Elevate your holiday table with this impressive yet easy Vegan Pumpkin Mousse Cake. A layer of vanilla sponge cake made with spelt flour, topped with another layer of luscious pumpkin mousse. Jump to Recipe
My husband and I did not grow up here in America. We started celebrating Thanksgiving only in the past few years and the food served or made was not really traditional to us. With all the festivities in the air, the holidays have been becoming a bigger affair in our home in the past few years.
And since we and more people around us are choosing to eat all or mostly plant-based we all need some more plant-based desserts for the holidays. Enter this Pumpkin Mousse Cake! Now, I am not an intricate dessert baker. I like easy and less sweet desserts that are quick and relatively mess-free.
Elevate your holiday table with this easy Pumpkin Mousse Cake recipe:
This easy pumpkin mousse cake is my kind of recipe! Picture layers of light vanilla sponge cake, luscious spiced pumpkin mousse, and creamy coconut cream frosting. Yum! You will find that this gorgeous mousse cake is just right! Not overly sweet and it uses mostly healthy whole-food ingredients. A delicious addition to your harvest menu.
The base for this fall-themed mousse cake is a vanilla spelt sponge. The middle layer is a decadent Pumpkin Mousse made with coconut cream and pumpkin pie spice.
The frosting for this show-stopping pumpkin cake is leftover pumpkin mousse whipped up with some more coconut cream and rum extract! As this is an easy vegan layer cake recipe, we keep decoration to the minimum and just top the pumpkin cake with a generous dusting of cinnamon.
This pumpkin mousse cake is seriously good. Even my hubby finished his entire big slice in one go and he’s not really one for desserts!
Ingredients for this Pumpkin Mousse Cake:
- Spelt flour: Spelt is an ancient grain that has recently become popular as an alternative for wheat and people who cannot tolerate wheat. It does contain gluten, so people with gluten allergies or celiac disease need to avoid it. Spelt is more water-soluble than wheat, meaning you need less liquid than with whole wheat flour. Keep that in mind should you decide to use whole wheat flour.
- Pumpkin puree: Canned pumpkin is a convenient ingredient that can save lots of time when making desserts. However, the pumpkin section of the canned goods aisle can be a little confusing. For this recipe, we need pure pumpkin puree. Not to be confused with pumpkin pie filling, which already comes with added sugar and spices.
- Coconut cream: You can find cans of coconut cream in many grocery stores. They come in full-sized or mini (5.4 oz) cans. However, if you don’t find any, you can use the cream that gathers at the top of a refrigerated full-fat coconut milk can.
- Pumpkin spice: You can use a store-bought mix or make your own by mixing 1/2 tsp cinnamon and ginger with 1/4 tsp each of ground cloves and nutmeg.
- Agar-agar is a natural plant-based alternative to gelatin. White and semi-translucent, it is sold in packages as washed and dried strips or in powdered form. I use powdered agar for this recipe.
Tips and substitutions for this Pumpkin Mousse Cake recipe:
- To get coconut cream, refrigerate full-fat coconut milk cans for a few hours, then remove the accumulated cream from the top.
- If you are like me, and would rather not do all the intricate set up with the cake layers and mousse and the frosting, you can serve this up as a parfait. Pumpkin cake parfaits just look different but taste just as good and are way quicker to assemble. Add some crumbled pieces of the sponge cake to a bowl or individual glasses, then top with a good dollop of the mousse. Top with some candied pecans and serve.
- You can make the vanilla cake a day early and leave it at room temperature in an airtight container.
- I made the frosting with the remaining mousse, but you can make any fall spiced or plain frosting of choice.
- This cake recipe can be made corn-free by using arrowroot starch instead of cornstarch.
- You can make this recipe nut-free by using nut-free non-dairy milk.
How to make this Pumpkin Mousse Cake – Step by Step:
1. Make the pumpkin cake batter by combining wet and dry ingredients and pour it into an 8-inch pan.
2. Bake the cake at 365 degrees F for 35-40 minutes, until a toothpick from the center comes out clean. Remove the sponge from the pan once cooled completely. Clean the edges or level it, if necessary, then slice it into two layers.
3. Make the Pumpkin Mousse. In a pan, heat almond milk at medium heat. Add agar powder to it and whisk well. Bring to a boil and cook for 5 minutes. Add warmed pumpkin puree, spices, salt, sugar, cornstarch, and vanilla extract and whisk well. Cook for 5-6 minutes so the cornstarch gets cooked. Let the pumpkin mixture set in the refrigerator for a few hours. It will be like a well-set gel.
4. Blend the pumpkin gel with 2/3 cup coconut cream in a blender. Taste and adjust spice and sugar. Add 1/4 cup or more or less sugar if needed and blend.
