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A moist ginger molasses cake with fresh apples and a creamy mascarpone frosting. Talk about fall cake goals!!
Let’s just take a second to appreciate this beauty. Ginger Molasses Apple Cake.
I feel like around the holidays, cakes get forgotten. In lieu, people make pies, bars, and cookies.
My question is: why? Cakes are, like, the most festive. Showstoppers packed with flavor and pizazz. So this Thanksgiving, I’m making a cake. This cake.
I couldn’t be more excited to say that I made this cake using Vermont Creamery’s mascarpone cheese. We’re partnering together this holiday season and I am truly honored to work with such an awesome company.
As a native New Englander, I’ve been in love with Vermont Creamery, well, forever. They totally embody New England culture: this no-frills mom-and-pop feel with an exceptional celebration for timeless, high-quality products.
Their goat cheese has been my favorite for years. But it wasn’t until this fall that I tasted their mascarpone. It was the creamiest mascarpone I’ve ever had. There was no granulation in the mascarpone; just rich, velvety goodness.
The mascarpone made for a unique and delicious alternative to a buttercream frosting. It imparted a super light yet notable flavor difference from using pure butter. The result was a fluffy, slightly tangy frosting that paired perfectly with a ginger molasses apple cake 🙂
And the cake. Wowza. Ginger and molasses are just made for each other. The addition of apples helps to pull in the mascarpone, and also gives the cake a great pop of texture.
Finished with candied ginger, this cake is just perfect for the holiday table.
candied ginger pieces, for topping cake (optional)
fall-like branches (optional)
Instructions
make the cake
Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and line three 6″ cake pans with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, cream together sugar, molasses, and butter until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add in eggs, milk, and vanilla extract.
In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, ginger, cinnamon, and salt. Carefully fold dry ingredients into wet until mostly combined.
Fold in apples. Distribute batter evenly into prepared pans (1 1/2 cups of batter per pan).
Bake for 30 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the center of the cakes comes out clean. Allow to cool completely before frosting.
make the frosting
To make frosting, whip mascarpone in a standing mixer on high speed for 1 minute. Lower speed and add in powdered sugar, vanilla extract, ginger, and salt, mixing until combined.
Place the first layer of cake onto a cake stand, then top with a heaping ½ cup of frosting. Spread to edges, smoothing evenly. Repeat with second and third layer.
Add remaining frosting to sides of cake, then use a cake scraper or flat cake knife to smooth frosting out around edges.
Top cake with candied ginger pieces and fall-like branches. I chose purple/green branches with small buds on them!
This post is sponsored by Vermont Creamery. All text and opinions are 100% my own. Thank you for supporting the companies that help make Broma possible!
Hello I’m wondering if this cake could be converted to a roulade or a Yule log and if so is there a recommendation that you can make for the actual sponge to maintain this fantastic flavor profile that you’ve shared Thank you so much
I made this cake in 2 8″ cake pans for our Christmas dinner dessert and it was so delicious! I think I cut the apple pieces a little too large but it still held together. I’ve never made mascarpone frosting before- I definitely wouldn’t describe it as light, it’s very rich. My kids said it tastes just like melted vanilla ice cream! Excellent recipe.
Leave a comment and rate this recipe!
Hello I’m wondering if this cake could be converted to a roulade or a Yule log and if so is there a recommendation that you can make for the actual sponge to maintain this fantastic flavor profile that you’ve shared Thank you so much
Hi Sara! I’ve never tried that, but i think as long as you underbaked it slightly it would roll well!
Looks amazing – can’t wait to make it! What type of apples do you recommend? Thanks!
Hi Annie! I usually use granny smith, but I’ve also made this with other varieties and it will work!
Hi Sarah! I am looking forward to making this cake for a friend!! Do you mind linking the molasses that you used for this recipe? Thank you!
Hi Ava! I used Grandma’s Gold Standard Molasses!
I made this cake in 2 8″ cake pans for our Christmas dinner dessert and it was so delicious! I think I cut the apple pieces a little too large but it still held together. I’ve never made mascarpone frosting before- I definitely wouldn’t describe it as light, it’s very rich. My kids said it tastes just like melted vanilla ice cream! Excellent recipe.
Would love to try this cake but do not have 6″ cake pans. What size and how many would be a substitute for this volume??
Hi Marcia! You can substitute two 8-inch cake pans 🙂