 days.
It can also be frozen, although it is best to make and assemble the dessert and then freeze, rather than making the batch of whip cream, freezing it, defrosting, re-whipping, and then serving with your dessert. You risk changing the texture and over-whipping the whipped cream if you need to re-whip (plus, at that point it takes just as much effort and you might as well just make it fresh!).
Looking for more whipped frostings? Check these out!
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Mascarpone Whipped Cream Recipe
Equipment
- Mixer
INGREDIENTS
- 1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream cold
- 8 ounces mascarpone cheese softened slightly
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar more or less to taste
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
- Pinch salt optional
Instructions
- Add the heavy whipping cream, granulated sugar, vanilla, and optional salt to a large bowl or standing mixer fitter with a whisk attachment.
- Whipped the heavy whipping cream until soft peaks form, about 1-2 minutes on medium speed (more if using a hand held mixer or mixing by hand).
- The whipped cream should thicken up, and start to form lines in the whipped cream that linger when mixed.
- Once very soft peaks form, turn off the mixer and add in the softened mascarpone cheese.
- Start mixing on the lowest setting until it starts to combine, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary to make sure it is totally incorporated. Mix slowly and be carefully not to over mix or it can curdle or break. You can even use a hand help whisk to whisk in the mascarpone.
- Once stiff peaks form and whipped cream is thick enough to hold it shape, stop mixing. It’s ready to serve with your favorite dessert!
Notes
- Using a cold bowl can help whip up the whipped cream. Chill it by placing it in the refrigerator or freezer for an hour before whipping.
- Do not overmix! This is the most important part, getting the mascarpone cheese mixed in without overbeating the whipped cream. Be gently and go slow.
- This recipe makes about 2-3 cups of whipped cream and can easily be halved for a small batch or doubled for a large batch.
- It will last 1-2 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
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