I don’t always post desserts on my blog (since I try to keep things as fresh and low sugar as possible), but when I do… I make sure it’s good. And this Spicy Gingerbread Cake with Orange Mascarpone Cream doesn’t disappoint! This is the PERFECT holiday dessert.
Best of all: it’s mostly sweetened with molasses (which, fun fact, is an awesome source of calcium, iron, and magnesium) instead of refined sugar.
The cake is not too sweet, and it’s full of all the delicious holiday spices you love, including both ground AND fresh ginger.
And the orange mascarpone cream is fluffy, light, and divine- the fresh orange flavor pairs perfectly with the gingerbread cake.
In the spring, we planted a satsuma orange tree in our back yard. It’s thrived this year, and has produced upwards of 20 oranges. That’s tons, for such a new, itty-bitty tree!
Satsumas are one of the most popular kind of Mandarin oranges, and are known for how juicy they are. Which makes them perfect for cooking. I used satsuma zest and juice in the whipped cream, but you can use any kind of orange you want – Mandarin or otherwise – to make it.
Ever since seeing Stress Baking’s Mascarpone Whipped Cream recipe, I’ve been aching to try it out. I just LOVE mascarpone cheese.
Usually found in Italian desserts like tiramisu or cannoli, it’s a very soft and somewhat sweet cheese that’s creamy, decadent, and delicious. In this recipe, it thickens the whipped cream a bit and adds a smooth, velvety flavor and texture to the mix. It’s simple and lets the fresh orange shine, and it compliments the spices in the cake perfectly.
As with the cake, the orange mascarpone whipped cream isn’t too sweet and only has 1/4 cup of sugar in the whole batch. Which means you can definitely, without a doubt, eat it by the spoonful while you are waiting patiently for the cake to bake. Right?
The cake really is just a traditional recipe for fresh gingerbread, but since I made it in a round pan and served it like a cake, I called it a cake. It’s best served warm in all its gooey, sticky, molassesey glory, topped with the cool whipped cream.
I love using fresh ginger in desserts (like in these spicy ginger date cookies)– for this cake, I used both fresh AND ground to add an awesome, spicy, gingery punch.
The orange mascarpone whipped cream can be made a few days in advance. The cake can be made a day in advance, but since it’s best served warm, I recommend reheating the slices in the microwave for a few seconds just before serving. Alternatively, since the cake takes a good hour to bake, it would be easy to throw it in the oven during your holiday dinner. By the time everyone is done eating and has digested a bit, it will be ready to go!
Here’s the recipe for Spicy Gingerbread Cake with Orange Mascarpone Cream. Here’s to holiday baking recipes! You might also like this Dutch Butter Cake and these Gingerbread Energy Balls.
Spicy Gingerbread Cake with Orange Mascarpone Cream
Equipment
- Round Cake Pan
- Parchment Paper
Ingredients
For the Spicy Gingerbread Cake:
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup butter softened (1 stick)
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup blackstrap molasses
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger grated on a microplane zester
- 1 tablespoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup warm water
- powdered sugar, orange slices, and orange zest for garnish (optional)
For the Orange Marscapone Cream:
- 8 oz. Marscapone cheese
- 1 teaspoon orange zest
- 1 tablespoon orange juice
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 cup heavy cream
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 325 degrees F.
- Grease the sides and bottom of an 8 or 9 inch round cake pan generously with a little bit of the butter, then line the bottom with parchment paper (I traced the pan with a pencil and cut slightly inside the line).
- In a large mixing bowl or standing mixer, cream together the butter (1/2 cup) and sugar (1/2 cup).
- Add the egg and mix on high until fluffy, about 2 minutes.
- Add the molasses (1 cup), fresh ginger (1 tablespoon), ground ginger (1 tablespoon), cinnamon (1 teaspoon), cloves (1/4 teaspoon), kosher salt (1/2 teaspoon), baking powder (1/2 teaspoon), and baking soda (1/2 teaspoon). Mix thoroughly.
