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    Home / Cake basics / Frosting & filling

    Lemon Mascarpone Frosting

    Last update: Jun 4, 2024 Published: May 27, 2024 by Fadela This post may contain affiliate links

    Jump to Recipe·Print Recipe·5 from 1 review

    Savor the creamy, fluffy goodness of this lemon mascarpone frosting, infused with tangy lemon curd. Whether topping a lemon mascarpone cake or jazzing up lemon cupcakes, its irresistible sweet and tangy flavor is sure to leave you wanting more.

    Cupcakes topped with lemon mascarpone frosting
    Jump to:
    • Why you'll love this recipe
    • Ingredients Notes
    • Lemon Mascarpone Frosting Step-By-Step Instructions
    • How To Use This Lemon Frosting
    • Best tips for this recipe
    • Storage instructions
    • Variations & Substitutions
    • Recipe Questions
    • More Mascarpone Frostings
    • Lemon Mascarpone Frosting

    This lemon mascarpone frosting is a must-try for all lemon lovers! It's a delightful, light, and indulgent topping made with my favorite mascarpone whipped cream frosting infused with my rich and intense lemon curd for a perfect balance of tangy and sweet flavors.

    Super easy to whip up at home, it takes just 3 minutes, and you can use it to fill cake layers in a lemon layer cake, like this lemon meringue cake or like strawberry lemonade cake, or as frosting for cupcakes, such as lemon mascarpone cupcakes.

    Its texture is smooth and creamy like whipped cream, but with a firmer consistency, while the lemon curd adds a tangy touch that perfectly balances its flavor.

    Why you'll love this recipe


    • Easy Recipe: Simple preparations to make at home with my tips and tricks for foolproof success.
    • Lemony Flavor: Infused with a concentrated lemon cream for a sweet and tangy taste.
    • Light and Fluffy: Perfect cake filling, topping a fruit tart, in individual desserts, or topping cupcakes with a piping bag.

    Craving for more lemon dessert recipes? Give these a try: Easy 2-min Lemon glaze, whole egg lemon curd, lemon pound cake, lemon cream pie,

    Ingredients Notes

    You need these ingredients to make this lemon whipped cream frosting:

    • Mascarpone cream: Use col and full-fat mascarpone cheese.
    • Heavy cream: Use full-fat heavy cream or heavy whipping cream with at least 30-35% fat content.
    • Powdered sugar: Sifter or blend granulated sugar in a blender or Thermomix if you don't have any.
    • Vanilla extract: Pure vanilla extract or half a vanilla bean.
    • Lemon curd: Either homemade made from egg yolks, fresh lemon juice, lemon zest, granulated sugar and unsalted butter or store-bought lemon curd.
    bowls with ingredients

    Lemon Mascarpone Frosting Step-By-Step Instructions

    Here are some quick visual instructions. Don't forget that the full instructions with the exact ingredients can be found in the main recipe card below!

    Make Lemon curd

    Step 1: Place the egg yolks, granulated sugar, lemon juice, and zest in a heatproof bowl.

    Step 2: Cook over a double boiler until thickened. Remove from heat, add the pieces of butter, mix to incorporate, then let the lemon cream cool.

    medium bowl with sugar and egg yolks
    medium bowl with lemon mixture

    Whip Lemon Frosting

    Step 3: Place all the ingredients in a large bowl: cold mascarpone, cold heavy cream, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and cooled lemon curd.

    Step 4: Whip with an electric mixer at medium speed or in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment for about 2 minutes until you achieve a smooth and firm frosting.

    Enjoy! Use immediately to fill or decorate your desserts, or refrigerate.

    mixing bowl with ingredients
    mixing bowl with lemon frosting

    How To Use This Lemon Frosting

    • Lemon Cupcakes: Frost freshly baked lemon cupcakes generously with lemon curd mascarpone frosting for a burst of citrus flavor.
    • Lemon Cake: Use the frosting to sandwich together layers of moist lemon cake, creating a beautifully decadent lemon curd cake or limoncello cake.
    • Lemon Tart: Spread the frosting over a pre-baked lemon tart for a creamy and tangy topping like a lemon curd tart or lemon meringue tarts.
    • Berries Parfait: Layer the frosting with fresh berries and granola in individual serving glasses.
    • Lemon Muffins: Top lemon muffins or these lemon poppy seed muffins with a dollop of frosting.
    • Lemon Bars: Dollop the frosting on top of homemade lemon bars before serving.
    • Scones: Spread the frosting on warm lemon scones.
    • Lemon Cheesecake: Use the frosting as a topping for a homemade lemon cheesecake.
    cupcakes with lemon wipped cream frosting

    Best tips for this recipe

    • Use cold ingredients: Make sure the mascarpone, heavy cream, and lemon curd are all cold before you begin; you can place the bowl in the freezer for 10 minutes beforehand.
    • Concentrated lemon curd: Opt for a lemon curd made with egg yolks for a thicker, richer, and more concentrated texture.
    • Whip with a hand mixer: Use an electric mixer rather than a stand mixer to keep an eye on the texture and avoid overwhipping, which can result in a grainy texture
    • Chill: Refrigerate your filled or decorated cakes with this frosting for at least 1 hour before serving.

