Vegan Mascarpone Cream with Marsala and Toasted Hazelnuts, Reinterpreted | Crema di Mascarpone Vegana al Marsala Rivisitata
Crema al mascarpone is the rich, velvety cream that Italians spoon beside a slice of panettone at Christmas and layer between coffee-soaked biscuits in tiramisù. The classic crema al mascarpone is made with mascarpone, sugar and egg yolks, often lightened with beaten egg whites; this version is a vegan reinterpretation of it. On its own, served cold in a glass, it is one of the most elegant spoon desserts of the Italian table. It builds a mascarpone from scratch: cashews soaked and blended with coconut cream and a touch of cocoa butter, then lightly cultured with plant yogurt until it gains the delicate tang and dense, buttery body of dairy mascarpone. Sweetened, perfumed with vanilla and Marsala and lightened with whipped aquafaba, it becomes a cream that is silky, airy and deeply flavored, finished with toasted hazelnuts and a dusting of cocoa for contrast.
Yield: 6 servings. Prep: 40 minutes, plus 8 hours soaking. Cook: 25 minutes for the aquafaba reduction and the hazelnuts. Rest: 12 hours culturing and setting, 2 hours chilling. Course: dolce. Region: all of Italy.
The Story
Mascarpone is a cream cheese of Lombardy, traditionally associated with the lowlands around Lodi and Abbiategrasso, south of Milan, where dairy farming has shaped the landscape for centuries. It is made by heating cream and setting it with a food acid, such as citric or tartaric acid, then draining it until thick. Unlike most cheeses, it is not aged and contains no rennet, which is why it keeps the sweet, fresh flavor of cream. The origin of its name is uncertain: some link it to mascherpa or mascarpa, dialect words used in Lombardy for dairy products, while a popular story derives it from a Spanish exclamation, but none of these theories is proven.
For a long time mascarpone was a seasonal product, made in the cold months because it spoiled quickly in warm weather. That seasonality is the reason it became tied to winter and to Christmas. In Lombardy and across northern Italy, crema al mascarpone, made by beating mascarpone with sugar and egg yolks and often flavored with a liqueur or a sweet wine, is the traditional companion of panettone and pandoro during the holidays. Every family has its version: with rum, with Marsala, with amaretto, or simply with vanilla.
In the second half of the twentieth century the same cream became the heart of tiramisù, and through that dessert mascarpone traveled around the world. Yet the cream on its own remains a classic of Italian homes, served in small glasses after Sunday lunch, with dry biscuits for dipping, or spooned over fresh fruit. Marsala, the fortified wine of western Sicily, is one of its oldest partners: its notes of dried fruit, almond and caramel give depth to the mild sweetness of the cream and link two very different corners of Italy.
The classic crema al mascarpone is not vegan: mascarpone is a dairy cheese and the cream is lightened with egg yolks and often beaten egg whites. This recipe replaces each element. Soaked cashews and solid coconut cream, blended and cultured with a spoonful of unsweetened plant yogurt, give the dense texture and gentle tang of mascarpone; cocoa butter sets it firm in the refrigerator. Whipped aquafaba takes the place of the beaten egg whites and brings the airiness of the original. The flavors stay faithful to tradition: vanilla, Marsala, a hint of lemon and the toasted hazelnuts of Piedmont.
Ingredients
Use raw, unsalted cashews, whole or in large pieces, and soak them well: they must blend to an absolutely smooth cream with no grain. Choose full-fat coconut cream with at least 22 percent fat, chilled so the solid part can be separated. The plant yogurt must be plain, unsweetened and contain live cultures, because the cultures produce the tang. Marsala varies in style: a Marsala Superiore or Vergine has more complexity than a cooking Marsala. Many wines are fined with animal products, so choose a bottle labeled vegan or confirmed as vegan by the producer. Hazelnuts from Piedmont, sold as Nocciola Piemonte IGP, have a sweet, intense aroma once toasted.
