Place a large bowl and whisk in the freezer to chill for making your whipped cream.

Combine water and sugar in a medium saucepan over high heat and stir until sugar is dissolved. When the mixture comes to a boil, add the cranberries. Simmer for 10 minutes. Remove the cranberries from the heat and allow to cool enough so that you can touch it. Using a cheesecloth, strain the liquid into a separate bowl, squeezing the cranberries to preserve as much liquid as possible. Discard the solids. Let the juice cool to room temperature before add to your whipped cream.

Get out your chilled bowl and whisk out. Using a hand mixer or stand mixer, beat the heavy cream and mascarpone on high until soft peaks form. Add the cranberry juice and continue to whisk until medium-stiff peaks form. Do not overbeat.

On a serving plate, spread a dollop of whipped cream in the center so your first layer of gingersnaps will stick. Arrange gingersnaps with one in the center and six more in a circle surrounding the center one. I recommend that the gingersnaps touch -- it make the structure of the cake more stable. On top of the gingersnaps, spread about 2/3 cup whipped cream. Continue to layer gingersnaps and whipped cream. One box of Nabisco gingersnaps will yield about 9 layers. (I had extra gingersnaps from another project, so mine is a little taller -- the shorter it is, the more stable it will be.)

Once your cake is completed, refrigerate at least four hours. When ready to serve, top with extra cranberries.