I am so glad to be able to share this amazing dessert, Chocolate Pumpkin Mousse Cake, an elegant dessert with an irresistible flavor combination perfect for upcoming holidays. If you love pumpkin you should try this recipe, as it is one of the best pumpkin desserts ever. I love pumpkin, and I have used it in many recipes here on my blog and channel, but this dessert might be my new favorite of all pumpkin desserts.
This cake has a moist chocolate cake at the bottom, followed by a spiced and creamy pumpkin mousse, a chocolate mousse on top, finished with a shiny layer of dark chocolate ganache, decorated with beautiful physalis and cinnamon sticks to create a perfect fall dessert.
The recipe is quite easy and quick to prepare. You can easily make this a no-bake dessert if you substitute the chocolate cake at the bottom with an Oreo crust or your favorite cookie crust.
How to make chocolate pumpkin mousse cake
First, start by preparing the chocolate cake. Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C) and grease and line an 8-inch (20cm) springform pan with parchment paper.
In a bowl, whisk together eggs and sugar until well combined. Then add oil and vanilla extract.
Sift in flour, salt, cocoa powder, and baking powder, and whisk until fully mixed. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
Bake for 10-12 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs attached. Let it cool completely.
How to prepare the pumpkin mousse
Soak gelatin powder in cold water for 5-10 minutes. In a large bowl, mix Mascarpone with pumpkin puree, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves.
Dissolve the soaked gelatin over low heat and pour it over the pumpkin mixture. In another bowl, whip chilled cream until stiff peaks form, then gently fold it into the pumpkin mixture.
Start assembling the cake by placing the cooled chocolate cake on a serving platter and surround it with a ring lined with an acetate sheet. Pour the pumpkin mousse over the cake and smooth the top. Refrigerate for about 30 minutes while you prepare the chocolate mousse.
How to make chocolate mousse
For the chocolate mousse, melt semisweet chocolate with 2/3 cup (160g) whipping cream in a heatproof bowl over simmering water. Dissolve gelatin in cold water, then dissolve it over low heat and mix it into the melted chocolate.
Whip the remaining 1 cup (240g) chilled whipping cream until soft peaks form. Add the melted chocolate mixture and mix until well combined. Pour the chocolate mousse over the pumpkin mousse and smooth the top.
Cover and refrigerate for at least 4-6 hours or overnight.
To prepare the chocolate ganache, melt chocolate and cream in a heatproof bowl over simmering water. Spread it evenly over the cake and refrigerate for another 30 minutes before serving.
Optionally, decorate with physalis, whipped ganache, and cinnamon sticks before serving.
Hope you will try it out and enjoy it! If you do, make sure to share the photos with me on Instagram. Would love to see how it turns out for you.
For more pumpkin treats check our full collection of Pumpkin Recipes.
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE:
Semi-Naked Pumpkin Chocolate Cake
Pumpkin Mocha Cupcakes with Toasted Meringue
Pumpkin Cream Cheese Bundt Cake
Marbled Chocolate Pumpkin Cheesecake
Chocolate Pumpkin Mousse Cake
Equipment
Ingredients
Chocolate Cake
- 1 large egg
- 1/3 cup (70g) sugar
- 1/3 cup (70g) vegetable oil
- 1 tsp (5g) vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp (1g) salt
- 1/4 cup (30g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/3 cup (40g) all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp (2g) baking powder
Pumpkin Mousse
- 4 oz (120g) mascarpone cheese
- 1 cup (240g) pumpkin puree
- 1/2 cup (60g) powdered sugar
- 1 tsp (5g) vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp (1g) salt
- 1 tsp (3g) cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp (2g) ginger
- 1/4 tsp (1g) nutmeg
- 1/8 tsp cloves
- 2 ¼ tsp (7g) gelatin powder
- 3 tbsp (45g) cold water
- 1 cup (240g) whipping cream (35% fat) , chilled
Chocolate Mousse
- 7 oz (200g) semi-sweet chocolate
- 2/3 cup (160g) whipping cream
- 1 tsp (3g) gelatin powder
- 1 tbsp (15ml) cold water
- 1 cup (240g) whipping cream (35% fat) , chilled
Chocolate Ganache
- 3.5 oz (100g) semisweet chocolate
- 3.5 oz (100g) whipping cream
For decoration, optional
- physalis
- cinnamon sticks
- whipped ganache
Instructions
First prepare the chocolate cake.
