I have said countless times: I love pumpkin! Because its colour is bright and beautiful color, because its flesh is soft and velvety, and because it can be used to cook savory or sweet dishes.
I tasted and fell in love with pumpkin pie many years aho. I was working in the toy department of a department store, which organized a costume contest and am afternoon tea for Halloween. The menu included a pumpkin pie. Disdained by participants – probably because they thought pumpkin is eaten primarily as a soup – I gobbled up several slices, both surprised and delighted by the taste that I had just discovered.
While I was preparing a pumpkin cream for dessert I got the idea to use it as a basis for making a firm pumpkin mousse. Because of the orange colour, I naturally made the association with Halloween. So I thought a cacao and chestnut sponge would be the ideal base for my Halloween cake. Given its photogenic appearance, I thought this cake would be the perfect subject for my first video!
The quantities of the recipes are adapted to a 6in diameter springform pan. The sponge is about 1/2 in thick a copyright of about 1.5 cm, for a cake with a total height of 2 in. If you want to make a larger cake, multiply the quantities and increase the cooking time of the sponge by a few minutes.
Since I like challenges, and I wanted this cake suits the greatest number of people possible, this recipe is gluten-free, vegan and contains no refined sugar. Classic pastry lovers, do not worry: I guarantee that the end result is tasty and the texture of the cake will please you! The proof in pictures:
Serves 8
Sponge
- 30 gr chestnut flour
- 24 gr brown rice flour
- 6 gr arrowroot starch
- 18 gr raw sugar
- 12 gr cacao powder
- 3 gr baking powder
- 1 pinch salt
- 18 ml melted coconut oil + extra to oil the pan
- 3 ml balsamic vinegar
- 65 ml soy milk
- 18 ml soy yogurt
Pumpkin mousse
- 150 gr firm silken tofu
- 300 gr cooked pumpkin, still hot
- 50 gr cooked carrots, still hot
- 30 ml agave syrup
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp powdered ginger
- 1 clove, ground
- 1 pinch grated nutmeg
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp agar
- 4 tbsp water
Directions
Sponge
- Preheat oven to 180 ° C
- In a large bowl, mix the soy milk, soy yogurt, melted coconut oil and balsamic vinegar.
- In another bowl, mix all the other ingredients: rice and chestnut flour , arrowroot starch, sugar, cocoa, baking powder and salt.
- Using a spatula, stir in gradually dry food to wet food. Mix thoroughly until homogeneous.
- Pour the batter into a springform pan oiled with coconut oil. Smooth the surface using a spatula and tapping the cake on the table.
- Bake 10 minutes at 180 ° C
- Let cool in the open oven before turning out.
- Place the cake in a pan lined with parchment paper.
Pumpkin mousse
- Wrap the tofu in several layers of kitchen towels.
- Place a weight on the tofu (a big book will do) and allow to sit for 15 minutes before unwrapping the tofu.
- In the bowl of a high speed blender, pour: the tofu, agave syrup, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, ground clove, lemon juice, and the warm squash and carrot. Having them still hot is necessary to get a homogeneous mousse, because agar should not start setting in the bowl of your blender!
- In a small saucepan, heat the agar and water. Stir constantly. Once boiling, leave for 2 more minutes. You must get a viscous gel texture.
- Add the agar gel to the rest of the preparation.
- Blend until smooth.
- Pour immediately over the cacao sponge and smooth the surface.
- Refrigerate for at least 5 hours.
- Remove from pan, decorate and enjoy!
Bon appétit!
Eleonora
It seems to be tasty
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Thank you Claire! Yes, it was 🙂
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🙂
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Happy Halloween !!
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Thank you!!! 🙂
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