Christmas is this week! And I am excited to get some down time from work and spend quality time with my family – times that I cherish and are memorable in every way possible. Kids do not require much – they do cherish their parents’ attention and love, and we love showering our kids with love – sometimes tough love.
The first time I made the Gingerbread Trifle with Cranberry Curd and Whipped Orange Mascarpone
The first time I made the Gingerbread Trifle with Cranberry Curd and Whipped Orange Mascarpone was in 2017. It was for Sur la Table and the recipe resides on their website as well. I made the trifle on a Saturday and luckily I had a party to go to on the same day, so I took the trifle to the party.
It was my husband’s Sunset work colleagues – all American, and my goodness!! The trifle was a HIT!! It was so well received, and I was super proud of how it turned out. There was nothing left by the end of the night. AND I could not be happier!
I made it again to re-take pictures for my new website, and luckily I had another Christmas party to go to with my girlfriends. And yet again – IT was a hit! STOKED! SO my advice – MAKE THIS RECIPE FOR YOUR UPCOMING CHRISTMAS GATHERINGS!
Inspiration for the Gingerbread Trifle with Cranberry Curd and Whipped Orange Mascarpone
Gingerbread, cranberry and orange are a classic combination, and all work really well together. Chocolate Gingerbread Cake gives bitter notes of cocoa, along with gingerbread, that is filled with warm wintry spices making it so delicious!
Trifle is a layered dessert of English origin. The usual ingredients are a thin layer of ladyfingers or sponge cake soaked in sherry or another fortified wine, a fruit element, custard and whipped cream layered in that ascending order in a glass dish.
As I was thinking of a typical Christmas trifle recipe, I was thinking of all the non-traditional flavors together – chocolate gingerbread cake – soft, spongy, moist, ; a layer of Grand Marinier ; tangy and sweet, and bright cranberry curd ; whipped orange mascarpone cream to provide that fresh, bright, zesty yet smooth whipped cream flavor. All of it works fantastic together.
Ingredients for the Gingerbread Trifle with Cranberry Curd and Whipped Orange Mascarpone
The ingredients for the Gingerbread Trifle with Cranberry Curd and Whipped Orange Mascarpone are:
- Cranberry Curd
- Fresh Cranberries
- Orange juice
- Orange zest
- Granulated sugar
- Eggs + egg yolk
- Unsalted butter, at room temperature
- Sugared Cranberries and Rosemary
- Fresh cranberries
- Sprigs of rosemary
- Granulated sugar
- Water
- Chocolate Gingerbread Cake
- All purpose flour
- Dark cocoa powder
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Spices: like cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves
- Unsalted butter, at room temperature
- Light brown sugar
- Molasses
- Sour cream or Greek yogurt
- Eggs
- Vanilla extract
- Whipped Orange Mascarpone
- Mascarpone cream, at room temperature
- Heavy whipping cream, chilled
- Orange zest
- Vanilla extract
- Cognac or Grand Marnier
- Powdered sugar
How to make the Gingerbread Trifle with Cranberry Curd and Whipped Orange Mascarpone
CRANBERRY CURD: The Trifle starts off by making the cranberry curd. The curd can be made upto a few days in advance, and stored in the fridge in an airtight container until ready to use. The curd is really easy to put together. It starts off with cooking fresh cranberries, sugar and orange juice together until it is a jammy consistency.
Then strain the cranberry jam to get a smooth texture. I use a medium sieve to get as much of the strained puree as possible. Next mix the eggs and sugar together to form a ribbon like texture, use a bit of it to add into the warm cranberry jam to temper it. Then add all of the egg mixture into it and mix to combine.
Cook the mixture with butter until it becomes a slight thick consistency. The way to know if the consistency is right is by using your fore finger to run through the back of the spatula. If there is no curd, it means the curd has been cooked well.
Strain the mixture to give a nice smooth curd. Add a plastic wrap on top so that it does not form a thin film on the top. Place the curd in the fridge until ready to use.
SUGARED CRANBERRIES AND ROSEMARY: Sugared cranberries and rosemary is one of the most popular and widely used garnishes for the holiday season. Use it on trifles, cakes, buche de noel, you name it. It looks pretty, festive and it is so easy to prepare as well.
Prepare a simple syrup first, add the cranberries and rosemary into the syrup and then strain and add it to sugar. Roll it around, and then remove it onto a wired rack to dry overnight. Your garnishes are ready.
CHOCOLATE GINGERBREAD CAKE: The cake is a simple cake recipe, except it has cocoa, gingerbread spices like cinnamon, cloves, ginger and nutmeg, and also molasses for that chewy, dark, molassey flavor profile. The cake is baked in a 9×13 inch pan, and it comes out moist, soft and really good.
WHIPPED ORANGE MASCARPONE: While the cake is cooling completely, prepare the Whipped Orange Mascarpone. The mascarpone has to be room temperature, and the heavy whipped cream has to be chilled. The mascarpone is whipped first with orange zest. Whip until smooth.1
Then the other ingredients are added and whipped until you get soft, yet stable peaks in the whipped mascarpone cream. The cream is decadent, slightly boozy and very bright, zesty from the orange. The cream can be stored in the fridge until ready to assemble.
ASSEMBLY TIPS:
- Mis en place: Make sure to have all the ingredients laid out for assembly with the right utensils, so that you can assemble the trifle beautifully.
- Use a pastry brush to brush the alcohol onto the cake layer.
- Use an offset spatula to layer the curd and the cream evenly, and in a straight line. As much as the trifle looks pretty while assembling, you want to make sure that it looks pretty on the outside too and there are distinct layers of cake, curd and cream alternating with each other.
- The top layer should be whipped cream, and in line with the rim of the trifle bowl. Clean the edges once you have the whipped cream layer smooth.
- Garnishes are added to the top and completely optional, but what IS a SHOWSTOPPER without the decorations??
BEST TIP FOR TRIFLES
- Trifles are best made a day ahead of serving. This helps the alcohol to soak into the cake layer and make it moist and rich. Also it helps all the layers of the tart cranberry curd, the smooth and zesty whipped mascarpone cream to meld beautifully together to form a cohesive flavor profile.
This trifle is a beautiful and elegant showstopper dessert for your Christmas get togethers and parties and a must!!!! Trust me !!! It will leave your guests wowing, and wanting more!
What kind of a baking pan do you use for the cake?
I use a 9×13 baking pan for baking the cake. I bought this pan in 2017 and have used it like crazy since then.
What kind of a trifle bowl do you use for the assembly?
I personally like the footed trifle bowl to give a dramatic effect of a gorgeous and showstopper dessert on the table. But you can get a trifle bowl without the foot as well.
What pastry brush do you use for brushing the alcohol onto the cake layer?
I prefer a boarhair pastry brush rather than a silicon brush since it helps to soak up more alcohol and add it to the cake layer.
What offset spatula do you use for smoothening each layer?
I use this offset spatula for all my baking needs.
Other holiday desserts that you can make for this holiday season:
- Orange and Ginger Curd Pie with Cranberry Meringue
- Masala Chai Pumpkin Cheesecake with Chai Masala Whipped Cream
- Pear and Thandai Upside Down Cake
If you make this recipe, please tag #thejamlab on Instagram and/or leave a comment on this blog post.
XO
Amisha
** First published on the old website on 12/21/2017**
Gingerbread Trifle with Cranberry Curd and Whipped Orange Mascarpone
Cranberry Curd
- 12 oz cranberries
- 1/2 cup orange juice
- 2 tablespoons orange zest
- 1 cup (200 grams) granulated sugar
- 3 eggs
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 stick, 113 grams unsalted butter, cold and cut into 1 inch cubes
Sugared Cranberries and Rosemary
- 1 cup fresh cranberries
- 6 sprigs of rosemary
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 cup granulated sugar in flat tray/plate
Chocolate Gingerbread Cake
- 2 cups (270 grams) all purpose flour
- 1/4 cup (30 grams) dark cocoa powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon table salt
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 cup; 113 grams unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 cup (180 grams) dark brown sugar, packed
- 1/4 cup molasses
- 1/4 cup sour cream or Greek yogurt
- 4 eggs
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Whipped Orange Mascarpone
- 2 8oz mascarpone cream, at room temperature
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream, chilled
- 2 tablespoons orange zest
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons Cognac or Grand Marnier
- 1/3 cup powdered sugar
To brush
- 1/3 cup cognac or orange liqueur
Get Recipe Ingredients
Method
Cranberry Curd(can be made 2-3 days in advance)
- 1. In a medium saucepan, on medium heat, add the cranberries, orange juice, orange zest and sugar, stir to combine.
- 2. Cook for 10 minutes, with the saucepan covered. After about 5 minutes of cooking, use a masher to mash all the cranberries. Switch off the gas after a total of 10 minutes of cooking. The mixture should look jammy. Strain it through a sieve to retrieve a smooth sauce.
