The mascarpone cream recipe
for your table
Let the mascarpone come to room temperature for half an hour, then loosen it with a spatula, stirring in the powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and lemon zest. Cold mascarpone cannot be stirred smooth and stays lumpy, and you will not be able to remove those lumps later.
Whip the heavy cream separately until half stiff: it should just hold traces of the whisk and still slide off it. Whipping it further serves no purpose, because folding will make the cream slightly firmer anyway.
Fold the cream into the mascarpone in two or three additions, using a cutting motion from the bottom upward. Never whip everything together at full speed: mascarpone is already almost pure fat, and whipping it too hard or for too long causes the fat to separate. The cream will then become grainy and release moisture, and there is no way to fix it.
Build the glass with a layer of cookie crumbs on the bottom, then the cream, then fruit, and repeat. Chill the glasses for at least an hour so the cream sets and the crumbs absorb some moisture.
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Send the mascarpone cream recipe to your own email, so you have it to hand when you are about to make it. You will also receive a € 5 discount code for purchases from € 50, for the glasses that go with it.
The story
Mascarpone is an Italian cream cheese and consists of little more than cream curdled with an acid. Its fat content is high, much higher than that of quark or cream cheese, and that explains both its full flavor and the problem: once fat has been whipped apart, it cannot be brought back together. Precisely because the cheese itself is already so rich, the cream needs very little. Sugar for sweetness, a little vanilla, something acidic to keep it from becoming too heavy, and air in the form of cream. That makes it one of those bases you learn once and then see again in dozens of desserts.
The right glass
This cream is built up in layers, so the glass is not just a container but half of the presentation: what you see from the side determines how the dish comes across. According to the description, the dessert coupe below is designed for this, with twenty-six centiliters of space for building and layers of mascarpone, crumble, and fruit that remain visible through the sides. The foot keeps the bowl high above the plate, so you see the construction at eye level instead of from above. The second glass has straight sides, and that offers a different kind of advantage: a dividing line between two layers runs perfectly straight there, and a crooked layer is immediately noticeable, so you naturally work more precisely. A tall, narrow glass would show the layers even better, but then there would no longer be enough room for a spoon to fit properly; with these two, that trade-off comes out in the right direction. Smaller sizes for a tasting of three desserts can be found among the amuse glasses.
RCR Timeless Dessert Coupe 26 cl (6 pieces)
Pasabahce Elysia Amuse Glass 23.5 cl (4 pieces)
Both sets together € 56,90.
The right tools
For mascarpone cream, in addition to the glass, use a zester for the lemon zest and a bar spoon with a long stem to smooth the layers all the way to the bottom of the glass. These are the bar tools we use ourselves; you can find everything in our bar tools & cocktail sets.
Glass set (our choice 01) + 2 bar tools together € 68,85.
What will you serve with it?
A mascarpone cream is creamy and sweet, so it is usually served with something acidic or sparkling. Prosecco does the job most easily, and in the cream itself, Italian versions include a splash of limoncello or amaretto. On every drink page, you can read the alcohol percentage, what it tastes like, which cocktails it works with and which glass you need.
Variations & twists
Fold a stiffly whipped egg white into the finished cream and it will become noticeably lighter, almost like a mousse; keep it cold and make it on the day itself. One tablespoon of limoncello or amaretto per 250 grams of mascarpone gives it the Italian versions, while you should slightly reduce the icing sugar because those liqueurs are already sweet. With coffee instead of lemon and ladyfingers underneath, you are essentially making tiramisu, and a layer of cream over fresh red fruit with crumbs on top is the same recipe in a different order. Looking for more inspiration? Browse more than 100 cocktail recipes.
Serving tip
Assemble the glasses an hour to half a day in advance and refrigerate them covered; the cream will become firmer and the crumbs will absorb just enough moisture to stop crunching. It is not a good idea to leave them for longer than a day, because the crumbs will then be completely soft and the difference in texture will be gone. Add the fresh fruit and final layer of crumbs just before serving.
Good to know
Why does mascarpone split when you whip it?
Mascarpone is mostly fat, much more so than quark or regular cream cheese. That fat is finely dispersed and stays that way only as long as you handle it gently. A mixer at full speed breaks it apart: the fat globules clump together into grains and the moisture between them is released. The cream then looks as though it has split, because that is exactly what has happened, and there is no way to reverse it. So first loosen the cheese with a spatula, and only then fold in the cream.
Why does mascarpone need to be at room temperature?
When cold, mascarpone is stiff and breaks into little lumps instead of becoming smooth. You then naturally start stirring harder to get rid of those lumps, and that is exactly where it starts to split. Half an hour out of the refrigerator is enough; the cheese will then be soft enough to become smooth in a few strokes. Whipping cream wants the opposite and should go into the bowl cold, otherwise it will not whip properly.
Why do you whip the cream only until half-stiff?
Because folding itself also incorporates air and makes the cream firmer. If you start with completely stiffly whipped cream, the cream will be too firm after folding and will go into the glasses in lumps instead of smoothly. Half-stiff means the whisk leaves trails that slowly disappear again, and the cream still slides off the whisk. If you go too far, stir in a splash of liquid cream.
What are all the uses for this cream?
This is the base of tiramisu, where it is layered with coffee and ladyfingers. The same cream can also be the top layer of a trifle, a layer over fresh berries, a filling between two layers of cake, or simply a dessert in a glass with crumbs underneath. Because it contains no gelatin, it remains spreadable and you can spoon or pipe it anywhere.
How long does mascarpone cream keep?
Covered, it keeps for one to two days in the refrigerator, provided there is no raw egg white in it; with egg white mixed in, use it the same day. In an assembled glass with crumbs, it is best for half a day to a day; after that, the crumbs become completely soft. Freezing is pointless: after thawing, the texture is grainy and moisture is released.
Frequently asked questions
Why is my mascarpone cream splitting?
Because it was whipped too hard or for too long. Mascarpone consists largely of fat, and at high speed that fat separates into grains with moisture between them. First loosen the cheese with the powdered sugar, then fold in the half-whipped cream, never mix everything together at full speed.
Should mascarpone be at room temperature?
Yes. Cold mascarpone remains lumpy and tempts you to stir harder, and that is where it starts to split. Half an hour out of the refrigerator is enough. The whipped cream should be cold, though, otherwise it will not whip properly.
Can you make mascarpone cream lighter?
Fold in a stiffly beaten egg white after the cream is ready. It will become lighter and get close to a mousse. Keep it chilled and eat it the same day, because it keeps for less time with raw egg white mixed in.
Is mascarpone cream the same as tiramisu cream?
It is the base of it. For tiramisu, coffee is added and ladyfingers are layered between the layers; the cream itself is the same. In a glass with cookie crumbs and fresh fruit, you have a complete dessert made with exactly the same cream.
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