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Strawberry mascarpone cream cups

A quick and delicious dessert, perfect for summer gatherings! Easy to make with store-bought pound cake, fresh strawberry sauce and the fluffiest mascarpone filling.
Prep 20 minutes
Cook 10 minutes
Time to chill 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings 5

Ingredients 
US | M

Strawberry sauce
  • 1.5 lbs fresh strawberries hulled and chopped
  • 1/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 2 teaspoons cornstarch
  • 1 teaspoon rosewater
The rest
  • 13 oz mascarpone cheese cold from the refrigerator
  • 1 1/2 cups whipping cream cold from the refrigerator
  • 1/4 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or beans from 1 vanilla pod
  • 2 1/2 slices pound cake

Instructions

  • To make the strawberry sauce, combine strawberries, sugar and water in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, then cook on low heat until the mixture looks like a very thin jam and the strawberries are tender (5-10 minutes).
  • Mix 2 teaspoons cornstarch with 2 teaspoons water in a bowl. Whisk into strawberry sauce and bring to a boil, whisking constantly. As soon as the sauce begins to thicken, remove it from the heat. Allow to cool completely. Once cool, stir in one teaspoon of rosewater (plus more to taste). Keep covered in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
  • To make the mascarpone cream, place mascarpone and whipping cream in a large bowl. Using a mixer (I like my hand-held one for this), beat the mascarpone and cream on low speed, just until they mix slightly.
  • Sprinkle the mixture with powdered sugar and vanilla bean paste, then keep mixing on low speed until it all comes together. You want to see light peaks and a smooth fluffy texture. (Do not over-mix mascarpone as it will curdle.)
  • To assemble the cups, divide the pound cake among 5 glasses or serving bowls. Top each with equal amounts of strawberry sauce. Lastly, top each with equal amounts of the mascarpone filling. Serve immediately or keep in the refrigerator and eat within 2 days.

Notes

  • Make sure that both the mascarpone and the whipping cream are the same temperature. And that you take them out of the refrigerator right before using. Mascarpone can curdle easily. Keeping the cream at the same temperature helps avoid that. I like to keep them one next to the other in my refrigerator. Only add sugar once you’ve slightly whisked the two.
  • Never beat mascarpone too vigorously. That too can cause curdling. You want to mix it at a steady pace, at a low speed, until you get soft peaks. Check the consistency as you whisk. It's better to under-whip than over-whip. 
  • You can stretch this recipe into 6 servings with some extra pound cake.
  • If you're using shallow and wide glasses / bowls, you can just use 1/2 slice of pound cake for each. But if you're using deeper glasses, slice the pound cake into cubes first, then add to the glass and top with the other ingredients.