Gingerbread Squares With Honey Mascarpone Cream Recipes

GINGERBREAD SQUARES WITH HONEY-MASCARPONE CREAM

Steps:

• For topping:
• Whisk mascarpone cheese, honey, and lemon juice in small bowl to blend. Cover; chill until ready to serve. (Can be made 1 day ahead; keep chilled.)
• For cake:
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and flour 8-inch square metal baking pan. Whisk first 6 ingredients in medium bowl to blend well; whisk in crystallized ginger. Whisk oil, molasses, and brown sugar in large bowl to blend; whisk in egg and lemon peel. Gradually whisk in dry ingredients, then boiling water. Transfer batter to prepared pan.
• Bake cake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Cool cake 15 minutes. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cool completely; cover and store at room temperature.) Cut cake into squares; sift powdered sugar over. Serve warm or at room temperature with topping.
• Italian cream cheese available at Italian markets and many supermarkets.

GINGERBREAD LAYER CAKE WITH CREAMY MASCARPONE FROSTING

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter three 8-inch round cake pans and line with parchment. Butter parchment and dust with flour, tapping out excess.
• Combine boiling water and baking soda in a medium bowl. Sift flour, baking powder, ground ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and 3/4 teaspoon salt into a large bowl.
• Beat butter with a mixer on high speed until pale and fluffy. Add brown sugar and beat until fluffy. Beat in molasses, grated ginger, baking soda mixture, and flour mixture. Beat in eggs.
• Divide batter evenly among pans. Bake until a toothpick inserted into center of each comes out with moist crumbs attached, 30 to 35 minutes. Let cakes cool in pans set on wire racks for 15 minutes. Turn out cakes onto racks and let cool completely.
• Trim top of each cake using a serrated knife to create a level surface. Transfer 1 cake to a platter. Spread 1 1/4 cups frosting over the top. Top with another cake. Spread 1 1/4 cups frosting over the top. Top with remaining cake. Spread a generous 1/2 cup frosting in a thin layer over top and sides of cake to create a crumb coat. Refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes. Spread remaining frosting over top and sides of cake using a mini offset spatula to make small swoops on top. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

GINGERBREAD SQUARES WITH CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Line the dish with parchment paper, letting paper hang over the sides of the dish for easy removal of the brownies.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, allspice and nutmeg. In a large bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, melted butter, molasses, sour cream and eggs. Slowly stir in the flour mixture a little at a time, stirring just until no lumps or streaks remain. Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish.
• Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the gingerbread comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Allow the gingerbread to cool in the pan 5 to 10 minutes, then remove by lifting both sides of the parchment paper. Place on a wire rack to cool completely.
• Once cool, spread with the Cream Cheese Frosting. Store in an airtight container for up 5 days. Cut into squares and serve, or give as gifts.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the cream cheese and butter and beat until light and fluffy. Beat in the vanilla and salt. Beat in the confectioners' sugar a little at a time, beating until fully incorporated. Use immediately, or refrigerate up to 5 days.

MOLASSES-GINGERBREAD CAKE WITH MASCARPONE CREAM

Steps:

• Make the Cake: Preheat the oven to 350°. Spray a 9-inch square baking pan with vegetable cooking spray. In a large bowl, combine the flour with the ground ginger, cinnamon, baking soda and salt. In a medium bowl, whisk the canola oil with the brown sugar, molasses, honey, eggs and lemon zest until smooth. Whisk the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until combined. Whisk in the boiling water. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 1 hour and 10 minutes, until a cake tester inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Set the pan on a rack and let the cake cool completely, about 2 hours.
• Meanwhile, Make the Orange Confit: In a medium saucepan, combine the strips of orange zest with the water and sugar. Bring to a boil and cook over high heat until syrupy and the orange zest is soft, about 30 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the orange confit to a plate; discard the syrup.
• Make the Mascarpone Cream: In a large bowl, using an electric mixer at medium speed, beat the mascarpone with the cream, orange zest, confectioners' sugar and salt until soft peaks form.
• Cut the molasses-gingerbread cake into squares and transfer to plates. Dollop the mascarpone cream on top, garnish with the orange confit and serve.

HONEY GINGERBREAD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter 8-inch square glass baking dish. Sift first 7 ingredients into medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat butter and sugar in large bowl until light and fluffy. Mix in honey and 1/4 cup minced ginger. Beat in eggs. Mix in dry ingredients alternately with buttermilk, beginning and ending with dry ingredients.
• Spread batter in prepared dish. Bake until gingerbread begins to pull away from sides of dish and is springy to touch, about 50 minutes. Cool in pan on rack. Serve warm or at room temperature, cut into squares and topped with whipped cream and chopped ginger.