Gingerbread Muffins with Sweet Mascarpone Filling

BATTER

• 4 cups sifted Swans Down®️ Cake Flour
• 2 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 3/4 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
• 3/4 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
• 3 eggs, room temperature
• 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups molasses
• 1 1/2 cups buttermilk

FILLING

• 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted
• 4 ounces mascarpone, room temperature
• 1/2 cup cream cheese, room temperature
• 1/2 stick unsalted butter, room temperature

1. MAKE BATTER: Preheat oven to 350°F. Line large muffin tins with liners. Whisk flour, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, allspice and cloves in a medium bowl. Set aside. Beat butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Mix in eggs one at a time. Add vanilla and molasses and mix until combined. Mix in buttermilk until combined. Add flour mixture into butter mixture in 3 batches, mixing at medium speed until batter is smooth.
2. MAKE FILLING: Beat confectioners’ sugar, mascarpone, cream cheese and butter until smooth.
3. ASSEMBLE MUFFINS: Fill each muffin tin with 1/2 cup of batter. Using a pastry bag, pipe about 2 tablespoons of mascarpone filling into the center of each muffin.
4. BAKE for 25 to 30 minutes, rotating pans after 20 minutes. Cool to room temperature or serve warm.