- 3. Whisk the eggs and the yolk in a medium bowl, until frothy and well blended. Add ¼ cup of the cranberry sauce, and mix in the eggs to temper. Add another ¼ cup of the sauce and mix. Now add all of the cranberry-egg mixture into the remainder of the cranberry mixture and blend well.
- 4. Place the contents into the used cranberry saucepan. Place the saucepan back on the stove on medium heat, add the butter cubes and stir to combine until the butter melts. Cook for about 2 minutes. When you run your finger through the back of the spoon, the curd should stick to the back of the spoon. This is when you know the cranberry curd is done.
- 5. Strain the mixture through a medium sieve into a medium bowl. Cover it with a plastic wrap, touching the surface so that it does not form a film on the top. Cool it in the fridge for about 6 hours minimum before using it.
Sugared Cranberries and Rosemary
- 1. In a small saucepan, on medium heat, add the sugar and water. Mix and let the sugar dissolve for about 2 to 3 minutes. Switch off the gas, do not let the mixture boil.
- 2. Add the cranberries and rosemary sprigs, and let cool for about an hour in the bowl.
- 3. Strain the mixture through a fine sieve, and drain out the simple syrup into a medium bowl. Store the simple syrup in a glass jar, in the fridge for cocktails.
- 4. In a flat plate, add 1 cup of granulated sugar. Add the cranberries and roll them gently to cover all of them with the sugar. Do not overmix.
- 5. Remove the sugared cranberries onto a dry plate and set aside.
- 6. Repeat the same for the rosemary sprigs. Cover them with the sugar and set them aside onto a plate.
- 7. Let it dry for a day.
Chocolate Gingerbread Cake
- 1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
- 2. In a medium bowl, whisk together all purpose flour, dark cocoa, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg and clove.
- 3. In a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, add the butter and brown sugar in the bowl and mix for about 1 minute. Meanwhile in a small bowl, mix the sour cream and molasses together till well blended.
- 4. Add the eggs one at a time, running the stand mixer with each egg addition till well incorporated. Add the vanilla extract and blend.
- 5. Add the molasses mixture and mix until it is well blended.
- 6. Add the flour mixture into two parts, and mix until well blended.
- 7. In a 9×13 baking pan, spray with non-stick spray, add parchment paper.
- 8. Pour the batter into the baking pan and even it out. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes, or until the middle of the cake is set. Test with a toothpick and it should come out clean. Cool the cake completely for an hour. Cut it into 1 ½ inch x 1 ½ squares.
Whipped Orange Mascarpone
- 1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, with a whisk attachment, add the room temperature mascarpone with the orange zest.
- 2. Whisk the mascarpone for 40 seconds until well whipped.
- 3. Add the heavy cream, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, cognac and whisk for 1 ½ minutes atleast and make sure the cream is whipped until fluffy. Do NOT overwhip else it will clump. Set it in the fridge until ready to assemble the trifle
Assembly
- 1. In a 9 inch trifle bowl, tightly layer the squares into the bottom of the bowl.
- 2. Brush the cake with cognac generously. I use a pastry brush for this step.
- 3. Now layer half of the cranberry curd on top of the cake, make sure you layer it neatly. Use an offset spatula to layer it neatly.
- 4. Add half of the whipped topping and use an offset spatula to layer it neatly.
- 5. Repeat the process starting from the cake. End with the whipped topping. Decorate how you like with the sugared cranberries and sugared rosemary.
- 6. Chill in the fridge for 2 hours. The trifle can be made a day ahead. It tastes even better the next day.
Notes
BEST TIP FOR TRIFLES
- Trifles are best made a day ahead of serving. This helps the alcohol to soak into the cake layer and make it moist and rich. Also it helps all the layers of the tart cranberry curd, the smooth and zesty whipped mascarpone cream to meld beautifully together to form a cohesive flavor profile.
This trifle is a beautiful and elegant showstopper dessert for your Christmas get togethers and parties and a must!!!! Trust me !!! It will leave your guests wowing, and wanting more!
What kind of a baking pan do you use for the cake?
- I use a 9×13 baking pan for baking the cake. I bought this pan in 2017 and have used it like crazy since then.
What kind of a trifle bowl do you use for the assembly?
- I personally like the footed trifle bowl to give a dramatic effect of a gorgeous and showstopper dessert on the table. But you can get a trifle bowl without the foot as well.
What pastry brush do you use for brushing the alcohol onto the cake layer?
- I prefer a boarhair pastry brush rather than a silicon brush since it helps to soak up more alcohol and add it to the cake layer.
What offset spatula do you use for smoothening each layer?
- I use this offset spatula for all my baking needs.
