This Keto Espresso Mascarpone Frosting is so good that I can eat it by the spoonful! Who needs cake when this delicious, sugar-free mascarpone frosting is just so good on its own! Decadent and lusciously creamy, coffee lovers rejoice, because this keto buttercream frosting recipe is for you!
This keto espresso frosting is creamy and decadent and so easy to make. It’s perfect for spreading onto cakes or piping onto cupcakes. And we all now that around this time of the year, desserts are being consumed by the masses!
After making a Tiramisu Roll Cake (recipe soon to come!), I was slightly disappointed with the filling. It wasn't that it was necessarily bad, but it just fell flat, unlike my Keto Cookie Dough Frosting.
So, after several different attempts, I finally created a keto espresso mascarpone frosting worthy of your coffee desserts! Perfectly creamed butter, mascarpone cheese, powdered sweetener and some espresso powder create the smoothest and most luxurious keto buttercream EVER!
Why this recipe works
- Easy - All you need is one bowl, a handheld electric mixer and about 5 minutes of time...doesn't get much easier than that !
- Delicious - Super cream, rich and just the right amount of coffee flavours - I could it by the spoonful!
- Versatile - Use it as frosting for keto cupcakes, Keto Bars or just divide between small bowls for a keto fat-bomb treat!
Ingredients
Use a clear shot of the ingredients for this recipe, prepped, and labeled if necessary. Insert the ingredients into the list below, omitting quantities.
- Espresso powder - Espresso powder is very intensely dark and concentrated instant coffee. It’s not just espresso coffee beans ground fine. It’s actually coffee crystals that dissolve quickly in liquid.
- Mascarpone cheese - After recently making Homemade Mascarpone cheese, I knew I wanted to incorporate it into this keto coffee frosting. Slightly less thick than cream cheese but without the tanginess, Mascarpone cheese can be found in almost all grocery stores so feel free to buy it instead.
- Butter - The first time I made this recipe, I did not add any butter and although the taste was phenomenal, the frosting was a little too soft and only lasted about 2 days in the fridge. So, by adding butter, a created a keto buttercream frosting that was easier to work with and will hold together for over 7 days!
- Sweetener - You definitely want to use allulose in this recipe as erythritol-based sweeteners will crystalize when the frosting is refrigerated.
- Heavy cream - Make sure that you heavy cream (also called heavy whipping cream) that has at least 33% fat content.
- Salt - This helps to round out the sweetness.
*See the recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Sugar-free mascarpone frosting is just as easy as 1-2-3!
In a small bowl, mix the espresso powder, heavy cream and cognac/brandy (if using) until smooth.
*see below for ways to use instant coffee
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter, mascarpone cheese, salt, and espresso mixture together on medium speed for 5 minutes. Scrape down the bowl at the halfway mark. With the mixer running on medium speed, add your powdered sugar ¼ cup at a time until you have added 1 cup. Taste the buttercream and continue to add sweetener to suit your taste.
Use immediately, or you can also put it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. If you refrigerate your buttercream, let it come to room temperature and whip it again at medium speed for 1-2 minutes until fluffy!
Hint: It is extremely important that your ingredients are at room temperature before staring this process or your butter will break.
Espresso Powder versus Instant Coffee
I have made this recipe using both espresso powder and instant coffee. Although both are interchangeable, there are subtle differences between the two.
Espresso powder is a very fine powder and therefore can easily be stirred into a liquid and completely dissolve. Instant coffee, on the other hand, does not dissolve well unless the liquid is heated first.
When I added instant coffee to the cold heavy cream, my keto espresso frosting ended up having tiny little crunchy flecks of coffee! I ABSOLUTELY loved the contrast between the crunchy bitter coffee flecks and the rich sweet keto buttercream, but some may not.
So, if you plan on using instant coffee instead of espresso powder and you want a smooth keto buttercream, you can first warm the heavy cream to dissolve the coffee granules before making this keto frosting recipe. Just make sure that you allow enough time for the heavy cream to be refrigerated until it is nice and cold or else it will cause the keto espresso mascarpone frosting to separate and it will not whip up nice and fluffy.
