Uploaded August 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Recipe below for my own wedding cake (of over 25 years ago!). This luscious dessert has layers of subtly-spiced and lemon-scented cake hints at gingerbread, but when layered and topped with a fluffy lemon mascarpone cream, it suits any season. Except for whipping the cream for the filling, no mixer or beaters are required.
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Makes one 8-inch (20 cm) layer cake
Serves 12
Prep time: 40 minutes
Cook time: 25 minutes
The cake will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days.
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• Ingredients •
¾ cup (175 mL) buttermilk
2/3 cup (160 mL) neutral oil
½ cup (130 g) fancy molasses
1/2 cup (100 g) packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar
3 large eggs
1 Tbsp (15 mL) freshly grated ginger
1 Tbsp (15 mL) finely grated lemon zest
2 ½ cups (375 g) all-purpose flour
1 ½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp fine salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp ground nutmeg
¼ tsp ground allspice
Filling
1 cup (250 mL) whipping cream
1 cup (130 g) icing sugar
2 cups (450 g) mascarpone cheese
3 Tbsp (45 mL) lemon juice
2 tsp finely grated lemon zest
Fresh berries
icing sugar, for garnish
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• Directions •
1. For the cake, preheat oven to 325 °F (160 °C). Grease three 8-inch (20 cm) round cake pans, line the bottoms with parchment, and grease and flour them, shaking out excess flour.
2. Whisk the buttermilk, oil, molasses, and sugars together by hand until well-combined. Whisk in the eggs, ginger and lemon zest and whisk vigorously by hand until smooth.
3. Sift the dry ingredients over the wet, or in a separate bowl and whisk into the batter until smooth. The batter will be fluid.
4. Pour the batter into the pans and bake for about 25 minutes, until a tester inserted in the centre of the cake comes out clean. Allow cakes to cool 20 minutes in pan before inverting to cool completely on a rack.
5. For the filling, whip cream to soft peaks and stir in half of the icing sugar. In a separate bowl, stir in lemon juice and zest into the mascarpone, along with the remaining icing sugar. Fold the cream into the mascarpone mixture until smooth.
6. To assemble, spread a third of the icing on one cake layer, and top with the second cake layer. Repeat with the cream and cake, topping the cake with the cream, leaving the sides of the cake exposed. Arrange fresh berries on top and dust with icing sugar. Chill until ready to serve.
Recipe below for my own wedding cake (of over 25 years ago!). This luscious dessert has layers of subtly-spiced and lemon-scented cake hints at gingerbread, but when layered and topped with a fluffy lemon mascarpone cream, it suits any season. Except for whipping the cream for the filling, no mixer or beaters are required.
--------
Makes one 8-inch (20 cm) layer cake
Serves 12
Prep time: 40 minutes
Cook time: 25 minutes
The cake will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days.
--------
• Ingredients •
¾ cup (175 mL) buttermilk
2/3 cup (160 mL) neutral oil
½ cup (130 g) fancy molasses
1/2 cup (100 g) packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar
3 large eggs
1 Tbsp (15 mL) freshly grated ginger
1 Tbsp (15 mL) finely grated lemon zest
2 ½ cups (375 g) all-purpose flour
1 ½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp fine salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp ground nutmeg
¼ tsp ground allspice
Filling
1 cup (250 mL) whipping cream
1 cup (130 g) icing sugar
2 cups (450 g) mascarpone cheese
3 Tbsp (45 mL) lemon juice
2 tsp finely grated lemon zest
Fresh berries
icing sugar, for garnish
--------
• Directions •
1. For the cake, preheat oven to 325 °F (160 °C). Grease three 8-inch (20 cm) round cake pans, line the bottoms with parchment, and grease and flour them, shaking out excess flour.
2. Whisk the buttermilk, oil, molasses, and sugars together by hand until well-combined. Whisk in the eggs, ginger and lemon zest and whisk vigorously by hand until smooth.
3. Sift the dry ingredients over the wet, or in a separate bowl and whisk into the batter until smooth. The batter will be fluid.
4. Pour the batter into the pans and bake for about 25 minutes, until a tester inserted in the centre of the cake comes out clean. Allow cakes to cool 20 minutes in pan before inverting to cool completely on a rack.
5. For the filling, whip cream to soft peaks and stir in half of the icing sugar. In a separate bowl, stir in lemon juice and zest into the mascarpone, along with the remaining icing sugar. Fold the cream into the mascarpone mixture until smooth.
6. To assemble, spread a third of the icing on one cake layer, and top with the second cake layer. Repeat with the cream and cake, topping the cake with the cream, leaving the sides of the cake exposed. Arrange fresh berries on top and dust with icing sugar. Chill until ready to serve.