4. Assemble the cake: Spread the pumpkin mousse between the 2 cake layers. Even it out using an off-set spatula. Now, wrap the cake in cling wrap and place it in the 8-inch cake pan in the refrigerator for a few hours. Remove from refrigerator, unwrap and prep for frosting.
5. Blend the remaining mousse with about 1/2 cup coconut cream and rum extract until smooth.
6. Evenly spread the pumpkin pie spiced coconut cream frosting on the cake on the sides and top. Sprinkle a little cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice on top through a sieve.
7. Slice and serve, or just eat all of it. Or make the cake and the mousse and serve it up as parfaits.
How to cut a sponge cake into even layers:
To make cutting easy, you’ll need a small pairing knife and a large serrated knife. For perfectly even layers, the cake should be chilled, as a cold cake is much sturdier than a cake at room temperature. You can make the cake layers a day before and store them in the fridge.
Use the small paring knife to score the outside edge of the cake, about halfway up the side. Don’t cut too deeply. This line is simply serving as a marker.
Now, take the large serrated knife and cut through the cake along the line made with the paring knife. Take your time and maintain accuracy. No need to rush.
As a final step, use the large knife to lift the top layer off of the bottom layer. Your vanilla sponge should be sturdy enough to lift easily.
More vegan cake recipes from the blog:
- Vegan Apple Cake
- Vanilla Cake with Chocolate Frosting
- Vegan Pear Upside Down Cake
- Pumpkin Cake with Chocolate Ganache
For more Thanksgiving recipes, check out this Thanksgiving recipe round-up.
Pumpkin Mousse Cake with Spelt Vanilla Sponge
Ingredients
Vanilla Spelt Cake:
Wet:
- 2 Tablespoons flaxmeal
- 1/3 cup (2.94 oz) warm water
- 3/4 cup (5.29 oz) ground raw sugar 2 Tbsp more for sweeter
- 1/3 cup (2.63 oz) oil use a combination of oils. I use half organic canola and half coconut
- 1/3 cup (2.94 oz) coconut milk or almond milk
- 1 Tbsp vinegar I used apple cider vinegar
Dry:
- 1.5 cup (6.35 oz) Spelt flour
- 2 Tbsps cornstarch
- 1.5 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
Pumpkin Mousse:
- 1/2 cup (4.41 oz) almond milk
- 1.5 tsp agar powder
- 3/4 cup (6.48 oz) pumpkin puree warm
- 1/2 cup (3.53 oz) ground raw sugar
- 1.5 tsp pumpkin pie spice or add 1/2 tsp cinnamon & ginger, 1/4 tsp clove & nutmeg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- a generous pinch of salt
- 1 Tbsp cornstarch mixed in 2 Tbsp water
- 2/3 cup (5.64 oz) coconut cream
- 1/4 cup (1.76 oz) ground raw sugar
Frosting:
- 1/4 cup (1.02 oz) Pumpkin mousse
- 1 tsp rum extract
- 1/2 cup (3.99 oz) coconut cream or full fall coconut milk
Instructions
Vanilla Cake:
- In a bowl, mix flax meal and water. Let sit for 2 minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients under wet and mix well to combine.
- In another bowl, mix all the dry ingredients well. Add dry to wet and mix just till combined.
- Pour this thick batter onto greased 8-inch cake pan. Bake at pre-heated 365 degrees F for 35-40 minutes, until toothpick from the center comes out clean,
- Let the cake cool a bit, then remove from pan. Slice the cake into 2 and clean up the edges or the bottom if you like. You can make the cake a day early and leave it at room temperature in an airtight container.
Pumpkin Mousse:
- In a pan, heat almond milk at medium heat. Add agar powder to it and whisk well. Bring to a boil and cook for 5 minutes. Add warmed pumpkin puree, spices, salt, sugar, cornstarch, and vanilla extract and whisk well. Cook for 5-6 minutes so the cornstarch gets cooked. Let the pumpkin mixture set in the refrigerator for a few hours. It will be like a well-set gel.
- Blend the pumpkin gel with 2/3 cup coconut cream in a blender. Taste and adjust spice and sugar. Add 1/4 cup or more or less sugar if needed and blend. (To get coconut cream, refrigerate full-fat coconut milk cans for a few hours, then remove the accumulated cream from top).
Assembly:
- Spread this mousse between the 2 cake layers. Even it out, then wrap the cake in cling wrap and place in the 8-inch cake pan in the refrigerator for a few hours. Remove from refrigerator, unwrap and prep for frosting.
- I made the frosting with the remaining mousse, but you can make any fall spiced or plain frosting of choice.
- Blend the remaining mousse with about 1/2 cup coconut cream and rum extract until smooth.
