Ginger Mascarpone Icebox Cake

Rich. Creamy. Chock full o' love. And ginger. LOTS of ginger.

Delicious? Tick.

Full of Flavour? Tick.

Impressive? Tick.

Easy? Tick.

Ginger Mascarpone Icebox Cake (from Fine Cooking the Sweet Cakes Issue)

12 ounces gingersnap crumbs (about 2 1/4 cups of gingersnaps that have been taken through their paces in a food processor)

2 1/2 ounces (5 Tbsp.) unsalted butter, melted

1/2 cup plain low-fat yogurt

2/3 cup sugar (more for the pan)

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 cup minced crystallized ginger

1 pound mascarpone cheese

1/3 cup heavy cream

Spray a 9-inch springform pan with nonstick cooking spray or grease it lightly. Dust the pan with a little sugar and knock out any excess. Combine the gingersnap crumbs and butter, rubbing them together with your fingers. Sprinkle half of the crumbs over the bottom of the pan and pat down evenly. Set the rest aside.

With an electric mixer, whip together the cream cheese, yogurt, sugar, vanilla, and candied ginger until smooth, scraping down the sides. Add the mascarpone and cream and whip until the mixture is thoroughly combined and just holds peaks. Don’t overwhip or the mixture may separate. Carefully spoon half of the mascarpone cream over the gingersnap crust, spreading it evenly to the edges of the pan. Sprinkle half of the remaining crumbs over the mascarpone cream in the pan. Top with remaining mascarpone cream and finish with the remaining crumbs. Gently tap the pan on the counter to eliminate any air bubbles. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. To serve, warm a sharp knife under hot water and dry it off. Cut one slice, clean the knife and warm it again before cutting the next slice.