Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat.
Pour in the maple syrup and whisk to combine.
Add the light brown sugar, mix well and set aside for about 15 minutes.
In a bowl, mix the egg and the milk. Add this mixture to the melted butter. Whisk.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, spices, baking soda and baking powder. Mix.
Add the butter mixture to the dry ingredients, then mix until everything is well incorporated.
Add the lemon juice and gently stir.
Line an 8-inch round cake pan. Pour the cake batter into the pan. Bake for about 30-35 minutes. The cake is ready when a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Then gently remove the cake onto cooling racks.
Let cool completely before storing.
Wrap the cake in plastic wrap and place in the fridge overnight.
Make the Frosting:
Place a large mixing bowl, whisk attachment, mascarpone and the heavy whipping cream in the freezer for 10 to 15 minutes to chill.
Add the cold mascarpone, cold heavy cream and powdered sugar in your cold large mixing bowl. Whip on high speed until stiff peaks form. It takes 2-3 minutes.
Assemble the Cake:
Cut the cake layer in half.
Add half of the frosting in the center. With a spatula, spread the frosting out and a bit over the edges of the cake.
Replace the 2nd layer and use remaining frosting to spread all over the top of the cake.
Dot the bare sides of the cake in random places.
Decorate the Cake:
Add a little bit of powdered sugar to create snow.
Sugared decorations: I use sugared rose hips and sugared fresh rosemary. (No rose hips? Use cranberries.) Make a simple syrup by add 1 cup of sugar and 1 cup of water to a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk until the sugar dissolves and bring to a boil. Let it cool. Dip the rose hips and rosemary into the syrup. Then, roll them in the sugar. Gently shake off excess sugar.