Mascarpone Cheese Substitution

Mascarpone cheese is a type of creamy cheese originating in Italy. It's made from only two ingredients: heavy cream and citric or tartaric acid. Lemon juice also works. The cream is heated and then the acid is added to solidify and thicken the cream. It's then run through a cheesecloth to remove excess liquid. The fat content is typically between 60 and 75 percent, making it easily spreadable and super silky. 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 is made from heavy cream, while cream cheese is made from whole milk. The fat content of cream cheese is 30 to 40 percent, compared to mascarpone's whopping 60 to 75 percent fat content. Thus, mascarpone has at least double the fat as American cream cheese (e.g., Philadelphia) giving it a much richer, thicker and melt-in-your-mouth texture than standard cream cheese.

While cream cheese has a tangy flavor, mascarpone is much milder and isn’t tangy at all. Cream cheese is firmer and more “rubbery” in texture while mascarpone is softer and much creamier. Though you can use the two interchangeably the flavor and texture will be different. A closer relative to mascarpone is the French crème fraîche or English clotted cream.

Note: Mascarpone Cheese is quite different than Mascarpone Cream. The difference between mascarpone cheese and cream is mascarpone cream is made from mascarpone cheese, eggs, and sugar that are whipped together. The result is the whipped topping that's used to make Tiramisu. Most recipes include the steps to make the cream from mascarpone cheese. It's also used as a topping for cake, fruit, and coffee drinks.

While this may work for some applications, I tried one of these substitutes to make Tiramisu once, and it was not that good. Try making Homemade Mascarpone Cheese. This needs to be made the day before you use it.

Mascarpone Cheese Substitution #1

Mascarpone cheese is very expensive. This is an economical alternative that tastes very good. For each 8 ounce carton:

8 ounces of softened cream cheese
3 tablespoons of sour cream
2 tablespoons of heavy cream (liquid, not whipped) - 35% cream

Combine all ingredients. Use as a substitute for the mascarpone ingredient when making Tiramisu or Italian Cheese Torta.

Mascarpone Cheese Substitution #2

8 ounce package of cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup of whipping cream, or whipped ricotta cheese

Mix ingredients together until blended.