Mascarpone frosting is made from the incredibly rich and creamy Italian mascarpone cheese. The cheese has a high milk-fat content (usually between 65%-75%) and is best known for its delicious place in tiramisu. Of course, the cheese can also be used to make a scrumptious mascarpone frosting to top off cakes, cupcakes, or even cookies. Although recipes abound on the internet - don't get out your mixing bowl until you've read these important tips.

Mixing Mascarpone Frosting the Right Way

Mascarpone can be used right out of the fridge but it is much easier to work with if it's brought to room temperature first. So, although you might be impatient, hold out just a little longer and wait for your cheese to soften a bit before mixing your frosting. Once your cheese is ready to go make sure you don't overwork it while mixing. The mascarpone can separate during the mixing and become granular- detracting from the ultimate taste of your frosting.

Alternatives to Mascarpone Frosting

Cream cheese can be used as a replacement in a mascarpone frosting recipe although the frosting will have a slightly different flavor to it. Ambitious chefs should also try experimenting with their recipes by adding chocolate, lemon, or even ginger flavoring for an especially unique concoction.

Can Mascarpone Frosting Be Frozen?

It's best to plan ahead and create only as much frosting as you'll need. Since mascarpone is a soft cheese it has a tendency to change texture when frozen. This is due to the high fat content of the cheese - as the water within the cheese freezes it pushes the fat molecules within apart. If you must freeze your mascarpone, try whisking it once it has thawed a little to make it creamy again.

Frosting Your Cake

After you've gone through all the trouble of baking a cake and whipping up a batch of icing - make sure to take a few preparatory steps for the perfect dessert. Make sure the cake has cooled completely before adding on the mascarpone frosting or else it will melt. Also, cut off any burnt edges on the cake and fill in those spots with your frosting. An alternative to globbing on your icing with a knife is to use a piping bag for fancy shapes. Just pop your mascarpone in an icing bag and decorate the tops of your cupcakes or the edges of your cake with dollops of delicious frosting.

Alicia J. is an expert cake decorator with a passion for helping others create their own perfect cake. Learn more about cake decorating, frostings, and icings at Alicia's website: http://icingforpiping.com/

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Roasting involves cooking with heat that is dry. You can use an oven or an electric roasting pan. The top or the bottom of the food is caramelized to enhance the flavor of the food. The heat is indirect and diffused heat which means the meat cooks slower. Usually red meat like steak or a rump roast is cooked this way. When you refer to roast, this means the meat is a large piece and is uncooked. Because it is whole and uncooked, cooking times are much longer. Vegetables and other meats like lamb and chicken can also be cooked using this method. A rotisserie can also be used for this purpose.

When you cook food using this method, you can use a pan and a rack and put it into the oven. This helps to apply the heat evenly. The heat is revolved around the ingredient so all sides are uniform. Any type of meet can be process at low, high or combo of both temperatures. Use your judgment appropriately based on the ingredient because some cook faster than others. Chicken is a good example because it cooks faster than beef or lamb.

When you cook at low temperature, the oven should be around 200 to 325 degrees Fahrenheit, equivalent to 95 to 160 degrees Celsius. This is ideal for a large amount of meat or poultry such as chicken and also turkey. This process is called slow-roasting and this leaves the meat moist after it is done cooking.

High temperature cooking is ideal for smaller cuts. It is not recommended for larger ones because it tends to dry the ingredients. The moisture stays in the meat. The combo method starts off with high temperatures and then changes to low temperatures. Using this method will result in a browned meat and some of the moistness is retained. Many people sear the meat and then cook it on temperatures that are lower.

The final step is to allow the meat to have a "rest". Let it sit for a short time to allow the heat to reach the inside of the ingredient. This process is known as carry over cooking.

Keeping the moisture in the meat is the reason for paying attention to the temperature. Basting occasionally is required during the time the food is cooked using this method to hold the moisture in. In today's technological world, there are bags that you can buy for this purpose. This makes the cooking process faster.

I've been involved with cooking, recipes and internet marketing for many years and love writing articles too. I know it is difficult to put a meal together and please everyone at the same time. 

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