Homemade Mascarpone Cheese
Much easier to make than it might seem, homemade mascarpone is a tastier and less expensive alternative to a store-bought cheese. It’s marvelous with ripe summer berries, finally appeared at our farmer’s markets.
Makes about 12 oz
Ingredients:
- 500 ml whipping (36 %) pasteurized (not ultra-pasteurized), preferably organic cream
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
Preparation:
Bring 1 inch of water to a boil in a wide skillet. Reduce the heat to medium-low so the water is barely simmering. Pour the cream into a medium heat-resistant bowl, then place the bowl into the skillet. Heat the cream, stirring often, to 190 F. It will take about 15 minutes of delicate heating. Add the lemon juice and continue heating the mixture, stirring gently, until the cream curdles. Do not expect the same action as you see during ricotta cheese making. All that the whipping cream will do is become thicker, like a well-done crème anglaise. It will cover a back of your wooden spoon thickly. You will see just a few clear whey streaks when you stir. Remove the bowl from the water and let cool for about 20 minutes. Meanwhile, line a sieve with four layers of dampened cheesecloth and set it over a bowl. Transfer the mixture into the lined sieve. Do not squeeze the cheese in the cheesecloth or press on its surface (be patient, it will firm up after refrigeration time). Once cooled completely, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate (in the sieve) overnight or up to 24 hours.
The first time I made mascarpone I had all doubts if it’d been cooked enough, because of its custard-like texture. Have no fear, it will firm up beautifully in the fridge, and will yet remain lusciously creamy.
Thank you so much for this recipe. I can’t wait to try to make marscapone cheese by myself. I have been thoroughly enjoying your cheese recipes.
this is really interesting. I d like to try it :)
Does a double boiler work for this? It sounds to me like sitting the bowl in hot water is the dame concept.
This is sounds really interesting….will definitely try this….thank you so much for the recipe :)
Abby, Natalie, Swapna, thank you!
Charlotte, yes, it does. I personally prefer to use a skillet since I can fit a bowl of any size inside it, as well as not to worry about a bottom of the bowl touching boiling water. I like to see what’s going on and be able to control heat. This method works great for melting chocolate, cooking custards, for anything that requires a delicate heating.
Thanks for the nicely written instructions. I should try some cheese making again. I’ve had some successes and some failures, which are discouraging. I’m beginning to wonder if the milk I buy is ultra pasteurized without the label mentioning it. Ultra pasteurization ruins the milk or cream as far as cheese making goes.
Gorgeous photos and love the detailed recipe! I’ve made mascarpone at work before, but admit to being too lazy to make it at home.
Awesome! I really love that cheese.
Cheers,
Rosa
As Rosa said : awesome !!!!!!
I can’t wait to try this, use it for a strawberry tart for example
thanks Vera !
I had no clue you could make your own. It costs sooooo much at the grocery store
Mmm, luscious! It wold be nice to save some money, and increase the flavor just by doing this myself. Thanks for the instructions. :)
Kate
Wow! thank you so much for this recipe Vera! I love mascarpone cheese! Will definitely give this a try! :)
WOW - how fabulous! I have to try this!
Thank you so much for the recipe, Vera. Your instructions are superb; very concise and straightforward. I can’t wait to try it!! Will let you know how it turns out.
I never realized that making marscarpone was so simple! I can’t wait to try this. I’m so glad that you posted the recipe. Your marscarpone looks stunningly creamy and delicious.
I can’t believe how simple this is to make! I almost bought cheesecloth yesterday.. I really should have because everything else I have on hand. This would make a wonderful project with the kids. :)
Vera.
Does it mean that the bowl will sit inside the skillet and will be touching the water?
I think I’m just confused on that part.
Otherwise, seems pretty easy and I’m sure it’s delicious
Very interesting…love to try…great picture!
Thank you all for your kind comments!
Nadia, that’s exactly what I meant. The bowl will be sitting in the hot water.
So it’s that easy…good to know :)
Wow, I never thought of making homemade mascarpone, but now I’m glad I saw your post! I just made a homemade ricotta, and loved it! Also, great photos of the cheese..I couldn’t get a decent one to save my life - white white white!
Wow!!!! Mascarpone cheese, one of my favorites… I gonna try to do this….
Thank you so much, Vera for this one. We don’t get mascarpone cheese here and I’ve always wanted to make Tiramisu and never could.
Now I can do both! :D
Brilliant! I will try it for sure, thanks!
Been meaning to try homemade fresh cheese for the longest time. Love the pattern that the cheesecloth leaves on the cheese.
i tried your recipe at the weekend, Vera, and it turned out beautiful! i then used it to make a tiramisu which tasted so much nicer than usual! thanks so much again for the recipe! :)
WOW…gracias dear Vera. Dropped by to do a quick recheck on the ricotta which I’m making again…& found this! Bless you dear girl…xoxoxo
Tiramisu here I come, but next week!!
Vera, that is going to be so useful to me, you can’t imagine! Mascarpone is so expensive here… I have made ricotta at home and it was fabulous, I’ll be trying this recipe too!
Tks for sharing such precious tip!
I’m going to try this out soon, shame it will most likely work out more expensive than top quality shop bought for me though.
Thank you, guys, for your kind words!
Sherry, I’m so glad you liked it! Thanks for letting me know!
Patricia, I hope the mascarpone will turn out just as well :) I’m happy you liked the ricotta.
