Tiramisu Advice - Mascarpone vs Soft Cheese

[SummaLuvin]

Planning on making this tiramisu this weekend, I will be making 3/4 of the recipe meaning I will require 375g of mascarpone. Tub sizes are 250g leaving me 125g short, my options are:

1. make up the difference with soft cheese (full fat) which I have open in the fridge
2. buy a second 250g tub of mascarpone meaning I will have left over mascarpone in addition to the soft cheese I already have.

If I can get away with soft cheese that would be great, but I don’t want to impact the dessert so if it will make an inferior tiramisu I will just get the second tub.

3/4 of the recipe sounds really faffy. Can you not make the whole one and just eat the leftovers over a day or two? Then it’s complete tubs.

Generally, soft cheese has a light yoghurty tang which mascarpone doesn't have. So it will slightly affect the flavour, but whether you think that's a good thing or not is maybe personal? I like soft cheese in tangy or fruity cheesecakes, but would use mascarpone in a chocolate cheesecake.

sadly not - I don't have a dish that is both large enough and deep enough for the full quantity (I don't plan on buying one specially for this dessert).

The only real 'faff' of doing 3/4 is working out the quantities across the recipe, which I have already done and noted down, other than that the process will be entirely the same and no more work. When reducing recipe sizes I only run into problems normally with eggs, but as the full recipe uses 4 yolks it is very easy to reduce down to 3.

Do you have any ramekins to make up some individual portions and freeze them with the extra?

Don't use cream cheese.

well I would just make 2, even if the bit that didn't fit in the main dish just got bunged in a cereal bowl.

alternatively you could use up the leftover marscapone to make a nice tomato and marscapone pasta sauce.

don't use soft cheese either way.

Make the full recipe and use the extra to make up a small dish to give to a friend.

I get that all these 'make the full amount' comments are well-meaning. But I have said I am doing a reduced quantity, and don't want advice on that, it isn't what I asked. I just wanted opinions on whether soft cheese is a good enough substitute for 1/3 of the mascarpone. It sounds like it would be best to avoid and stick with all mascarpone to get the truest version of the dessert so I will do that.

For a classic tiramisu, I definitely wouldn’t use soft cheese, as the additional tang would be unwelcome. But as there’s lemon juice in there anyway maybe it will be less of an issue taste wise. It might have more of an unbaked lemon cheesecake vibe though. Personally I’d use the mascarpone and try to find another use for the extra, as if the recipe doesn’t work, you’ll be wondering if the recipe itself was the problem or it was the alternative ingredient.

I wouldn’t use soft cheese, it has a distinctive tang.

But if it was me, I’d personally not bother making up the amount.

I’d just follow the recipe but add the amount of marscarpone I had.

It’s not like baking where you have to be a bit more exact. You can play around with quantities as you wish - my family would likely prefer less cream more sponge.

I pretty much always ignore exact amounts in recipes (apart from cakes), and it’s always fine.

I think soft cheese would be fine. I was going to say double cream, but I see it's already got that in it.

If you decide to go with mascarpone, I can recommend using it up on scones as an alternative to clotted cream - very similar texture.

Yeah I was thinking 3/4 of the lemon was a bit faffy, but I suppose it doesn’t need to be exact. I’d make a whole one and put the excess in a bowl, but if you don’t want to I’d use mascarpone and just chuck the 90p excess.

Soft cheese has a different texture so I wouldn't use it. Use the leftover mascapone in a sauce or on a slice of chocolate cake!

I'm a traditional tiramisu lover and was given a fab recipe by an Italian and haven't deviated from it for years other than to sometimes mix alcohol in with the coffee. Mmmm, might need to make one now....

I have some leftover Tiramisu in the fridge right now. Perfect timing! It’s bought but still lovely.

Thanks everyone. I will just use mascarpone given the difference is flavour profile and texture of soft cheese. This comment made a great point. Personally I’d use the mascarpone and try to find another use for the extra, as if the recipe doesn’t work, you’ll be wondering if the recipe itself was the problem or it was the alternative ingredient.

As I am a coffee hater I don't get to have tiramisu, despite thinking it looks delicious and texturally inviting, so I really want to give myself the best chance of success! I can find other uses for the soft cheese and mascarpone in next weeks meal plan.