Stupid-Easy Recipe for Mascarpone Buttercream Frosting (#1 Top-Rated)

Satisfy your sweet tooth with this easy-to-make recipe for Mascarpone Buttercream Frosting.

1. Info for Mascarpone Buttercream Frosting

• Cook Time: 15 min
• Total Time: 15 min
• Servings: 12
• Calories: 276.4 kcal

2. Ingredients for Mascarpone Buttercream Frosting

• 1 cup unsalted butter (room temperature)
• 1/2 cup mascarpone cheese (room temperature)
• 1/2 vanilla bean (halved lengthwise and seeds removed)
• 3 1/4 cups confectioners’ sugar (sifted)
• 1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

3. Directions:

1. Make the mascarpone buttercream. While the cupcakes are cooling, make the buttercream. In a medium mixing bowl, add the butter, mascarpone cheese, and vanilla beans. Fit the KitchenAid® Hand Mixer with the beaters. Place the beaters into the mixture and turn to speed 4. Beat until the mixture is light and fluffy, 3-4 minutes. Stop the mixer. Add the confectioners’ sugar, salt, and vanilla extract. Place the beaters back into the bowl and turn to speed 2. Mix until all the confectioners’ sugar is incorporated and the mixture is creamy, 2-3 minutes. Stop the mixer to scrape the bowl and beaters as needed during mixing. Once creamy, turn the mixer to speed 5 and mix until the buttercream is light, airy, and soft, another 3-4 minutes. Halfway through the mixing process, scrape down the bowl using a spatula.
2. Assemble the cupcakes. Frost the cooled cupcakes as desired (either with a spreader, or with a piping bag).
3. Chef’s Notes: To scrape a vanilla bean, put the bean on a cutting surface. Using the tip of the paring knife, cut the bean lengthwise. Then, using the point, or edge of the knife, scrape the seeds loose from the pod and add to your recipe.
4. Chef’s Notes: To achieve a light texture for the buttercream, the butter and mascarpone cheese must be whipped to a light and fluffy consistency. It seems like a lot of mixing time, but the result yields a better product. If improperly mixed, the buttercream will be heavy and taste like butter.
5. Chef’s Notes: Buttercream can be made in advance and stored in an airtight container and stored in the fridge for up to 1 week, or can be kept in the freezer for up to 1 month. Re-warm to room temperature and re-whip before using.
6. Mix It Up! Buttercream is extremely versatile. Try one of these other variations:
7. Boozy Buttercream – 2 Tbsp. Of your favorite liquor. Add liquor to the buttercream when adding the vanilla extract.
8. Spiced Buttercream – 1/4 tsp. Ground cinnamon, 1/8 tsp. Ground ginger, 1/8 tsp. Ground cloves. Add ingredients to the buttercream when adding the vanilla extract.
9. Coffee Buttercream with Shaved Chocolate – 1/2 tsp. Coffee extract, 1/4 cup dark chocolate, shaved. Add the coffee extract to the buttercream when adding the vanilla extract. Add the shaved chocolate during the last minute of whipping the buttercream.
10. For a lesser known, but equally delicious option, give German Buttercream a try – butter is whipped with pastry cream. The result is a buttercream that tastes like whipped vanilla pudding. Pastry Cream for German Buttercream – 1 cup whole milk, 1/2 vanilla bean (halved lengthwise), 2 large egg yolks, 1 large whole egg, 2 1/2 tsp. Cornstarch, 1/8 tsp. Fine sea salt, 1/2 tsp. Pure vanilla extract. Directions: In a medium saucepan add the whole milk, vanilla pod and seeds, and ¼ cup of the sugar. Set aside. In a medium mixing bowl add the remaining ¼ cup sugar, egg yolks, whole egg, cornstarch, and salt. Whisk until thoroughly combined. Set aside. Place the saucepan over a stove set to medium heat. Whisk frequently until the sugar dissolves and the mixture comes to a simmer, 2-3 minutes. Remove from the heat and discard the vanilla pod.  Pour ½ of the hot milk mixture into the egg mixture, whisking the egg mixture as you stream in the milk (this will keep the eggs from scrambling). Whisk until smooth and pour through a fine mesh strainer back into the remaining hot milk in the saucepan. Whisk until smooth. Place the saucepan back onto the stove and turn to medium heat. Cook, whisking constantly, until the custard turns thick and is a bit lumpy, 1.5-2 minutes. As soon as the custard begins to bubble, continue to cook for 1 more minute to cook off the starch. Note: cooked pastry cream should read 200ºF/93ºC on a thermometer. Remove the pot from the heat and whisk in the vanilla extract. Pour the pastry cream into a medium, shallow container (to help speed the cooling process) and place a piece of plastic wrap on top of the pastry cream to prevent it from forming a skin. Place in the fridge until the pastry cream has thickened and cooled to room temperature, about 1 hour. Once the pastry cream has cooled, remove from the fridge and set aside. In a medium mixing bowl, add the butter (omit the mascarpone cheese for this recipe). Fit the hand mixer with beaters. Place the beaters in the butter and turn to speed 4. Beat until the butter is light and fluffy, 3-4 minutes. Then, while mixing, add the pastry cream a Tablespoon at a time until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Stop the mixer to scrape the bowl and beaters as needed during mixing. Once creamy, turn the mixer up to speed 4 and mix until the buttercream is light, airy, and soft, another 3-4 minutes.

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