Food and Recipes Dairy Cheese 27 Creamy And Dreamy Mascarpone Recipes By Alana Al-Hatlani Alana Al-Hatlani Alana Al-Hatlani is an Assistant Food Editor at Southern Living. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Updated on June 18, 2024 Close Photo: Photographer: Jennifer Causey Food Stylist: Melissa Gray Prop Stylist: Heather Chadduck Hillegas You'll often hear mascarpone referred to as 'Italian-style cream cheese', which is a little reductive. Like cream cheese, it's a soft cheese that isn't aged, but the comparisons should really end there. Flavor wise it's much sweeter and less tangy than cream cheese. It tastes richer, too (its fat content ranges between 60% and 75%). If you've ever enjoyed tiramisu, you've likely enjoyed mascarpone, which is a traditional component of the coffee-flavored cake. Mascarpone is also fairly easy to make. It's made from cream that is cooked with an acidifying agent (like lemon juice or cream of tartar), which is then strained through cheesecloth to remove excess liquid, yielding a silky and spreadable cheese. Although native to Northern Italy, mascarpone is available in most U.S. grocery stores (you'll often find it by the speciality cheeses in the deli section). And just to set the record straight, it's mas-car-pone, *not* mars-car-pone. (Some English speakers slip an extra r in there.) Spelling aside, we've gathered some of our favorite ways to put this soft cheese to good use, from fun twists on tiramisu to savory frittatas made with mascarpone. 01 of 20 Pasta with Burst Tomatoes and Mascarpone Hector Sanchez Dollops of fresh mascarpone bring creamy brightness to this fresh tomato pasta perfect for an easy summer supper. Get The Recipe 02 of 20 Mascarpone Cheesecake Photographer: Jennifer Causey Food Stylist: Melissa Gray Prop Stylist: Heather Chadduck Hillegas Alright, we said cream cheese and mascarpone are not they same (and that's true), but using the latter in this cheesecake recipe shows how they can be used similarly. Get The Recipe 03 of 20 Berry Tiramisu Icebox Cake Victor Protasio; Food Stylist: Ruth Blackburn; Prop Stylist: Christina Daley This icebox version of the classic Italian dessert makes quite a few changes to the classic recipe, but one thing it still includes is mascarpone. Get The Recipe 04 of 20 Tiramisu Fred Hardy II, Food Stylist: Ruth Blackburn, Prop Stylist: Caleb Clarke If the last recipe was a little too untraditional, then let us offer our take on the classic Italian Tiramisu. Not only does it use mascarpone, but it also includes plenty of coffee flavor infused into the ladyfinger cookies. Get The Recipe 05 of 20 Berry Tiramisu Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox If you're looking for new but festive way to celebrate the Fourth of July (or are just in search of a new refreshing summer dessert recipe), look no further. Using in season berries and rich mascarpone cheese make this cake a sweet dream. Get The Recipe 06 of 20 Apple-Pecan Carrot Cake Jen Causey; Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf; Prop Stylist: Josh Hoggle You've probably made countless cakes with a cream cheese frosting. We suggest trying something new with this warm-spiced carrot cake that has apples and pecans folded into the mix. It opts for a super silky mascarpone frosting that perfectly balances the sweetness of the cake layers. Get The Recipe 07 of 20 Lemon Tiramisu Photographer Victor Protasio, Food Stylist Ruth Blackburn, Prop Stylist Heather Chadduck "Some mothers are tough to shop for. Not mine—she loves a good dessert and I can always make her something special for Mother’s Day. (And there’s no gift receipt required!) One recipe that has been a big hit with Mom is also one of my favorites to make: Lemon Tiramisu. This no-bake dessert tastes like a combination of tiramisu and lemon cheesecake. Bright and sunny citrus stands in for the usual coffee and chocolate, making the dish feel just right for spring," says Deputy Editor, Lisa Cericola of this lemon twist on the classic Italian cake. Get The Recipe 08 of 20 Strawberry Shortcake Sheet Cake Johnny Autry; Food and Prop Styling: Charlotte L. Autry The whipped cream on this Strawberry Shortcake Sheet Cake gets an easy upgrade with the addition of lightly tangy mascarpone. It lends the creamy topping a hint of tartness to balance the sweet, macerated strawberries on top. Get The Recipe 09 of 20 Red, White, and Blue Poke Cake Jennifer Causey Mascarpone cheese transforms a fairly standard whipped cream on this festive poke cake into a more complex topping that feels richer and balances out the sweetness of the cake. Get The Recipe 10 of 20 Red Velvet-Raspberry Tiramisù Trifle Jim Franco; Styling: Lydia Degaris Pursell A dramatic bright red trifle like this red velvet-flavored showstopper is exactly what the holiday table calls for. Get The Recipe 11 of 20 Peach Shortcake Trifle Pam Lolley; Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Ginny Branch; Food Styling: Torie Cox Stunning layers of cake, mascarpone cream, and fresh peaches make this trifle an impressive but easy to pull off dessert. Get The Recipe 12 of 20 Berry Chantilly Cake Photographer: Jennifer Causey Food Stylist: Melissa Gray Prop Stylist: Heather Chadduck Hillegas Inspired by the classic pairing of berries and cream, we developed this stunning layer cake made with a luscious mascarpone frosting. Get The Recipe 13 of 20 Strawberry Dream Cake GREG DuPREE A neat row of bright red strawberries line each slice of this impressive summer layer cake. Get The Recipe 14 of 20 Watermelon Pie Antonis Achilleos; Prop Stylist: Kay Clarke; Food Stylist: Torie Cox We updated this retro pie by infusing fresh watermelon flavor into the filling instead of using watermelon-flavored gelatin. The mascarpone is incorporated into the whipped topping that lends the refreshing pie a creamy, fluffy top. Get The Recipe 15 of 20 Coconut Chiffon Cake Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox We sandwich a dreamy mascarpone filling made with frozen grated coconut between delicate layers of chiffon cake for the ultimate coconut layer cake. Get The Recipe 16 of 20 Orange Chess Pie With Cranberry Gelée Antonis Achilleos; Food Stylist: Ruth Blackburn; Prop Stylist: Lydia Pursell You can tell just by looking at the photo that this is not your average chess pie. We gussied up the rustic pie by adding a cranberry gelée layer (think fancy Jell-O ), and topping it with a mascarpone whipped cream. Get The Recipe 17 of 20 Caramel Pecan Icebox Cake Joy Howard No-bake icebox cakes have stood the test of time, and for good reason. They couldn't be easier to assemble, no matter the flavor, and in this version of the classic dessert, we folded mascarpone into the mix. Get The Recipe 18 of 20 Mascarpone Frosting Jen Causey; Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf; Prop Stylist: Josh Hoggle This mascarpone frosting recipe is creamy and smooth, and like a cream cheese frosting, it will pair well with almost any cake or cupcake recipe. Try it with our Apple-Pecan Carrot Cake or Watermelon Pie. 19 of 20 Fresh Strawberry Meringue Cake Will Dickey; Food Stylist: Ruth Blackburn This layered meringue cake is best in spring, when strawberries are juicy and plump. You can also substitute the strawberries for blackberries, blueberries, or peaches. get the recipe 20 of 20 Strawberry Ladyfinger Cake Greg Dupree; Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Stylist: Christina Daley Store-bought ladyfinger cookies are layered with light and airy mascarpone whipped cream and strawberries for an easy icebox cake. get the recipe Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit