In true plot twist fashion, this gingerbread won an Instagram poll by a landslide yesterday. I was honestly very surprised. Typically salads and dips and all the things from the earth are a tried and true favorite, but the Holiday spirit has everyone craving all the baked goods and we are here for it. This gingerbread is extremely dense, moist, rich and has a hint of spice from the crystalized ginger. Gingerbread is a very nostalgic flavor for me. My great-grandmother used to make the most insane molasses cookies, which I have yet to recreate in a gluten-free fashion. Competing with her recipe doesn’t feel right, and I’ll never be able to make it quite as flawless as hers.

I do, however, make my own gluten free ginger molasses cookie that has become a Christmas family staple. Be on the lookout next week for a bunch of Christmas recipes. It’s about to get real cheery in here.

This frosting is a nothing short of a revelation. If 2019 had a theme of the year, it might be the year of mascarpone—sweet, creamy, versatile and quite possibly the best friend of every fruit and sweet thing on planet earth, it has become my new favorite thing. It’s whipped into perfection with whipping cream, powdered sugar, vanilla and a pinch of cinnamon. Truly, a revelation. It’s as if fresh whipped cream and your favorite cream cheese frosting had a baby. God bless.

If you’ve been following along for a while, you know I can’t do much dairy and for a while (read years) I didn’t do any dairy at all. After giving my body a bit of a break I was able to introduce a little bit back in, so this new thing I’ve got going with mascarpone is really going well for the two of us so far.

As a dairy free substitute, you could easily make a coconut whipped cream for the top here. It will be a bit less stiff, but will still have a high fat content, which is needed to cut through the richness of the molasses in the bread. For the crystalized ginger, I find mine in most bulk sections at health food stores (and also use them as a wee snack or when I’m having an upset stomach) but you can also find them in baking sections in small chunks.

Gingerbread with Whipped Mascarpone Frosting and Crystalized Ginger

For the Gingerbread

1/2 c butter
1/2 c sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 egg
1/2 c molasses
2 c gluten free baking flour (I use Bob’s Red Mill GF Baking Flour)
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp powdered ginger
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 clove
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 c greek yogurt
1/2 diced crystalized ginger
2 Tbs milk (I used Forager unsweetened Cashew)

for the frosting

1/2 c powdered sugar
4 oz mascarpone (about 1/2 of an 8oz container)
1/2 c heavy whipping cream
1 tsp vanilla
dash cinnamon

To make

Preheat oven to 350.

First, in a large bowl or bowl of a standing mixer, beat butter, sugar, and egg until light and fluffy. Add in vanilla and molasses. Beat until well mixed and fluffy.

In a separate bowl, mix together dry ingredients: flour, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, clove, and baking soda. Add the dry mixture to we and mix well. Once blended well, add 1/2 c yogurt and 2 Tbs milk, and 1/4 cup of crystalized ginger.

In a well greased/buttered bread pan, add batter to pan and bake for 45-55 minutes. After about 45 to 50 minutes of baking, test for doneness with a toothpick. The toothpick should come out dry. Remove from pan and allow to cool on cooling rack.

While the gingerbread is baking, make the frosting. Using a stand mixer or hand mixer, beat mascarpone, heavy whipping cream, powdered sugar, cinnamon and vanilla until stiff peaks form. Once it is firm and you’re able to spread it with a spoon, it’s ready.

Once the bread is fully cooled (I mean it! The frosting will melt otherwise.) Spread the frosting on top of the loaf using a spatula or icing spatula. Use the remaining crystalized ginger chunks to put on top. Serve with coffee with Bailey’s for an extra decadent dessert!