For the cashew mascarpone
Raw cashews, unsalted, 1 1/2 cups (200 g), soaked in water for 8 hours
Full-fat coconut cream, chilled, solid part only, 2/3 cup (160 g)
Deodorized cocoa butter, 1 oz (28 g)
Unsweetened plant yogurt with live cultures, 2 tbsp (30 g)
Lemon juice, 2 tsp (10 ml)
Fine sea salt, 1 pinch
Cold water, 2 to 4 tbsp (30 to 60 ml), as needed
For the cream
Powdered sugar, 1/2 cup (60 g)
Vanilla bean, seeds of 1/2
Marsala Superiore, certified vegan, 3 tbsp (45 ml)
Organic lemon, finely grated zest of 1/4
For the whipped aquafaba
Aquafaba, from 1 can of chickpeas, 3/4 cup (180 ml), reduced to 1/3 cup (80 ml)
Cream of tartar, 1 pinch
Superfine sugar, 2 tbsp (24 g)
For the garnish
Hazelnuts, 1/2 cup (70 g)
Unsweetened cocoa powder, 1 tbsp (5 g)
Vegan dark chocolate, 70 percent, 1 oz (28 g), for shavings
Vegan crisp biscuits, 6, optional, for serving
Preparation
Step 1
Blend the cashew base. Drain and rinse the soaked cashews. Melt the cocoa butter over barely simmering water to about 105°F (40°C). In a high-speed blender, combine the cashews, the solid coconut cream, the melted cocoa butter, the lemon juice, the salt and 2 tbsp (30 ml) of cold water. Blend on high for 2 to 3 minutes, stopping to scrape the sides, until the mixture is completely smooth and thick, like a dense cream; add water a spoonful at a time only if the blades stall. Rub a little between your fingers: there should be no grain at all. Smoothness is decided here, because no later step can remove a gritty texture.
Step 2
Culture the mascarpone. Transfer the base to a clean glass bowl and stir in the plant yogurt. Cover with a clean towel and leave it at warm room temperature, about 75°F (24°C), for 8 to 10 hours, until it tastes slightly tangy and smells fresh and lactic. Then cover tightly and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, until firm. The live cultures ferment part of the natural sugars of the cashews and produce lactic acid, which gives the mild sourness of real mascarpone; the cocoa butter crystallizes in the cold and sets the cheese to a dense, spreadable body.
Step 3
Reduce and chill the aquafaba. Simmer the aquafaba gently in a small saucepan, uncovered, for 15 to 20 minutes, until it has reduced to about 1/3 cup (80 ml) and has the body of a light syrup. Cool it, then refrigerate until cold. Reduction concentrates the dissolved proteins and starches of the chickpeas, so the foam forms faster, holds better and loses the faint legume taste that unreduced aquafaba can leave in a delicate cream.
Step 4
Toast the hazelnuts. Heat the oven to 340°F (170°C). Spread the hazelnuts on a baking sheet and toast them for 10 to 12 minutes, until the skins crack and the nuts are golden inside. Wrap them in a towel for 1 minute, then rub them vigorously to remove most of the skins. Chop them coarsely, keeping some halves for the top. Toasting develops the sweet, roasted aromas of the hazelnut through browning reactions, and removing the skins takes away their bitterness.
Step 5
Sweeten and flavor the mascarpone. Put the cold cultured mascarpone in a bowl and beat it with a spatula or a paddle at low speed for 30 seconds to soften it. Add the powdered sugar, the vanilla seeds and the lemon zest and beat until smooth. Add the Marsala a tablespoon at a time, beating after each addition, so the cream absorbs the liquid without loosening. The cream should be thick, glossy and hold a soft shape on the spatula. Taste: the Marsala should be clearly present, warm and aromatic, but not sharp.
Step 6
Whip the aquafaba. In a perfectly clean, grease-free bowl, whip the cold reduced aquafaba with the cream of tartar at medium speed for 1 minute, until foamy. Increase to high speed and add the superfine sugar a spoonful at a time, then whip for 4 to 5 minutes more, until the foam is thick, glossy and holds stiff peaks. Cream of tartar strengthens the protein network, and gradual sugar keeps the foam stable. This foam plays the role of the beaten egg whites in a classic crema al mascarpone, adding lightness without diluting the flavor.
