Chocolate cupcakes topped with an easy mascarpone frosting. Mascarpone frosting is one of my favorite cupcake frostings because it’s light and sweet and very easy to make.
photo of chocolate cupcakes with frosting

I enjoy making cupcakes but when it comes to frosting, I’m usually not a fan and tend to stick to whipped cream frosting because it’s lighter and not too sweet. But recently I read about mascarpone frosting on Food Librarian and I was interested in trying it.

Mascarpone cheese is a type of Italian cheese that is very similar to cream cheese. I like the flavor and have used it in a few other recipes like my no bake tiramisu, so it made sense that it could be used as frosting, too.

photo of a cupcake sliced in half

What I like about it is that it’s easy to make and it’s not too sugary. The mascarpone cheese balances out the sugar nicely.

I also like that it’s stable and thick like cream cheese frosting. When I make whipped cream frosting it’s almost too light, so adding in the cheese makes it more stable and it’s easier to pipe onto the cupcakes.

You can use mascarpone frosting for all kinds of cupcakes and I opted to make chocolate ones as I thought they would pair well with it.

The recipe for the chocolate cupcakes is pretty standard and while I waited for them to cool, I made the mascarpone frosting.

Ingredients

  • 8 ounces mascarpone cheese
  • ½ cup powdered sugar
  • 1 cup heavy whipping cream

The original recipe says you should whip the cream and sugar together first and then fold in the cheese. I discovered you can just place all three ingredients in the mixer and mix them at a high speed until the frosting comes together and is thickened.

Once the cupcakes are cool you can pipe the frosting onto them. Like I mentioned, it’s very stable and holds well.

I really love how this frosting turned out. You can easily adjust the sugar, which I might do the next time as it will just a little sweeter than I prefer but overall, I loved it. This is saying a lot because it’s rare that I ooh and ahh over frosting!

If you want to try some other recipes with mascarpone cheese you should check out some of the other way’s I’ve used it:

photo of chocolate cupcakes with mascarpone frosting

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photo of chocolate cupcakes with frosting
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Chocolate Cupcakes

The chocolate cupcakes are topped with mascarpone frosting which is similar to cream cheese frosting.
Servings: 18 cupcakes
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
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Ingredients

For the Cupcakes

  • 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 cups sugar
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 3/4 tsp baking powder
  • 3/4 tsp salt
  • 2 large eggs
  • 3/4 cup warm water
  • 3/4 cup buttermilk
  • 3 tbsp safflower oil, I used vegetable oil
  • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp instant espresso powder, optional, but it helps bring out the chocolate

For the Frosting

  • 8 oz mascarpone cheese
  • 1/2 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 cup heavy whipping cream

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 350°F. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners; set aside. 
  • Sift together cocoa powder, flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into a large bowl. Add eggs, warm water (add espresso powder to water if using), buttermilk, oil, and vanilla, and mix until smooth, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides and bottom of bowl to assure batter is well mixed.
  • Divide batter evenly among muffin cups, filling each 2/3 full. Bake until tops spring back when touched, about 20 minutes, rotating pan once if needed. Transfer to a wire rack; let cool completely before frosting.

How to Make the Frosting

  • In a medium bowl all ingredients. Beat with mixer at high speed for a few minutes until mixture comes together, thickens and resembles frosting.

Notes

The nutrition information provided are only estimates based on an online nutritional calculator. This is not a comprehensive list of all the nutrients in the recipe (i.e., does not include vitamins, cholesterol, etc). I am not a certified nutritionist. Please consult a nutritionist or doctor for accurate information and any dietary restrictions and concerns you may have.
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