Gingerbread cake with cranberries and mascarpone cream

Gingerbread cake with cranberries and mascarpone cream is a lightly spiced, soft winter layer cake. A dessert that combines warm aromatic spices, a gentle fruity tartness and the honeyed sweetness of mascarpone cream. Perfect for a festive table or winter birthdays; also a must-bake for gingerbread lovers. The sponge is moist and tender, the cranberries add a refreshing note, and the mascarpone cream makes the whole cake wonderfully delicate. If you prefer bold, deeply spiced gingerbread with plenty of honey – more in the style of traditional Polish gingerbread – this festive cake is quite the opposite. It’s light and fluffy, with the spices providing just a subtle background note that doesn’t overpower the cake.

Note: If you’re not keen on cranberries, you can substitute redcurrant jam or plum butter.

Ingredients for 2 gingerbread layers (20 cm tins):

• 100 ml milk
• 2 tbsp honey
• 150 ml rapeseed oil
• 280 g plain flour
• 1½ tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 190 g light brown muscovado sugar
• 1½ tsp ground cinnamon
• 1½ tsp ground ginger
• ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
• 200 ml buttermilk or kefir
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tbsp dark rum
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

All ingredients should be at room temperature.

Place the milk and honey in a small saucepan. Heat gently, stirring frequently, until combined. Remove from the heat and allow to cool. In a separate bowl, whisk together the oil, buttermilk, eggs, rum and vanilla (do not beat – just mix until combined). Add the cooled milk and honey mixture and stir. Sift the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and sugar directly into the wet ingredients. Mix with a whisk until just combined. Check that there are no lumps of sugar; if necessary, press them out with a spoon.

Butter two 20 cm cake tins and line the bases with baking parchment. Divide the batter evenly between the tins.

Bake at 160°C for 25–30 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Remove and leave to cool.

Ingredients for the cranberry jam:

• 200 g cranberries (fresh or frozen)
• 40 g sugar
• 25 ml orange juice (or water)

Place the cranberries, sugar and orange juice (or water) in a saucepan and stir. Bring to the boil and continue cooking for several minutes, until the cranberries burst, the mixture reduces slightly and thickens. Remove from the heat and leave to cool.

Ingredients for the mascarpone cream:

• 300 ml double cream, chilled
• 150 g mascarpone, chilled
• 2 tbsp runny honey
• 2 tsp vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract

Place all ingredients in the bowl of a mixer and whip until thick and creamy.

Place the first gingerbread layer on a serving plate. Spread over half of the mascarpone cream. Top with the cranberry jam, then cover with the second cake layer. Spread the remaining mascarpone cream on top and decorate as desired.

Store the gingerbread cake with cranberries and mascarpone cream in the refrigerator.

Enjoy!