- Evenly spread the pumpkin pie spiced coconut cream frosting on the cake on the sides and top. Sprinkle a little cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice on top through a sieve.
- Slice and serve, or just eat all of it.
- Or make the cake and the mousse and serve it up as parfaits.
Notes
- To get coconut cream, refrigerate full-fat coconut milk cans for a few hours, then remove the accumulated cream from the top.
- If you are like me, and would rather not do all the intricate set up with the cake layers and mousse and the frosting, you can serve this up as a parfait. Pumpkin cake parfaits just look different but taste just as good and are way quicker to assemble. Add some chunky crumbled pieces of the cake to a bowl, then top with a good dollop of the mousse and top with some cinnamony candied pecans and serve.
- You can make the vanilla cake a day early and leave it at room temperature in an airtight container.
- I made the frosting with the remaining mousse, but you can make any fall spiced or plain frosting of choice.
- This cake recipe can be made corn-free by using arrowroot starch instead of cornstarch.
- You can make this recipe nut-free by using nut-free non-dairy milk.
Nutrition
Editor’s Note: This post was originally published in November 2013 and has been updated for accuracy and comprehensiveness in January 2020.
Lucía
Looks sooo tempting! But I eat gluten free… any gluten free version of it?
Richa
Use my gluten-free vanilla cake and then use this mousse over it. Also add in some pumpkin pie spice to the cake batter. Veganricha.com/?s=vanilla+cake
Vai
Is there a substitute for flax meal? Applesauce maybe?
Is it a must?
Vegan Richa Support
Flax meal acts as a binder in the cake. You can sub chia seeds, that will work!
maia
Hi would it work if you subbed the sugar for coconut sugar or rice malt syrup?
Richa
coconut sugar might work, rice malt syrup will not as the recipe will need changing to adjust for the liquid.
Coconut sugar makes the baked goods a bit dry, so cover the cake with a towel to cool.
Amy
This looks amazing! I’m looking forward to making this for my annual fall family get together, but I have a quick question…. I can’t find agar powder in any of my local stores. Is there something that I could substitute it with? A friend suggested I use tapioca starch… would that work?
Richa
the starch will not hold up the mousse well. fruit pectin will work much better. you can order agar online if that works.
kaca
This looks fabulous! The only thing that worries me is the sugar, have anyone tried to replace it with syrup (malt, maple, agave)? Or any ideas how to do it please?
Richa
you can possibly do a combination of maple + stevia. too much maple will add a lot of liquid. so you will need some dry sugar or stevia powder.
Sunday Morning Banana Pancakes
Oh wow oh wow this is one absolutely stunning Cake Richa! They layers and mousse and cake and layers oh gosh I could go on and on, but seriously your a Brilliant!
Pure Ella
What a beautiful cake Richa!!
It looks so rich and decadent! Yum!!
xo ella
Mihl
I think I have never seen such an elegant pumpkin cake before!
Anonymous
What would be a good gluten-free alternative to spelt flour for this recipe?
Richa
I have not tried a gf version. You can use any gluten-free all purpose flour blend which has starches and gum. Also, substitute half of the milk with non dairy yogurt.
Laura Dembowski
I can’t believe this is vegan! It looks like the richest, more decadent cake ever! I want a slice right now.
Nithiya
This cake looks finger-licking good!! Nice way to use up the pumpkin puree in my pantry.
Deena Kakaya
Richa I have been eating a lot of spelt recently and this recipe looks so beautiful! Great job x
veganmiam.com
My family used to celebrate Thanksgiving during my early childhood with other families, but after hitting my teens, Thanksgiving slowly died away. After meeting my partner, Thanksgiving is celebrated again, filled with vegan food! What a gorgeous cake, I love mousse fillings, the cake reminds me of Swiss rolls I used to have! Happy Thanksgiving, Richa to you, your hubby, your adorable dog, and your parents!
LaLaLovely76
Looks great!
bubblegum casting
Are you a photographer ? your photos are very nice!
Annie
This looks like a very special dessert, Richa! Looks like Christmas to me :-).
Maggie Muggins
Wow, beautiful cake Richa! Pumpkin mousse sounds incredible and I might just make that to eat on its own 🙂
I’ve had that Raspberry White Chocolate Cake bookmarked for ages, I’m still waiting for the right occasion to make it.
Glue and Glitter
Gorgeous, Richa!
Caitlin
i haven’t had sponge cake in years! it looks so moist and the frosting looks so sweet and creamy. for a lady who is fairly new to thanksgiving, you really knocked it out of the park!
Renard Moreau
[ Smiles ] That pumpkin mousse cake looks mouth-watering!
Kelly
My birthday is fast approaching and I think this is all I’m going to ask for. It looks amazing.
Shannon
Aww Richa, this is so beautiful! You did a lovely job layering the cake.