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Vegan Pumpkin Mousse Cake with Vanilla Spelt Sponge

November 27, 2013 By Richa 40 Comments

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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

a slice of vegan pumpkin mousse cake on a small plate with the cut cake in the background

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!


a slice of vegan pumpkin mousse cake with spelt flour vanilla sponge on a white dessert plate

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.


close-up overhead shot of a vegan pumpkin layer cake filled with pumpkin mousse on a cake stand

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.


a vegan vanilla sponge cake made with spelt flour in a cake 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.


a vegan vanilla sponge cake being transferred to a wooden board


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. 


vegan pumpkin mousse being prepared in a silver pot


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.


pumpkin mousse for vegan cake recipe being blended until smooth in a blender

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.


vanilla sponge cake being layered with pumpkin mousse to make mousse cake


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.


side view of a vegan pumpkin mousse cake on a glass cake stand

7. Slice and serve, or just eat all of it. Or make the cake and the mousse and serve it up as parfaits.


a slice of vegan pumpkin cake filled with dairy-free pumpkin mousse on a cake plate with a cake stand in the background


 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.


a slice of healthy vegan pumpkin mousse cake next to a glass cake stand


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.

Print Recipe

Pumpkin Mousse Cake with Spelt Vanilla Sponge

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. Allergen Information: Free of dairy, egg, soy, yeast.
Prep Time30 mins
Cook Time40 mins
Total Time1 hr 10 mins
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: easy pumpkin cake recipe, mousse cake recipe, pumpkin mousse recipe
Servings: 12
Calories: 295.42kcal
Author: Vegan Richa

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

    Nutrition Facts
    Pumpkin Mousse Cake with Spelt Vanilla Sponge
    Amount Per Serving
    Calories 295.42 Calories from Fat 121
    % Daily Value*
    Fat 13.44g21%
    Saturated Fat 5.88g37%
    Sodium 140.51mg6%
    Potassium 157.3mg4%
    Carbohydrates 40.73g14%
    Fiber 2.83g12%
    Sugar 25.48g28%
    Protein 3.02g6%
    Vitamin A 2383.08IU48%
    Vitamin C 0.86mg1%
    Calcium 50.41mg5%
    Iron 2.12mg12%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

    Editor’s Note: This post was originally published in November 2013 and has been updated for accuracy and comprehensiveness in January 2020.

    Filed Under: Cake Recipes, dessert, fall, halloween, holiday, nut-free option, soy free, Vegan Thanksgiving Recipes, Winter Tagged With: agar agar, coconut cream, pumpkin, pumpkin puree, pumpkin spice, raw sugar, spelt flour, vanilla, vegan



    ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ If you Love the Recipe, Please consider rating it using stars in comments! It helps readers and helps more people find the recipe online! I love hearing from you all! ⭐⭐⭐⭐

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    Comments

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    1. Shannon says

      November 27, 2013 at 11:06 pm

      Aww Richa, this is so beautiful! You did a lovely job layering the cake.

      Reply
    2. Kelly says

      November 27, 2013 at 11:35 pm

      My birthday is fast approaching and I think this is all I’m going to ask for. It looks amazing.

      Reply
    3. Renard Moreau says

      November 28, 2013 at 12:14 am

      [ Smiles ] That pumpkin mousse cake looks mouth-watering!

      Reply
    4. Caitlin says

      November 28, 2013 at 12:17 am

      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!

      Reply
    5. Glue and Glitter says

      November 28, 2013 at 3:09 pm

      Gorgeous, Richa!

      Reply
    6. Maggie Muggins says

      November 28, 2013 at 3:27 pm

      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.

      Reply
    7. Annie says

      November 28, 2013 at 7:21 pm

      This looks like a very special dessert, Richa! Looks like Christmas to me :-).

      Reply
    8. bubblegum casting says

      November 29, 2013 at 2:28 am

      Are you a photographer ? your photos are very nice!

      Reply
    9. LaLaLovely76 says

      November 29, 2013 at 2:46 am

      Looks great!

      Reply
    10. veganmiam.com says

      November 29, 2013 at 9:49 pm

      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!

      Reply
    11. Deena Kakaya says

      November 30, 2013 at 10:12 pm

      Richa I have been eating a lot of spelt recently and this recipe looks so beautiful! Great job x

      Reply
    12. Nithiya says

      December 1, 2013 at 4:53 am

      This cake looks finger-licking good!! Nice way to use up the pumpkin puree in my pantry.

      Reply
    13. Laura Dembowski says

      December 1, 2013 at 6:38 pm

      I can’t believe this is vegan! It looks like the richest, more decadent cake ever! I want a slice right now.

      Reply
    14. Anonymous says

      December 1, 2013 at 7:52 pm

      What would be a good gluten-free alternative to spelt flour for this recipe?

      Reply
      • Richa says

        December 2, 2013 at 6:26 am

        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.

        Reply
    15. Mihl says

      December 2, 2013 at 1:40 pm

      I think I have never seen such an elegant pumpkin cake before!

      Reply
    16. Pure Ella says

      December 2, 2013 at 4:41 pm

      What a beautiful cake Richa!!
      It looks so rich and decadent! Yum!!
      xo ella

      Reply
    17. Sunday Morning Banana Pancakes says

      December 16, 2013 at 6:32 pm

      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!

      Reply
    18. kaca says

      October 11, 2014 at 4:22 pm

      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?

      Reply
      • Richa says

        October 11, 2014 at 5:29 pm

        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.

        Reply
    19. Amy says

      October 15, 2014 at 2:56 pm

      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?

      Reply
      • Richa says

        October 15, 2014 at 4:30 pm

        the starch will not hold up the mousse well. fruit pectin will work much better. you can order agar online if that works.

        Reply
    20. maia says

      October 1, 2015 at 11:16 pm

      Hi would it work if you subbed the sugar for coconut sugar or rice malt syrup?

      Reply
      • Richa says

        October 1, 2015 at 11:53 pm

        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.

        Reply
    21. Vai says

      May 16, 2020 at 1:34 pm

      Is there a substitute for flax meal? Applesauce maybe?
      Is it a must?

      Reply
      • Vegan Richa Support says

        May 16, 2020 at 3:33 pm

        Flax meal acts as a binder in the cake. You can sub chia seeds, that will work!

        Reply
    22. Lucía says

      October 29, 2020 at 11:49 am

      Looks sooo tempting! But I eat gluten free… any gluten free version of it?

      Reply
      • Richa says

        October 29, 2020 at 6:10 pm

        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

        Reply

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