- Add the flour (2 cups) and mix at a low speed until fully combined. Add the warm water (3/4 cup) and mix until combined, then increase the speed to high and beat for one more minute.
- Pour into prepared greased and lined cake pan. Bake at 325 degrees F for 55 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
- Meanwhile, to make the orange mascarpone cream, mix the mascarpone cheese (8 oz.), orange zest (1 teaspoon), orange juice (1 tablespoon), and sugar (1/4 cup) thoroughly. Add the heavy cream (1 cup) and mix on high until stiff peaks form. Refrigerate until you're ready to use.
- Allow cake to cool in pan for at least 10 minutes, run knife along the edge to loosen, then flip upside down onto a plate or cutting board to remove from pan. Flip rightside-up onto a plate or cake dish. Discard parchment paper.
- Dust top of cake with confectioner's sugar and garnish with orange zest, if desired.
- Serve the cake warm, topped with the orange mascarpone cream and extra orange zest/slices.
Notes
- The provided nutrition information does not include any added sodium from seasoning to taste, any optional ingredients, and it does not take brands into account. Feel free to calculate it yourself using this calculator or by adding the recipe to Yummly.
Estimated Nutrition Information
Elaine
Hi Elizabeth!
Your orange mascarpone cream sounds fabulous. I’m baking a gingerbread three layer cake for a holiday party and was thinking of using your cream recipe to frost the entire cake with. The cake recipe also does a caramel drip around the edges of the cake. Will your cream be firm enough to stand up to the drip ? It should I chill the cake after frosting before adding the drip and completing the decorations with your on top?? Any advice would be appreciated. Thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe!!
Elizabeth Lindemann
That three layer cake sounds amazing! I’ve never tried this before, but I think it’s totally doable, and I LOVE the idea. If you want to frost the entire cake with the cream, I recommend a) making more of it, at least double, and b) mixing it on high for a bit longer than you normally would for whipped cream- the longer you mix it the stiffer it will be and will likely be fine for frosting the cake! And make sure you keep the cake in the fridge or frost it just before serving. If the frosting gives you trouble when coating the cake, I recommend frosting it like a naked cake- thick frosting on the top and a very thin, scraped layer on the side, like this one: https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/vanilla-naked-cake/ Hope that helps, good luck, and Happy Holidays!
suhasini
Hiiii!!! I was thinking of baking this in a bundt pan. Obviously I wont be able to use parchment paper… what are your thoughts?? Would it slide out without using parchment paper??
Elizabeth
Oh man, it would be GORGEOUS as a bundt cake but I haven’t tried it and it does tend to stick since it’s a very wet batter. If you do it, I’d recommend using a lot of oil to grease the pan! I’d love to know how it comes out if you try it :-) Here’s a great recipe that you might want to look at from Brown Eyed Baker- https://www.browneyedbaker.com/gingerbread-bundt-cake-with-cream-cheese-icing/
Deanna E Amort
Can this be made without the fresh ginger? If so, how much ground ginger? Do I just swap the fresh for ground? This looks fantastic and can’t wait to try it.
Elizabeth
Yes, you can make it without fresh ginger! I find it tastes a bit different- more zingy and spicy with fresh ginger- but dried will work :-) Since you use both in this recipe, just add some more dried- I’d probably do 1 teaspoon dried to replace the 1 tablespoon fresh (for a total of 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon). If you like things really gingery, you could add a bit more. Hope that helps, and hope you like it!
Beverly
Craving dark gingerbread. This is perfect, not too sweet, and sooo good!
Elizabeth
Thanks Beverly!
Lisa Huff
Oh yum! Looks delicious!
Elizabeth
Thank you! :-)
Leslie
Oooo! This looks so good – I’m glad you finally were able to find a use for my whipped cream! <3
Elizabeth
It was such a great idea and I love love love mascarpone cheese!! Thanks for the inspiration :-)