Soft mascarpone brioche with lemon and cardamom pastry cream

This soft brioche becomes delicate and light thanks to the addition of mascarpone cheese in the dough. Little amount of yeast and longer leavening time let it stay fresh and soft even the next day. The shape is made of different size croissants filled with aromatic lemon and cardamom pastry cream. Garnish it with a light layer of powdered sugar and it is perfect to be served.
Soft mascarpone brioche with lemon and cardamom pastry cream. Amazing leavened cake with pastry cream.
Ingredients
- 4 – 5 g active dry yeast
- 100 g sugar
- 600 g all-purpose flour
- 125 g mascarpone cheese
- 30 g butter
- 1 pinch salt
- 270 g milk
- 500 ml milk
- 4 egg yolks
- 80 g sugar
- 70 g all-purpose flour
- 1 lemon (only the rind)
- 10 cardamom pods
- Instructions below.
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Notes
2 hours 40 minutes waiting time.
Instructions soft brioche with mascarpone cheese
Mix flour with sugar, salt and active dry yeast. Meanwhile, heat the milk with the butter. Let it cool down completely and add it to the flour. Mix then add mascarpone cheese.

Knead your soft brioche for minimum 10 minutes until it becomes elastic and smooth. Put it in a lightly greasy bowl and cover the bowl with a plastic wrap.

Place in a warm place for about 1.30 – 2 hours or until it doubles in volume. The brioche dough will become soft and fluffy. The rising times are approximate, it can take more or less time depending on the temperature of the environment, the freshness of the yeast, the strength of the flour and other factors not related to the recipe.

Lemon and cardamom pastry cream
Meanwhile, prepare pastry cream. Wash the lemon and blanch it with boiling water. Peel and use a very sharp knife to remove the white part in the lemon peel. Put lemon strips and 10 cardamom pods (that have been cut in half) into your milk. Turn on the fire and slowly warm the milk until the boiling point. Turn the heat off and let it cool down completely.

Using electric mixer, beat the yolks with sugar until it becomes clear and foamy (3 to 4 minutes). Add flour and mix briefly.

Take milk and pass it through a sieve, discard lemon rind, cardamom pods and seeds. Gradually add it to the egg mix stiring well each time with a hand whisk.

Pour the mixture into a bowl and turn on the heat. Cook on medium low flame mixing until the pastry cream becomes dense. Remove from heat and let it cool down.


How to assemble your brioche
After 2 hours deflate the dough and divide it into 2 equal parts. Using your hands or with a rolling pin flatten the dough in a circular shape about 0.5 centimeter high. Divide pastry cream in half and spread the first part over the dough.

Divide each circle into many triangles of different sizes and roll each triangle from the edge to the center to create croissants. Repeat with the other half of the dough.

Put your croissants in a rectangular baking tray covered with baking paper, cover them with a cotton cloth and let rise for another half an hour – 45 minutes.


Cook in the pre-heated static oven at 180 °C for 30 to 35 minutes. In case your brioche is getting brown too fast cover it with an aluminum foil. Bake, let it cool down completely, sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve.
lot of love. B.
If you love soft brioche recipes you should also try my Extra soft brioche with crunchy caramelized brown sugar.


Recipe notes
If you are looking for some amazinf and soft savory recipe that uses mascarpone cheese in the dough try my recipe for small focaccia with mascarpone cheese.