Step 7
Fold, fill and chill. Stir one third of the aquafaba foam into the mascarpone cream to loosen it, then fold in the rest gently with a large silicone spatula, cutting through the center and lifting from the bottom, until just uniform. Spoon or pipe the cream into six small glasses, about 1/2 cup (100 g) each, tap them gently on a folded towel to level the surface, cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. The rest allows the cocoa butter to set the folded cream again, so it becomes firm enough to hold a spoon upright while staying light.
Plating
Take the glasses out of the refrigerator 5 minutes before serving, so the cream loses its hardest chill and opens up in flavor. Dust the surface with a thin, even layer of cocoa powder through a fine sieve, then scatter a spoonful of chopped toasted hazelnuts over each glass and place two or three hazelnut halves in the center. Finish with a few curls of dark chocolate shaved with a vegetable peeler.
Serve the cream at about 45°F (7°C), with a crisp vegan biscuit on the side or, in the Christmas season, beside a slice of vegan panettone. The guest eats it with a teaspoon, breaking through the bitter cocoa and the crunchy hazelnuts into the cold, silky cream, where the Marsala opens slowly on the palate.
Professional Technique
The key ratio is the fat structure of the mascarpone. For 200 g of cashews, 160 g of solid coconut cream and 28 g of cocoa butter give a set cheese that is dense like mascarpone but not hard. More cocoa butter makes the cream firm and waxy; less makes it soft and difficult to fold without losing shape. The aquafaba foam should be about one third of the volume of the finished cream: enough to lighten, not so much that the cream tastes thin.
The hidden variable is the culturing time. A short fermentation of 6 hours gives a sweet, mild cream; 10 hours gives a more pronounced tang, close to a fresh cultured cheese. Warmth speeds the process, cold slows it down. Taste the base after 6 hours and stop when it reaches the acidity you prefer, remembering that the sugar and Marsala will soften the tang.
The doneness test for the finished cream is the spoon: pushed into the glass, it should stand upright for a moment before leaning. The surface should be smooth and matte under the cocoa, never wet or separated.
Fat and Texture Control
Real mascarpone owes its texture to a very high fat content and to the fine dispersion of that fat in a small amount of water. The vegan version imitates this with three fats. Cashews give a creamy body full of fine particles and a neutral, slightly sweet taste. Coconut fat gives richness and coldness on the tongue. Cocoa butter, solid well above room temperature, gives the firm set. Blended at high speed, the three form a stable emulsion with the water of the coconut cream and the lemon juice.
Temperature controls that emulsion at every stage. If the base is too warm when blending, the cocoa butter stays liquid and the mixture may look oily; a short rest in the refrigerator and a second blending restore it. Cold from the refrigerator, the cultured mascarpone is firm and must be softened briefly before adding sugar and Marsala, otherwise it forms lumps that later appear as small specks in the cream.
Liquids are the main risk. Marsala, lemon juice and any other liquid loosen the cream, and too much at once breaks the emulsion and the cream separates. Add liquids slowly and beat after each addition. If the cream starts to look grainy, stop adding liquid, chill it for 15 minutes and beat it again gently.
Professional Mise en Place
This is a cream of patience, not of effort: soaking, culturing and setting take most of the time. Start two days before serving, and keep the final folding for the morning of service.
Equipment and tools
High-speed blender, glass bowl, clean kitchen towel
Stand mixer or hand mixer with whisk, perfectly clean bowl for the aquafaba
Small saucepan, baking sheet, large silicone spatula, fine sieve
Digital scale, instant-read thermometer, six small glasses, vegetable peeler
Prepared ahead
Cashews soaked for 8 hours, drained and rinsed
Cashew mascarpone cultured and set, up to 3 days ahead
Aquafaba reduced and chilled, up to 3 days ahead
Hazelnuts toasted, skinned and chopped, up to 5 days ahead, in an airtight jar
Service setup
Glasses of cream in the refrigerator, covered
Cocoa in a fine sieve, hazelnuts, chocolate and peeler on the pass
Biscuits or slices of vegan panettone ready on a board
Chef Tips
If you do not have a high-speed blender, soak the cashews for 12 hours and simmer them for 10 minutes before blending. The softer nuts blend much more smoothly, and the cream will still be perfectly fine, though slightly less dense.
