This Chocolate Mascarpone Frosting is silky, indulgent, and unexpectedly light, perfect for spreading or piping. With just mascarpone, cocoa powder, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, salt and a drizzle of cream, it whips up in minutes into a spreadable magic that sets beautifully. Rich yet balanced, it's a decadent topping that elevates any cake or cupcake.

chocolate mascarpone butter in a glass mixing bowl on a white marble surface with a light blue linen

This creamy chocolate frosting is made with butter and mascarpone cheese for an incredibly beautiful creamy, chocolate buttercream. You may assume it tastes similar to a cream cheese-based frosting but trust me, it is oh so much better.

I adore mascarpone cheese in so many desserts, especially tiramisu! I used this chocolate mascarpone frosting on top of my yellow cake recipe, it was divine! The perfect birthday cake. That cake recipe is made with buttermilk and sour cream for a ridiculously rich and delicious cake. The perfect birthday cake.

Add this to take your layer cakes to the next level. This is my all-time favorite chocolate cake recipe.

Why Mascarpone Makes Frosting Luxurious

After testing this recipe a few times I found a few notes to point out:

Mascarpone Cheese. Provides a rich, creamy base that tastes lighter than buttercream, while still offering luxurious texture and tang.
Confectioners Sugar. Sweetens and stabilizes the frosting while keeping its soft, smooth consistency. You can use more sugar if you want a thicker frosting.
Cocoa Powder. I prefer Dutch-process- Bensdorp Cocoa Powder for the smoother, richer flavor. But you can use natural cocoa powder. Just make sure it is unsweetened cocoa powder. You could use dark chocolate cocoa powder for a more intense chocolate flavor
Heavy Cream. Just a splash enhances the frosting's spreadability and gives it a lighter, fluffier texture without thinning it too much.

For ingredient quantities please reference the recipe card below. On the recipe card there is a button for US or M (Metric) measurements.

Chocolate + Mascarpone = Frosting Bliss

whipped butter and softened mascarpone in a metal bowl on a white marble surface with a light blue linen — Beat the butter for 2 to 3 minutes on medium to high speed. The mixture should be light and fluffy.

butter and mascarpone whipped together until light and fluffy in a metal mixing bowl on a white marble surface with a light blue linen — Add the mascarpone and mix for another minute or two to combine.

cocoa powder and confectioners sugar sifted into frosting mixture in an metal bowl on a white marble surface with a light blue linen — Add the cocoa powder and half of the confectioner's sugar and beat for one minute until combined.

powdered sugar whipped into mascarpone buttercream in a metal bowl on a white marble surface with a light blue linen — Increase the speed to medium-high and beat for two more minutes.

cream, vanilla and remaining confectioner's sugar added to metal mixing bowl on a white marble surface with a light blue linen — Add in the remaining confectioner's sugar, salt, vanilla extract, and cream.

chocolate mascarpone frosting in a metal mixing bowl on a white marble surface with a light blue linen — Mix for a few minutes until soft and combined.

close up of chocolate mascarpone frosting in a glass bowl on a white marble surface with a light blue surface — Use the frosting right away or store it.

★★★★★ Please let me know if you make this recipe by leaving a star rating and comment below!

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Recipe Card