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Mpenza: Opened the scoring for Plymouth
Michael Chopra's first strike since he returned to the south Wales club on loan from Sunderland set up a tense finale in Saturday's early Championship clash at Home Park but Argyle held on to go seventh in the table, ahead of the rest of the day's action.
Top scorer Gallagher, returning from suspension to form a three-pronged strikeforce alongside Rory Fallon and Mpenza for the first time this season, more than justified his return. Midfielder Jamie Mackie made way to accommodate the on-loan Blackburn striker.
Injuries to Peter Whittingham and Joe Ledley against Crystal Palace forced Cardiff boss Dave Jones into two changes.
Wayne Routledge made his full debut after arriving on loan from Aston Villa this week while Paul Parry was recalled.
Cardiff made a nervous start and survived an unnecessary scare in the first minute when Tom Heaton handled outside the area as he slid along the greasy surface to collect the ball but the visitors cleared the resulting free-kick.
The on-loan Manchester United goalkeeper then had to rush from his line to block a Mpenza shot after Chris Clark's throughball caught the defence flat-footed.
Argyle continued to assert their authority and Gallagher's powerful shot just cleared the crossbar after a neat exchange of passes with Fallon on the edge of the box.
Argyle captain Karl Duguid was forced off injured after only 16 minutes and he was replaced by Yoann Folly.
Mpenza then thumped an angled shot against Heaton's chest after Fallon's header had put him through on the right of the area.
Cardiff's first chance came after 19 minutes in a goalmouth scramble from a corner.
The ball eventually broke to Chopra with his back to goal and his turn and shot forced a good save from Romain Larrieu at the foot of his near post.
It appeared Argyle would reap no reward for their first-half dominance but Mpenza made the breakthrough in the 39th minute after Fallon's header across the area.
The Belgian tangled with Darren Purse before showing good athleticism to hook the ball over Heaton into the roof of the net.
Three minutes later, the home side extended their lead when Clark's cross from the right caught the wind and sailed over Heaton, rebounding off the crossbar for Gallagher to prod into an empty net from close range.
Mpenza had a half-chance to put the game beyond Cardiff five minutes after the break but he headed over from 12 yards.
Cardiff began to get back into the game and Chopra's 25-yard shot dipped over the crossbar in the 58th minute.
Four minutes later, they had halved the deficit as Chopra took Routledge's clever reverse pass in his stride before rounding Larrieu and slotting home.
The on-loan striker might have salvaged a point for Cardiff in injury time but he shot straight at Larrieu from the edge of the area.