George, it is certainly a shame :) I probably wouldn’t bother if I could find a real top quality stuff in stores here.
[...] oz mascarpone cheese (homemade or store-bought), [...]
i tried making this mascarpone cheese last night and it turned out beautifully!
can’t wait to use it to make tiramisu!
Thanks for the recipe!!
Cathy, I am happy you liked the mascarpone! Thank you very much for a feedback!
Thanks for your recipe. Mascarpone cheese’s so expensive in my country. Thanks again.
cremosissimo…complimenti!
This is just brilliant! Here mascarpone cheese is soooo expensive. Everytime I longingly look at the tub of it and walk past. Now I can make some, thanks to you! YAY! :D
Just made it a few days ago for my father’s bday cake Vera. Paired it off with the choc genoise you’ve posted in the grappa cake. Best cake I’ve ever made. Fabulous recipes, both of them. Bless you dear Vera! You are inspirational!!
Hi Vera,
Must firstly compliment you on your work… You’ve got immense talent….. Great recipes and beautiful pictures to accompany them!
I’m from India. This recipe in particular caught my attention as, while we do get mascarpone cheese now in India, its very expensive and not very good quality. I’d love to try this recipe at home but do not get the kind of cream you have listed. Can we use normal full fat cream instead?? Please advise.
Thanks a ton!
Hi, Shibani!
Thank you for your compliments! You’re too kind!
As for the cream - yes, you can use it, but try to find the one with the highest fat content.
Thanks Vera.. :)
Shall try it with full fat cream and then report back to you!
Thanks again..:)
Wow! Vera thank you so much!
I love Tiramisu and have always been put off by the cost!
Will try…but I don’t have a thermometer…do you think approximation will suffice or shall i invest in one?
Thanks!
Vera,
I made the cheese using this recipe and made a Tiramisu cake out of it! Thank you!!
You can see it here : http://riascollection.blogspot.com/2009/09/tiramisu-cake-with-homemade-mascarpone.html
xx
Ria
[...] mascarpone is everywhere. I was utilizing the freshly made cheese; it is only wonderful when [...]
I’m making this now, I can’t wait to see how it turns out!
I’m debating on whether I should make this. I’ve never had marscarpone and am wondering what it tastes like. Is it similar to the taste of cream cheese or sour cream or what? I’ve never had ricotta either. Thanks for the lovely photos and great recipes!
Memoria, thank you. It is not similar. It’s very smooth in texture, mild-tasting - not salty or tangy. I could compare it to ricotta, but since you’ve never tried the ricotta either… I guess, the best way to find out is to make it.
Vera, I made it already, and it is sitting in the refrigerator. I chose to make mascarpone because it is less tangy, which is what I don’t like about sour cream and what I’ve heard about ricotta. Thank you so much for your help. I hope my mascarpone turns out right!
It came out perfectly! Thanks for a great recipe!
Hello,
did anyone here try making this with ultrapasteurised whipping cream?
Memoria, I’m glad you liked it :)
Ilya, you can make the mascarpone with the ultrapasteurized cream without any problem. I just like the flavor of the pasteurized cream better.
Wow, this works perfectly! So easy, and such a good deal compared with buying it in the store (I love mascarpone cheese, but it is SO expensive!). Awesome - I will definitely be doing this again! :)
[...] filling was a mixture of chestnut puree, fresh ricotta, mascarpone, grated bittersweet chocolate, toasted hazelnuts and a bit of dark rum. This is what I used for [...]
[...] Bonus option: Make your own ricotta and/or mascarpone cheese! http://lisamichele.wordpress.com/2009/05/04/eating-my-curds-and-ditching…; http://www.bakingobsession.com/2009/05/02/homemade-mascarpone-cheese/ [...]
[...] Make your own ricotta and/or mascarpone cheese! http://lisamichele.wordpress.com/2009/05/04/eating-my-curds-and-ditching…; http://www.bakingobsession.com/2009/05/02/homemade-mascarpone-cheese/ [...]
Vera?i have a question like the one Praveena asked, do you need a thermometer for this?or just the timing or approximation is enough?i really do wanna try making one since the store bought is so expensive, and also the part where you put the cheese in a sieve lined with cheesecloth that’s to remove the liquid?
Oops, it seems I missed Praveena’s question.
Marie, I would recommend to invest into a thermometer. A digital one costs about 10-15 dollars, but it will help you on many occasions in the future. The exact time is difficult to state, since it very much depends on the heat you are giving. Yes, the cheesecloth is used to remove the liquid and prevent the cheese coming through the holes of the sieve.
Oh! i also wanna ask if all purpose cream considered a pasteurized cream? because i can’t seem to find any cream here in the Philippines that labels pasteurized or ultra-pasteurized cream. Thank you very much Vera!:)
Marie, any cream with high fat content (33-36%) will work in this recipe.
thank you very much Vera:) love your website:), amazing recipe and i get to learn a lot:)
thanks! good description. have you ever tried using a sterilized handkerchief (boil and hang in sun to dry) instead of the cheesecloth? i find it easier to deal with and always have plenty sitting in my drawer…
[...] source of recipe: Baking Obsession [...]
Thankz…ill tryit this weekend =)
Hi, i’ve tried but i don’t know how much time after the lemon juice is added the cream has to heat?
Jesus, time can vary (it depends on the heat you are giving). Just heat until the cream thickens (curdles).