Go Back
–+ servings

Lemon Mascarpone Torte

Heather Baird
This light and elegant Lemon Mascarpone Torte is made with a fluffy genoise sponge cake soaked in limoncello syrup and layered with a creamy lemon mascarpone filling. This make-ahead dessert chills into a mousse-like texture and slices beautifully for special occasions.
Please note, the room temperature ingredients in this recipe should be around 68-72°F.
5 from 1 vote
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 40 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
4 hours chill time 4 hours
Total Time 5 hours 10 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 10

Equipment

  • 8-inch round cake pan
  • 9-inch round springform pan
  • parchment paper
  • Large open star piping tip (French pastry tube)

Ingredients
 
 

Genoise Sponge

  • 3 large eggs room temperature
  • 3 large egg yolks room temperature
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup plus 4 teaspoons cake flour
  • 1/3 cup cornstarch

Lemon Syrup

  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/3 cup water
  • 1/4 cup limoncello or lemon juice + 1 teaspoon lemon extract

Lemon Mascarpone Cream

  • 24 oz. mascarpone cheese at room temperature
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoons lemon paste or 2 teaspoons lemon extract
  • 6 drops yellow gel food color optional but recommend
  • 1/4 cup limoncello or 1/4 cup water
  • 2 envelopes unflavored powdered gelatin 1/2 oz.
  • 2 cups heavy cream

Assemble and Decorate

  • 3/4 cup heavy cream whipped to stiff peaks
  • 12 oz. lemon and white chocolate curls optional, see blog post for instructions

Instructions
 

Make the Sponge Cake

  • Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease an 8-inch round cake pan and line the bottom and sides with parchment paper.
  • In a heatproof bowl, combine whole eggs, egg yolks, sugar, and salt. Beat with an electric mixer on high speed.
  • Place the bowl over a pan of simmering water and continue beating until the mixture is warm.
  • Remove from heat and beat until the mixture is thick, pale, and tripled in volume, about 5–7 minutes. It should fall and leave visible ribbons on top from the lifted beaters.
  • Sift together cake flour and cornstarch. Gently fold into the egg mixture using a rubber spatula.
  • Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 30 minutes. The cake should be light brown, look dry on top, and begin to pull away from the edges of the pan. A skewer inserted into the center should come out clean.
  • Cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack, remove parchment, and cool completely.
  • Level the cooled cake if needed. Slice horizontally into two even layers, about 3/4-inch thick.

Make the Lemon Syrup

  • In a small saucepan, combine sugar and water over medium heat. Stir until sugar dissolves, about 5 minutes.
  • Remove from heat and cool completely, then stir in limoncello (or lemon juice + lemon extract if non-alcoholic version preferred).
  • Line a 9-inch springform pan with parchment paper (grease lightly first so it sticks).
  • Place one cake layer in the center of the pan, cut side up.
  • Brush evenly with half of the lemon syrup. Set aside while you prepare the filling.

Make the Lemon Mascarpone Cream

  • In a large bowl, beat room temperature (68–72°F) mascarpone cheese, sugar, and lemon juice until smooth and fluffy.
  • Mix in lemon paste (or lemon extract) and yellow food color, if using.
  • In a small heatproof bowl, combine limoncello (or water for non-alcoholic version) and sprinkle gelatin on top to bloom. Let stand 5 minutes.
  • Heat the gelatin mixture in the microwave for about 10 seconds until fully dissolved and liquid.
  • Let cool slightly until fluid but not hot to the touch, then slowly beat into the mascarpone mixture.
  • Add the 2 cups heavy cream and beat on medium-high speed until thick, fluffy, and mousse-like, about 2–3 minutes. Stop mixing when it holds soft peaks and is still slightly pourable.

Assemble the Torte

  • Spoon half of the mascarpone cream over and around the cake layer in the springform pan, filling the gap between the cake and pan and covering the first cake layer completely.
  • Pick up and drop, or gently rap the pan on the counter repeatedly to settle the filling and remove air pockets. Smooth the cream over the cake evenly.
  • Place the second cake layer on top, cut side down. Brush with remaining lemon syrup.
  • Spread remaining mascarpone cream over the top, smoothing evenly. Rap the pan again to settle and remove gaps and air bubbles. Smooth the surface with an offset spatula. The filling should come nearly to the top of the pan. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight, until fully set.

Unmold and Decorate

  • Remove the springform collar and peel away parchment.
  • Smooth the sides with a warm offset spatula to remove bubbly texture, if desired.
  • Transfer whipped cream to a piping bag fitted with a large open star tip and pipe a border around the top edge.
  • Garnish with lemon chocolate curls, if desired.
  • Store the cake lightly covered in plastic wrap in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Serve chilled

Notes

Make Ahead: This torte is ideal for making ahead. Prepare it 1 or 2 days in advance and keep refrigerated until ready to serve.
Storage: Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. For best texture, serve chilled.
Important Tip: Make sure the mascarpone is fully at room temperature before mixing. Cold mascarpone can cause the gelatin to seize, resulting in a lumpy texture instead of a smooth cream.
Substitutions: If using lemon extract instead of lemon paste, use 2 teaspoons extract in place of 2 tablespoons paste. Adjust to taste if needed.
Swap in Elderflower liqueur in even amounts for the Limoncello.
For a no-alcohol version, swap the 1/4 cup limoncello in the soaking syrup for 1/4 cup lemon juice + 1 teaspoon lemon extract.
Keyword easter dessert, lemon cheesecake filling, lemon mascarpone torte, lemon torte, mascarone cheese, spring dessert
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!