You can use Philadelphia instead of mascarpone, although if you use Philadelphia instead of mascarpone you should expect some slight differences in the outcome of the recipe.
Philadelphia cream cheese has a distinct and lower fat content than the sweeter, richer mascarpone does.
Philadelphia cream cheese works beautifully for cheesecakes and baked goods.
When using Philadelphia cream cheese in place of mascarpone in baked goods and cheesecakes, you use a 1:1 ratio.
And the final result will be just slightly firmer and slightly tangier than it would be if you had used mascarpone.
For frostings, Philadelphia cream cheese also works well in place of mascarpone, although Philadelphia cream cheese is also thicker than mascarpone.
So because Philadelphia cream cheese is thicker than mascarpone, you may need to add a splash of some heavy cream to get a good spreadable consistency.
If making Tiramisu, Philadelphia is not recommended to be used in place of mascarpone, although it can be used.
If you want to make authentic, fluffy textured tiramisu, then mascarpone is essential.
If you use Philadelphia cream cheese, instead of mascarpone in your Tiramisu, it will make the Tiramisu filling too stiff or even alter the flavor.
To make the Philadelphia cream cheese closer to mascarpone, blend 200g of Philadelphia cream cheese, with 50g of unsalted butter.
And then add 1 to 2 tablespoons of some heavy cream to mimic the mascarpone's richness.