For a cream to layer in a vegan tiramisù or a cake, skip the aquafaba and use the sweetened, flavored mascarpone alone. It is firmer and holds better between layers soaked in coffee or syrup.
Replace the Marsala with dark rum, amaretto-style almond liqueur or a sweet Vin Santo for different versions; for children, use a strong cold espresso or orange juice with a little zest. Always add the liquid gradually, as with the Marsala.
Make the cashew mascarpone in a double batch. Unsweetened, it is an excellent base for many savory and sweet dishes, from stuffed figs to a spread on toast with a drizzle of good olive oil and sea salt.
Common Mistakes
Under-soaking the cashews. Hard cashews never blend smooth, and the cream feels gritty. Soak them for at least 8 hours, or simmer them briefly.
Using sweetened or flavored plant yogurt. Sugar and flavorings disturb the culture and the taste. Use plain, unsweetened yogurt with live cultures.
Culturing in a cold kitchen. Below 68°F (20°C) the cultures work very slowly and the cream stays flat. Place the bowl in a warm spot, such as an oven with only the light on.
Adding all the Marsala at once. The emulsion breaks and the cream turns grainy. Add it a tablespoon at a time and beat after each one.
Using unreduced aquafaba. It whips weakly and leaves a chickpea taste. Reduce it to less than half its volume.
Folding too vigorously. The foam collapses and the cream becomes heavy. Fold gently and stop as soon as it is uniform.
Serving straight from the refrigerator. The cream tastes muted and feels hard. Let it rest for 5 minutes at room temperature before serving.
Wine Pairing
Marsala DOC: The fortified wine of western Sicily, with dried fruit, almond and caramel, served alongside the cream it flavors. Choose a sweet Superiore of the same style used in the recipe, certified vegan, so cream and glass speak the same language. Serve it at about 57°F (14°C).
Vin Santo del Chianti Classico DOC: The amber dessert wine of Tuscany, made from grapes dried for months, with notes of dried apricot, walnut and caramel. Its nutty depth echoes the toasted hazelnuts and frames the rich cream. Serve it at about 57°F (14°C).
Passito di Pantelleria DOC: From the volcanic island between Sicily and Tunisia, a sweet wine from dried Zibibbo grapes with apricot jam, dates and orange peel. Its intense sweetness and fresh acidity stand up to the density of the cream. Serve it at about 54°F (12°C).
Recioto di Soave DOCG: A sweet white from the Veneto, made from dried Garganega grapes, with candied citrus, almond and acacia. Its lively acidity cleans the palate after each spoonful and suits the vanilla and lemon notes of the cream. Serve it at about 50°F (10°C).
Storage & Reheating
Refrigerator: the finished cream keeps for up to 3 days in covered glasses at 40°F (4°C) or below; add the cocoa, hazelnuts and chocolate only at the moment of serving, because they absorb moisture. The unsweetened cashew mascarpone keeps for 5 days in a sealed container. Freezer: the plain cashew mascarpone freezes well for up to 2 months; thaw it overnight in the refrigerator and beat it smooth before use. The finished cream with aquafaba does not freeze well, because the foam loses its structure when thawed.
This dessert is never reheated. If the cream has firmed too much after a day in the refrigerator, leave it at room temperature for 10 minutes before serving. If a little liquid has separated on the surface, blot it gently with paper towel and dust with fresh cocoa.
Nutrition
Per serving, based on 6 servings:
Calories: 430 kcal
Total Fat: 30 g
Saturated Fat: 13 g
Trans Fat: 0 g
Unsaturated Fat: 17 g
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Sodium: 60 mg
Total Carbohydrates: 32 g
Fiber: 3 g
Total Sugars: 19 g
Added Sugars: 16 g
Protein: 8 g
Principal micronutrients: copper, magnesium, manganese, vitamin E, iron, zinc
These figures are estimates, calculated on the quantities listed and rounded to the nearest whole number. They vary with the brand of coconut cream and plant yogurt, the sweetness of the Marsala and the amount of garnish.
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