Gingerbread heart with vanilla cream - photo 1
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Gingerbread heart with vanilla cream

Desserts Cakes and Bakes Regional Cuisine of Poland 60 min Medium 16 wyświetleń ~46.25 PLN * - (0)
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Description

A delicate gingerbread cake baked in the shape of a heart, filled with a vanilla cream made from heavy cream and mascarpone. This is a modern take on Polish gingerbread: a spiced, moist interior thanks to honey and butter, and a light, velvety vanilla cream that balances the intensity of the spices. Perfect for winter holidays, Valentine's dinners, or as an elegant dessert with coffee. The finishing touch of nuts and orange zest adds crunch and a fresh aromatic note. Visually striking — a deep brown heart-shaped cake, white cream with visible vanilla seeds, and golden decorative accents.

Ingredients Used

Ingredients (20)

Servings:
8
  • Chicken egg 2 szt. (~120 g)
  • Wheat flour 250 g
  • Cocoa 30 g
  • Honey 120 ml
  • Sugar 120 g
  • Butter 120 g
  • Milk 100 ml
  • Baking soda 5 g
  • Ground ginger 2 g
  • Ground clove 1 g
  • 30% heavy cream 300 g
  • Mascarpone 250 g
  • Powdered sugar 80 g
  • Vanilla bean 0.6 szt. (~3 g)
  • Lemon juice 10 ml
  • 🌿 Przyprawy
  • Salt 1 g
  • Cinnamon 4 g
  • Nutmeg 2 szczypty (~1 g)
  • ✨ Opcjonalne
  • Walnuts 50 g
  • Orange zest 10 g
💰 Szacowany koszt dania: ~46.25 PLN (5.78 PLN/porcję)
* Brak cen dla niektórych składników

💡 Kliknij na składnik aby oznaczyć jako użyty

Preparation steps

Gingerbread cake

1

Preparation and preheating the oven: set the rack to the middle level. Preheat the oven to 170°C (if using a convection oven, set to 160°C). Grease a heart-shaped pan with a diameter of about 20-24 cm and line the bottom with baking paper, trimming it so that no folds are created. If you don't have a heart-shaped pan — use a springform pan of 22-24 cm and cut out the heart shape after baking using a cookie cutter or template.

Use a mold with a diameter of 20-24 cm (heart) — a larger mold will make the gingerbread thinner and it will bake faster. Trim the paper with kitchen scissors. If you are using a convection oven, reduce the temperature by 10°C.
2

Melt the butter: in a small saucepan, melt the butter over low heat. Once the butter has melted, remove the saucepan from the heat and add the honey and sugar. Stir with a wooden spoon until the sugar partially dissolves and the mixture becomes smooth. The mixture should be warm, not hot — check with the outer side of your wrist (it should feel pleasantly warm).

Use a saucepan with a diameter suitable for the amount (about 16-18 cm). Do not allow it to boil — too high a temperature will destroy the aromas of the honey. You can heat it in a water bath if you are afraid of burning.
3

Dry mixture: in a large bowl, sift the flour and cocoa powder through a sieve with holes of 4-5 mm. Add baking soda (which will be dissolved later in the milk), salt, and all the spices: cinnamon, ground ginger, ground cloves, and nutmeg. Mix the dry ingredients with a whisk to evenly distribute the spices — the mixture should have a uniform color without cocoa lumps.

Use a sieve and a large bowl. Sifting aerates the flour and breaks up cocoa clumps, resulting in a lighter batter. If you don't have a sieve, use a sturdy spoon and mix thoroughly.
4

Combine the wet ingredients: in a separate bowl, beat the eggs with a fork until slightly frothy (about 20-30 seconds). Add the milk and gradually pour in the cooled butter and honey mixture, stirring with a spoon or whisk until the ingredients are combined.

If the butter was too hot, wait until it cools to room temperature so it doesn't curdle the eggs. Use a whisk or a spoon — not a mixer at this stage.
5

Combining the batter: pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix with a wooden spoon just until the ingredients are combined — do not mix too long. The batter will be quite thick and glossy; if it is too thick, add 1-2 tablespoons (15-30 ml) of milk. Consistency: the thickness of thick cream soup — it will easily spread in the pan, but it will not be liquid.