Here is the difference between non-dissolved instant coffee granules (on the left) and dissolved coffee granules (on the right).
Substitutions
If you know how to make the recipe fit a certain diet, let the reader know here. Don't fake it - only provide guidance on topics you have actual experience with.
- Espresso Powder - you can use instant coffee instead. However, use about 50% more than the amount of espresso powder called for in the recipe, but taste as you go. Instant coffee usually has a harsher taste than instant espresso; it can taste tinny or sour if too much is used.
- Heavy Cream - place a can of full-fat coconut milk in the fridge overnight. The next day, the water should have separated from the coconut cream. Use ONLY the coconut cream and save the water for a keto smoothie.
- Mascarpone - you can use cream cheese instead but the keto espresso frosting will have a slightly "tangier" taste.
Variations
Giving the visitor ideas on how they can change this recipe to better suit their dinner guests, or their cultural cuisine, is a great way to increase the chances they make the recipe
- Mocha - add some unsweetened cocoa powder to the frosting
- Latte - add some extra vanilla extract
- Kid friendly - remove the alcohol from the recipe
See this Sugar-Free Cream Cheese Frosting recipe on my website for a different take on a keto frosting recipe!
Equipment
I highly recommend using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment. You can try using a electric handheld mixer but it will most likely take longer to achieve the right consistency.
Storage
It is easiest to use this frosting right away or up to 3 hours after making it. However, you can store the keto espresso mascarpone frosting in the fridge in an airtight container for 1 week.
When ready to use the frosting, simply allow the frosting to come to room temperature before whipping it for 1-2 minutes at medium speed.
Top tip
More sugar will create a more stiff buttercream, but it will still hold its shape well with only 1 cup of sugar.
Why did my keto frosting break?
Most likely your ingredients were too cold. Butter is an emulsifier, meaning it is a stable mixture of two ingredients that will not mix (fat and water). If the butter is too cold or too warm when you begin whipping it, it will cause the emulsion to break and the fat and the water will separate.
Why is my buttercream frosting oily?
Most likely, your butter got too warm and therefore caused the fat to separate.
What is the difference between icing and buttercream?
Icing does not contain any butter whereby buttercream does.
How much buttercream do I need to frost a cake?
You need approximately 5 cups of icing to frost an 8-inch, 3 tier cake.
How much frosting do I need for 12 cupcakes
For a thin layer of frosting on each cupcake, you will need only about 1 cup. However, for a more modest amount of frosting, you will need 2-3 cups of buttercream.
Keto Espresso Mascarpone Frosting
This Keto Espresso Mascarpone Frosting is so good that I can eat it by the spoonful! Who needs cake when this delicious, sugar-free mascarpone frosting is just so good on its own! Decadent and lusciously creamy, coffee lovers rejoice, because this keto buttercream frosting recipe is for you!
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 2 cups 1x
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp instant espresso powder
- 2 tbsp heavy cream, room temperature
- 8 oz mascarpone cheese, room temperature
- 8 oz butter, unsalted, room temperature
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1-2 cups powdered sweetener (depending on how sweet you like your buttercream)
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk together the heavy cream and espresso powder until the espresso powder dissolves.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat together the mascarpone cheese, butter, salt, and espresso heavy cream together on medium speed for 5 minutes. Scrape down the bowl at the halfway mark.
- With the mixer running on medium speed, add the powdered sugar ¼ cup at a time until you have incorporated 1 cup. Stop the mixer, scrape down the bowl, and taste your buttercream. Continue adding sugar slowly until it is at the sweetness you prefer.
- Use immediately or place it in an airtight container and store it in the fridge for up to 1 week*
Notes
* If you refrigerate the buttercream, it will harden due to the butter. Simply allow the frosting to come to room temperature and then whip it again and medium-speed until light and fluffy
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Category: Desserts
- Method: No-Bake
- Cuisine: America, Fall, Holidays
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 tbsp
- Calories: 83
- Sugar: 0.6
- Fat: 9
- Carbohydrates: 1
- Fiber: 0
- Protein: 1
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