Pastry Affair | Homemade Mascarpone (2024)

FAQs

What if I don't have enough mascarpone for tiramisu? ›

However you could try beating together 225g (8 ounces) full fat cream cheese with 60ml (4 tablespoons/1/4 cup) double or whipping cream and 30g (1 ounce/2 tablespoons) softened unsalted butter until just blended. This will give the equivalent of around 300g (10 ounces/1 1/4 cups) mascarpone.

Cream cheese contains at least 33% milk fat, and mascarpone may contain 60-75% milk fat. Mascarpone has a buttery flavor that makes it particularly suitable for desserts. It adds richness and a creamy texture, while cream cheese brings a creamy consistency and slightly tangy taste to dishes.

Mascarpone is a soft cheese of Italian origin best known as the star ingredient in tiramisu. It's also great as frosting or filling in cakes, in trifles and parfaits, in cheesecakes, sometimes to make panna cotta.

It is a fresh cheese that is most commonly made with pasteurized cow's milk. Unlike some cheeses, which have animal-derived rennet added, mascarpone is vegetarian. It's made by heating heavy cream and adding an acid like tartaric acid (aka cream of tartar), citric acid, or lemon juice to solidify and thicken the cream.

Crème Fraîche and sour cream bring unique tastes and handle heat like pros. Then there's ricotta, Mascarpone's flavor buddy, perfect for cheesecakes and spreads. Cream cheese, Greek yogurt, and cottage cheese are also the go-to for rich textures.

Mascarpone lends a subtle tang and creaminess to tiramisu, but I by far prefer the smooth and subtle flavor that ricotta gives it. This is a tiny change, but it makes all the difference in the world. It's what makes this ricotta tiramisu just a bit special.

Is Philadelphia cream cheese mascarpone? No marscapone and cream cheese are completely different. There are cases where one may be substituted for the other but as a general rule you should use the ingredient the recipe calls for; otherwise you will end up with a similar but still completely different result.

Sour cream can be used as a mascarpone replacement in equal quantities (1:1 ratio) in savory recipes, but be sure to use full-fat sour cream as low fat versions contain way too much water.

The taste of mascarpone is similar to that of cream cheese, ricotta cheese, creme fraiche, or clotted cream, but with a little more sweetness and acidity. This makes it a versatile cheese for both sweet and savory dishes.

Mascarpone (pronounced mahs-car-POH-nay), an Italian double or triple cream cheese, may be best known as an essential ingredient in tiramisu, an Italian coffee and chocolate dessert.

Why is mascarpone used in desserts? ›

If you think Mascarpone is just like cream cheese, you'll be surprised and probably delighted to learn Mascarpone is richer and sweeter. Mascarpone has a more velvety texture, lending it to easier spreading and opening up possibilities as both a cream cheese substitute and the star of its unique set of dishes.

Probably the closest substitute is mascarpone though this has a fat content of 40% and doesn't have the same acidic tang as cream cheese, so will give a very rich cheesecake. Otherwise a curd cheese would be a possible alternative.

Once opened, mascarpone must be consumed within approximately 5-7 days when refrigerated, as it's prone to spoilage due to its high moisture and fat content. Left at room temperature, the cheese should be used within a few hours to prevent bacterial growth and maintain its quality.

Although mascarpone is a high-fat cheese, it does have some benefits including being satiating and a good source of calcium.

Mascarpone cheese is made from cream, so it makes sense that you can use heavy cream instead of mascarpone! It has a rich, smooth flavor however, it has a runnier texture so a few tweaks need to be made. For more info, check out my heavy cream substitute article.

Mascarpone can be frozen for up to four months, depending on the quality of the cheese. Freezing it properly ensure it remains fresh and delicious.

Using egg whites instead of cream: Some authentic recipes for tiramisu use whipped egg whites instead of whipped cream. Tiramisu made with egg whites is lighter and more airy. To make our recipe with egg whites, whip 3 egg whites until they hold stiff peaks.