How to Make Mascarpone at Home
Mascarpone is a rich, buttery, barely tangy fresh cheese made from cream. It is the heart of a proper tiramisu, and it is expensive to buy — which makes it a satisfying cheese to make yourself, especially because the method is little more than warming cream with acid and draining it.
What mascarpone actually is
Mascarpone is made from cream rather than milk, set with a small amount of acid (traditionally tartaric acid, often lemon juice at home) rather than rennet, and then drained. It is technically a fresh cheese, not a cream, though it behaves like an exceptionally thick cream.
Ingredients
- 600 ml double cream (heavy cream), not ultra-pasteurised if you can avoid it
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice, or 1/4 teaspoon tartaric acid dissolved in water
Method
- Pour the cream into a heatproof bowl and set it over a pan of barely simmering water.
- Heat gently to about 85°C / 185°F, stirring occasionally.
- Add the acid and stir gently for a minute. The cream will thicken slightly and coat the spoon.
- Remove from the heat and leave to cool to room temperature — it will thicken further as it cools.
- Line a sieve or colander with muslin and set it over a bowl. Pour in the cream.
- Refrigerate and drain for 12–24 hours, until thick and spoonable.
- Use straight away, or keep refrigerated for up to a week.
Why it can fail to thicken
Ultra-pasteurised cream sometimes refuses to set, and too little acid leaves it runny. If it stays loose after draining, you can drain it longer, or accept a slightly softer result — it will still work in a tiramisu, just with a softer set. Using fresher, less processed cream gives the most reliable result.
Using it
Beyond tiramisu, mascarpone folds into fruit desserts, enriches risotto and sauces, and can be whipped with a little sugar and vanilla for a quick fool. See our tiramisu recipe to put your homemade batch to work.