- Preheat the oven to 350F (180C). Grease and line a 8 inch (20cm) springform pan with parchment paper.
- In a bowl whisk egg with sugar until well combined. Incorporate oil and vanilla extract.
- Sift the flour, salt, cocoa powder and baking powder and whisk to fully incorporate.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes clean or with few moist crumbs attached.
- Let cool completely.
Prepare the pumpkin mousse.
- Soak gelatin powder in cold water for 5-10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a large bowl mix mascarpone with pumpkin puree, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves.
- Dissolve bloomed gelatin over low heat. Pour over the pumpkin mixture.
- In a large bowl mix chilled cream until stiff peaks form. Gently fold into pumpkin mixture.
- On a serving platter add the cooled chocolate cake. Place a ring, lined with an acetate sheet, around the cake.
- Pour the pumpkin mousse over the cake and smooth the top. Refrigerate for about 30 minutes until you prepare the chocolate mousse .
Prepare the chocolate mousse.Â
- In a heat proof bowl add the semisweet chocolate and 2/3 cup (160g) whipping cream. Place the bowl over a saucepan with simmering water, over low heat, until all the chocolate is melted.
- Meanwhile dissolve gelatin in cold water and let it swell for about 5 to 10 minutes. Dissolve gelatin over low heat, pour over the melted chocolate and stir to combine.
- Whip the remaining 1 cup (240g) chilled whipping cream until soft peaks form. Add melted chocolate mixture and mix until well combined.
- Pour the chocolate mousse over the pumpkin mousse. Smooth the top.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 4-6 hours or better overnight.
Prepare the chocolate ganache.
- Place chocolate and cream in a heatproof bowl and place over a pan with simmering water. Melt over low heat.
- Spread it evenly over the cake.
- Refrigerate for another 30 minutes before serving.
- Optional, decorate with physalis, whipped ganache and cinnamon sticks. Enjoy!
Video
Nutrition
Did you make this recipe?
Please let me know how it turned out for you! Leave a comment below and tag @homecookingadventure on Instagram and hashtag it #homecookingadventure.
GORGEOUS ! magnifique gâteau ! bravo
This was a fun challenge for a Thanksgiving dessert. I wanted to make something with pumpkin, but avoid a basic pumpkin pie. This was incredible and a showstopper! The pumpkin mousse was my favorite part. This was the second recipe of yours that I’ve tried and each one is a fun, new adventure!
Your recipes and videos are so well explained. Thank you so much. I look forward to trying this mousse cake.
Thank you 🙂 Hope you will try this cake, it is delightful.
Amazing taste and mix of flavors! In this combination, pumpkin tastes as an exotic fruit! It is always with great excitement that I try one of your recipes! Keep up the good work! 🙂
So glad you enjoyed the cake 🙂 We love it too.
I didn’t have luck with this recipe and was disappointed with the outcome. The flavor of the pumpkin mousse was off and the whole thing was bland.
I wonder what happened. It is a very flavorful cake, not bland at all. It is important to use good quality chocolate and if possible fresh roasted pumpkin. I never use canned pumpkin. What kind of pumpkin did u use? Also, it is a must to use all the spices mentioned, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves, to bring that fall specific flavor. If you follow exactly each step the cake will turn awesome and bursting with flavor.
This was AMAZING. I can’t believe how much this recipe exceeded my expectations. This might be one of the best mousse desserts I have ever made, the texture was perfect. Better than cakes I’ve literally bought. The ingredients and multiple layers kind of intimidated me at first but it wasn’t too hard. I used cling wrap instead of acetate and it came out with wrinkly edges but was still pretty. Thank you for the recipe 🙂
So happy you tried this out Zola. Yes, it is an amazing flavorful cake. Glad you enjoyed it.