The mascarpone cream is an easy-to-make and delicious spoon dessert, perfect for tiramisu or to accompany pandoro and panettone. It has a creamy texture and such a delicate flavor that it is a perfect base for creating many desserts besides those already mentioned. In fact, we can use it to fill sponge cakes, tarts, or cookies. With its goodness, it is also perfect served as a spoon dessert in conjunction with fruits or dry cookies like ladyfingers or cat’s tongue.
One of the concerns often raised when preparing mascarpone cream is the presence of raw eggs since the original recipe involves using uncooked eggs. In our recipe, the eggs are pasteurized with a water and sugar syrup, a pastry technique known as pâte à bombe. In any case, we recommend using pasteurized eggs for this type of preparation.
The preparation of mascarpone cream is very simple: we make a water and sugar syrup, and when it reaches a temperature of 250°F, we pour half of it onto the yolks while whisking them with an electric mixer, and the other half onto the egg whites to create a well-whipped meringue. We first combine the mascarpone with the yolks and mix again with the electric mixer, then the whipped egg whites, and we mix with a spatula from the bottom up.
The mascarpone cream is already excellent as it is, but we can also flavor it with limoncello or orange liqueur for a citrus-flavored cream, with coffee for a cream reminiscent of the typical tiramisu flavor, with Nutella, or pistachio cream for those with a sweet tooth. With pandoro and panettone, it is a holiday must, and then you can have fun preparing many other desserts. Try it and let us know what you think.
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- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Very cheap
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Cooking time: 5 Minutes
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons, Christmas
Ingredients to prepare mascarpone cream
- 17.6 oz mascarpone
- 4 eggs
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 3 1/2 tbsp water
How to prepare Mascarpone Cream
Prepare the mascarpone cream by first pouring the water with half of the sugar into a saucepan. Heat it until it reaches a temperature of 250°F. If you don’t have a kitchen thermometer, observe the syrup, and it will be ready when it starts to boil and form small bubbles without turning dark. Separately, divide the egg yolks from the whites and work the yolks with an electric mixer or pour them into the stand mixer.
When the syrup has reached the right temperature, slowly pour half of it over the yolks, continuing to whip until it has reached a light and frothy consistency. Let the yolks cool.
Add the mascarpone that you have previously worked to make creamy, and continue to mix with the electric mixer until you obtain a homogeneous and firm cream.
In a separate bowl, whip the egg whites to stiff peaks and pour the remaining water and sugar syrup over the whipped egg whites when it has reached 250°F. In this way, you will have pasteurized the egg whites as well. Combine them with the mascarpone and yolk cream, mixing with a spatula from bottom to top so as not to deflate the cream.
The mascarpone cream is ready. You can use it to prepare the classic tiramisu or to accompany pandoro or panettone.
Storage, tips, and variations
You can store the mascarpone cream in the fridge for up to three days.
You can replace the egg whites with fresh whipped cream.
If you want to use half the amount of mascarpone, 8.8 oz, just halve all the other ingredients.
For a perfect outcome of the mascarpone cream, it is important that both the eggs and the mascarpone are at room temperature and not cold from the fridge.
FAQ (Questions and Answers)
Can mascarpone cream be prepared without a kitchen thermometer?
While a kitchen thermometer allows for perfect cream, if one is not available, it is important to cook the water and sugar syrup until it starts to boil, forming small bubbles without turning dark.
Is it possible to prepare mascarpone cream without pasteurizing the eggs?
Using very fresh and pasteurized eggs, you may choose to prepare mascarpone cream without pasteurizing them, although this version with pasteurization is much safer.
Can mascarpone cream be prepared without eggs?
Yes, you can replace the eggs with whipped cream.