    Storage instructions

    In the fridge: Store your frosting in the refrigerator for about 3 days, covered with plastic wrap or in an airtight container. Give it a good whisk before using it again.

    Freezing: Your cakes topped and decorated with this frosting can be stored in the freezer for up to 2 months. However, the frosting alone cannot be frozen; its texture will be altered after thawing, and it won't whip properly.

    Variations & Substitutions

    • Lemon mascarpone cake covering: Instead, use this mascarpone frosting flavored with a touch of lemon curd to cover the outside of the cake.
    • Lemon zest: Add extra lemon zest to the frosting to enhance the lemony flavor.
    • Lemon juice: For a simple mascarpone whipped cream with lemon juice, add the juice of about half a lemon, approximately 25 ml and some lemon extract.
    • Lime: Replace the yellow lemons with limes in this recipe.
    • Lemon cream cheese frosting: Replace the mascarpone with cream cheese to make a whipped cream cheese frosting like this upcoming lemon curd cream cheese frosting.
    • Berry Swirl: Gently fold in a spoonful of mixed berry compote or fresh mashed berries for a fruity twist.

    Recipe Questions

    Can I make this frosting ahead of time?

    Even if it's better to make it at the last minute, it's possible to prepare it in advance and keep it in the fridge for up to 2 days or whip it until you get soft peaks, then give it a boost before using it until stiff peaks.

    Can I freeze this frosting?

    While the frosted cakes can be frozen, the frosting itself does not freeze well. Its texture may become grainy after thawing.

    Can I adjust the lemon flavor in the frosting?

    Yes, you can adjust the lemon flavor by adding more or less lemon curd or lemon juice according to your preference.

    Can I substitute mascarpone cheese with cream cheese?

    While mascarpone cheese provides a unique flavor and texture, you can substitute it with cream cheese for a slightly different taste.

    Can I color this frosting?

    Yes, you can add food coloring like yellow food coloring to achieve a more vibrant color desired color. Gel food coloring or powdered food coloring works best as it won't affect the consistency of the frosting.

    More Mascarpone Frostings

    • Nutella Mascarpone Whipped Cream Frosting
    • Blueberry Frosting
    • Raspberry Whipped Cream Frosting
    • Fresh Strawberry Whipped Cream
    cupcakes in table topped with lemon mascarpone whipped cream frosting

    I hope you love this lemon mascarpone whipped cream frosting. If you make it, be sure to leave a comment and a rating so I know how you liked it. Happy Baking!

    Print
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    Lemon Mascarpone Frosting


    5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

    5 from 1 review

    • Author: Fadela
    • Total Time: 20 minutes
    • Yield: 10 portio
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    Description

    Make this creamy and light lemon-flavored mascarpone whipped cream, infused with lemon curd, perfect for filling a cake or topping cupcakes, tarts, and more. (Enough to decorate 10 cupcakes, fill 3 cake layers or a 10-inch tart).


    Ingredients

    • 200 g (7 oz) Mascarpone cheese - cold
    • 200 ml ( ¾ cup) Heavy cream - full fat and cold
    • 80-100 g (⅓ to ½ cup Lemon curd 
    • 50 g (½ cup) Powdered sugar 
    • 1 tsp vanilla extract

    Instructions

    1. Place the cold mascarpone, cold heavy cream, cold lemon curd, sifted powdered sugar, and vanilla extract into a large mixing bowl.
    2. Beat with an electric mixer on low to medium speed for about 2 minutes until you achieve a smooth and firm frosting.
    3. Use immediately to fill or decorate your cakes, or refrigerate.

    Equipment

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    Fine mesh strainer

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    Hand mixer

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    Stand mixer

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    Notes

    Storage: Up to 3 days in the refrigerator covered with plastic wrap or in an airtight container.

    Tips:

    Use well-chilled ingredients. You can place the mixing bowl with all the ingredients in the freezer for 10 minutes before whipping.

    Start beating at low speed and gradually increase the speed if needed until you achieve the desired texture (be careful not to overwhip to avoid making the frosting grainy).

    • Prep Time: 15 minutes
    • Cook Time: 5 minutes
    • Category: frosting, fillings, cream
    • Cuisine: American

    Nutrition

    • Serving Size: 1 portion
    • Calories: 144
    • Sugar: 5.2 g
    • Sodium: 14.3 mg
    • Fat: 12.9 g
    • Carbohydrates: 5.7 g
    • Protein: 1.7 g
    • Cholesterol: 37.2 mg

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    Comments

    1. Farida

      May 31, 2024 at 11:00 am

      Perfect! It's not too lemony and really light. I'm going to use it in a cake along with a layer of curd. Thanks for the recipe 🙂

      Reply

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