Name: Easy Whipped Mascarpone Buttercream Frosting Recipe
Prep time: 15 min
Total time: 15 min
Yield: 24
Ingredients: 12 tablespoons (1 and 1/2 cups) room temperature unsalted butter; 8 ounces mascarpone cheese; 7-8 cups sifted powdered sugar (confectioners' sugar); 1/4 cup heavy cream; 2 teaspoons vanilla extract; Pinch of salt

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This easy whipped mascarpone buttercream frosting recipe has a light and fluffy texture with a slightly sweet flavor and just a hint of a tang. It is a creamy ivory color and can hold its shape well for piping, yet is smooth and velvety.

Easy Whipped Mascarpone Buttercream Frosting Recipe topping a dozen chocolate cupcakes

Are you ready for your new favorite frosting recipe? Take your regular buttercream frosting to the next level by adding mascarpone cheese. This easy whipped mascarpone buttercream frosting recipe is perfect for all your cakes, cupcakes, trifles, fresh fruit, strawberry shortcake, and many other desserts. You can even use it instead of cream cheese frosting on hummingbird cake and carrot cake.

What Is Mascarpone Cheese?

Mascarpone cheese is a sweet Italian spreadable cheese. It is incredibly smooth and has a sweet almost nutty flavor. It is an Italian cream cheese made with heavy cream (or heavy whipping cream) rather than American cream cheese which is made with whole milk.

Heavy cream has a higher fat content which makes the mascarpone rich and decadent. It is an excellent addition to frostings for extra stability and a slightly sweet and slightly tangy flavor.

Mascarpone cheese in a container held in a hand to make Easy Whipped Mascarpone Buttercream Frosting Recipe

This creamy Italian cheese is also delicious in savory recipes. I always try to keep a tub of it in my refrigerator because it has a long freshness date. (I buy mine at Trader Joe’s)

Using mascarpone is my favorite way to make the white creamy part of lasagna and pasta bakes. Mix mascarpone with ricotta, lemon juice, and herbs for an amazingly delicious cheesy cream sauce. See my lasagna recipe here.

Ingredients For The Easy Whipped Mascarpone Buttercream Frosting Recipe

Room temperature unsalted butter – 12 tablespoons ( 1/2 cups)
Mascarpone Cheese – 8 ounces
Powdered sugar (confectioners’ sugar) – 7-8 cups sifted
Heavy Cream – 1/4 cup
Vanilla extract – 2 teaspoons
Pinch of salt

You will also need a stand mixer or electric beaters. You can try beating this by hand but you’ll need more arm strength than I could muster.

Kitchen Aid mixer with the whisk attachment

This recipe makes enough to frost a 9″ layer cake, 24 piped cupcakes, or a triple layer 8″ cake. Feel free to reduce the amounts by half to get the frosting amount you want.

Mix The Easy Whipped Mascarpone Buttercream Frosting Recipe

Begin by attaching the whisk attachment to your stand mixer. I love my Kitchen-Aid for this and so many other recipes and delicious frostings. Into the bowl of an electric mixer (or a large bowl if using an electric hand mixer, add 12 tablespoons of room-temperature unsalted butter.

sticks of butter in a mixing bowl to make Easy Whipped Mascarpone Buttercream Frosting Recipe

You will get the best result if your butter is at room temperature – you can decide this if you take your finger and press a small dent into the butter gently. If it leaves a small impression then it is just right. Too mushy or too hard will affect the end texture.

The Butter and Mascarpone Cheese Together

Turn the mixer to medium-high speed and beat the butter for two minutes. Be sure to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula.

Next, add the mascarpone cheese. Start at medium speed to mix it all together – scraping the sides as needed. Then turn the speed to medium-high and beat for two minutes. Beating the butter and mascarpone together creates a light and airy texture and also a stable frosting without it becoming too hard.