Use a large wooden spoon or spatula. Mixing too long develops gluten and will make the gingerbread tough. Stir from the bottom up for 10-20 seconds.
6

Baking: transfer the batter to the prepared pan, smooth the top with a spatula. Place in the preheated oven on the middle rack and bake for 35-40 minutes. After 30 minutes, check the doneness — insert a thin stick into the center of the cake; if the stick comes out dry or with a few crumbs, the cake is ready. The top should be springy and slightly shiny.

It's best to observe from 30 minutes — every oven bakes differently. Do not open the oven in the first 20 minutes to avoid the cake sinking. Use a metal skewer or toothpick.
7

Cooling: after baking, remove the pan from the oven and let it sit for 10 minutes on a wire rack. After 10 minutes, gently transfer the cake to the wire rack and remove the parchment paper, leaving it to cool completely (about 30-40 minutes). The cake should be completely cool before applying the cream, otherwise the cream will melt.

Use a metal cooling rack to allow air to circulate underneath. If the cake is moist in the middle, give it more time — applying cream to a warm cake will cause the cream to slide off.

Vanilla cream

8

Prepare the vanilla cream: split the vanilla pod lengthwise and scrape out the seeds with a knife. In a bowl, place the mascarpone and add the vanilla seeds and powdered sugar. In a second, well-chilled bowl, whip the chilled heavy cream to soft peaks (start at low speed, then increase). When the cream begins to thicken, gradually add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice to the mascarpone to stabilize the cream. Then gently fold the whipped cream into the mascarpone with a spatula in two batches, using an upward motion to avoid losing fluffiness.

Use a mixer with a whisk or a hand mixer. The bowl and whisks should be chilled (about 10-15 minutes in the fridge) — this makes whipping the cream much easier. Do not whip the cream too stiffly, as it will become too hard to combine.

Assembly and decoration

9

Place the cooled cake on a cutting board. If the top has a dome, level it with a sharp serrated knife — cut horizontally to create two thin layers (optional) or one layer and gently sprinkle cream on top. Spread about 1/3 of the cream on the bottom layer, smoothing it evenly with a spatula. Cover with the second layer and spread the remaining cream on the top and sides. Press chopped nuts onto the edges and sprinkle grated orange zest as decoration.

Use a long cream spatula or a large spoon. If you don't want to cut the cake, you can simply spread the cream on top. Additionally, you can add walnuts and orange zest to enhance the flavor/texture (optional ingredients).
10

Cooling and serving: place the finished cake in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes (ideally 1 hour) to allow the cream to set slightly and the flavors to meld. Serve at a slightly chilled temperature. When cutting, use a sharp knife washed in hot water and dried before each cut, so that each slice has clean edges.

If you have less time, 30 minutes will be enough, but longer chilling will improve the consistency. Keep the knife heated (briefly place it in hot water and wipe it) to ensure smooth cutting.

Fun Fact

💡

Gingerbread is one of the oldest Polish spiced cakes — its recipes were known as early as the Middle Ages. Traditionally, various spice blends and honey were added in Poland, and the shapes of the baked goods had symbolic meanings — a heart is associated with family celebrations and feelings.

Best for

Walentynki Święta zimowe Urodziny Spotkanie kawowe

Tips

🍽️ Serving

Serve slightly chilled, sliced. For contrast, serve with a spoonful of sour red fruit sauce (e.g. cranberry sauce) or a cup of dark, strong coffee. For decoration, add fresh mint leaves or a light dusting of powdered sugar just before serving.

🥡 Storage

Store in the refrigerator covered with plastic wrap or in an airtight container for up to 3 days. The cream may slightly soften the cake after longer storage — before serving, take it out for 15-20 minutes to soften. You can also freeze separate portions of the cream, but it is not recommended to freeze the finished cake with mascarpone cream (it will lose its structure).

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