Easy Italian Lemon Mascarpone Tart - Recipe Winners (2024)

FAQs

What are the ingredients in mascarpone cheese? ›

It is a fresh cheese that is most commonly made with pasteurized cow's milk. Unlike some cheeses, which have animal-derived rennet added, mascarpone is vegetarian. It's made by heating heavy cream and adding an acid like tartaric acid (aka cream of tartar), citric acid, or lemon juice to solidify and thicken the cream.

Mascarpone cheese is a soft, slightly sweet and a tad bit tart, spreadable cheese often described as an Italian sweet cream cheese. Mascarpone is probably most well-known as the key ingredient in Italian desserts like tiramisu and cannoli.

Mascarpone is an ivory-colored, exceptionally smooth, and easily spreadable fresh cream cheese. The flavor is milky and slightly sweet. The rich, buttery texture comes from the high butterfat content (up to 75 percent).

What Does Mascarpone Taste Like? Mascarpone is often described as "Italian cream cheese" but the flavor is much more sweet and less tangy than American cream cheese. It has a subtle, sweet tang with a touch of salt and sometimes nutty and floral notes.

No, mascarpone cheese is not healthier than cream cheese as it contains 25% more fat than cream cheese. Yet mascarpone cheese is only preferred for its extra smooth texture. You can use cream cheese and mascarpone cheese for salty and sweet dishes.

You might have heard mascarpone referred to as 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.

Once opened, mascarpone must be consumed within approximately 5-7 days when refrigerated, as it's prone to spoilage due to its high moisture and fat content. Left at room temperature, the cheese should be used within a few hours to prevent bacterial growth and maintain its quality.

Mascarpone cheese isn't very good to eat by itself (imagine eating a spoonful of butter), but it is perfect to use as an ingredient for savory and dessert recipes alike. Next time you want to try out a recipe calling for mascarpone cheese, give this recipe a try!

We even have instructions for making your very own mascarpone cheese—it's easier than you might think. And if you're still looking for ideas on how to use mascarpone, there's always the option of smearing it on crackers or seedy toast. Maybe add a dollop of jam, maybe not—this tangy cheese can shine all on its own.

To make this mascarpone substitute, mix together 12 ounces of room temperature cream cheese (1 ½ blocks) with ¼ cup of heavy whipping cream and ¼ cup of sour cream until combined. The whipping cream will cut some of the tanginess of cream cheese while mimicking mascarpone's smooth, velvety texture.

Does mascarpone taste like sour cream? ›

Mascarpone is a sweet Italian cream cheese that is versatile and delicious. At a quick glance, it seems similar to sour cream and crème fraîche, but it's a departure from its cultured lookalikes. While sour cream and crème fraîche are thick, tangy cultured dairy products, mascarpone is not cultured.

Serve it with fresh fruit, use it in cheesecakes, as a cake filling, or as a topping for desserts. It can be flavoured with various ingredients such as lemon or lime juice and zest, crushed nuts or dried fruits to add taste and texture.

Instead, it tastes slightly sweet and acidic at the same time. Plus, since mascarpone is much fattier than American cream cheese, it melts in your mouth as soon as you bite into it. Mascarpone is used in tiramisu and other creamy Italian desserts, but it's a lot more versatile than that.

If you overmix this cream, it will curdle and will ruin the creaminess of this cream. Let the mascarpone cheese come to room temperature before mixing, it will incorporate a lot easier.

Vitamins A, D, E, and K are fat-soluble vitamins. Mascarpone's high-fat content provides the vehicle these vitamins need to be absorbed in the body. Serving a carrot cake with mascarpone frosting, for example, will boost the bioavailability of the orange vegetables' vitamin A.

The Best Mascarpone Cheese Substitute

You can mimic the silky, decadent consistency of mascarpone with an easy DIY recipe. To make this mascarpone substitute, mix together 12 ounces of room temperature cream cheese (1 ½ blocks) with ¼ cup of heavy whipping cream and ¼ cup of sour cream until combined.

Mascarpone is a cream cheese with a 45+% of fat content. Ricotta is a dairy product made by precipitating albumine left in the whey, which is the cheese waste product, and it has a nearly 0% fat content. The two can't be used alternatively to each other.

Mascarpone is not dairy free. Mascarpone cheese is made from cow's milk. Mascarpone is not safe for those with a milk allergy.