Sift The Powdered Sugar

Don’t skip this part. Into a medium bowl, sift 8 cups of powdered sugar. Powdered sugar is inherently lumpy. The last thing you want is to bite into a hunk of sugar in your smooth mascarpone frosting recipe. While your butter and mascarpone are whipping together, sift the sugar so it is ready to add in.

Old fashioned sifter with powdered sugar in it to make Easy Whipped Mascarpone Buttercream Frosting Recipe

After the butter and mascarpone are well mixed, add a couple of cups of powdered sugar and turn the mixer on low (if you turn it higher it will go everywhere – trust me on this). When that is mixed slowly add a couple more cups of the sifted sugar.

The Heavy Cream And Vanilla

Measure out a quarter of a cup of cold heavy cream. Making frosting is something that you learn by sight and touch. Never pour all the cream/milk/liquid in at once. Slowly add a little of the heavy cream and mix it together.

Adding heavy cream to the mixer to make Easy Whipped Mascarpone Buttercream Frosting Recipe

Add two teaspoons of vanilla. Then add the rest of the powdered sugar and slowly mix. If the mixture seems a little dry, add more cream but keep a close eye that you don’t add too much.

Adding vanilla to the mixer to make Easy Whipped Mascarpone Buttercream Frosting Recipe

Once combined, turn the speed up to medium-high and beat for about 2 minutes until you see soft peaks. Mascarpone is soft and won’t become too hard.

Beating Easy Whipped Mascarpone Buttercream Frosting Recipe in a mixer with the whisk attachment

How To Serve Easy Whipped Mascarpone Buttercream Frosting

This easy mascarpone frosting recipe is perfect for layer cakes and for piping swirls onto cupcakes. If the mascarpone mixture is too soft to set nicely, just pop it into the refrigerator for 15 minutes or so and then fill your piping bags. This sturdy mascarpone frosting makes beautiful piped decorations.

Frosted carrot cake with Easy Whipped Mascarpone Buttercream Frosting Recipe and crushed pecans

Here are some suggested uses:

Chocolate cake
Spice cake
Carrot cake
Graham cracker cake
Sweet bread
Cinnamon rolls
Use as a dipper on a dessert charcuterie board
Add in melted marshmallows
On top of pancakes

Beautifully frost chocolate cake, spice cake, graham cracker cake (some of my favorite cakes), or any other cake you love. Try it on carrot cake topped with toasted pecans, cover sweet bread, and drizzle over cinnamon rolls. The flavor of the mascarpone adds such a divine richness while the whipped aspect keeps it light and fluffy.

Store any remaining frosting in the refrigerator covered in an airtight container for up to 4 days and use it on anything you like. Smear on pancakes or just squeeze it into your children’s mouths (haha). This frosting tastes delicious period.

Alternative Flavorings For Easy Whipped Mascarpone Buttercream Frosting

For a unique twist to vanilla, try swapping the vanilla extract for almond extract (a little of that goes a long way so start with a small amount- 1/4 teaspoon at the most).

Vanilla cupcakes with piped chocolate mascarpone frosting

Or change it up by adding unsweetened cocoa powder and making a delicious chocolate mascarpone frosting. Substitute 1/4 cup of the powdered sugar for 1/4 cup of the cocoa powder. Chocolate frosting with mascarpone on a lemon cake is divine.

Wrapping Up Easy Whipped Mascarpone Buttercream Frosting Recipe

Mascarpone cheese is delightful to work with, and it can be used in sweet and savory dishes alike. It is a great way to take your everyday frostings to the next level. Mascarpone cheese adds a level of sophistication and a creaminess of texture. A couple of tricks to ensure your frosting turns out well are:

Make sure the butter is at room temperature (naturally- not microwaved).
Add the powdered sugar and heavy cream slowly in alternating additions. Use your eyes and judge the amount of liquid needed.
Let the frosting firm up in the refrigerator if you pipe it.

Let me know some of the best ways you like to use mascarpone cheese!! Maybe you haven’t tried it yet and this is the inspiration you have been waiting for. I hope so, this stuff is delicious.

Cheers,

Sarah