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Pumpkin Chocolate Mousse Cake

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A decadent four-layer mousse cake featuring a rich chocolate cake base topped with cinnamon mousse, pumpkin-butterscotch mousse, salted caramel mousse, and finished with glossy chocolate ganache. Elegant, indulgent, and perfect for fall gatherings or holidays.

Ingredients

For the chocolate cake:

2 oz unsalted butter, room temperature

1.75 oz granulated sugar (¼ cup)

1.75 oz brown sugar (¼ cup)

1 large egg, room temperature

1 tsp vanilla extract

4 fl oz buttermilk (½ cup), room temperature

2.66 oz all-purpose flour (⅔ cup)

1 oz unsweetened cocoa powder (⅓ cup)

½ tsp baking soda

¼ tsp salt

For the pumpkin cinnamon mousse layer:

9 oz cinnamon chips

1 ½ cups heavy cream, divided

⅓ cup canned pumpkin puree

Pinch of salt

2 tsp unflavored powdered gelatin

2 tbsp water

1 tsp ground cinnamon

For the pumpkin butterscotch mousse layer:

9 oz butterscotch chips

1 ½ cups heavy cream, divided

⅓ cup canned pumpkin puree

Pinch of salt

2 tsp unflavored powdered gelatin

2 tbsp water

For the salted caramel mousse layer:

9 oz salted caramel chips (or white chocolate chips)

1 ½ cups heavy cream, divided

⅓ cup thick salted caramel sauce

Pinch of salt

2 tsp unflavored powdered gelatin

2 tbsp water

1 tsp vanilla extract

For the chocolate ganache:

½ cup heavy cream

3 oz semi-sweet chocolate, finely chopped

For decorating:

Whipped cream

Ground cinnamon

Seasonal candies or truffles

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 9-inch cake pan with parchment and spray with nonstick spray.
  2. Cream butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla.
  3. Sift flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt in a bowl. Add alternately with buttermilk into the butter mixture, mixing until just combined.
  4. Pour into prepared pan and bake 22–25 minutes. Cool completely.
  5. Line a 9-inch springform pan with an acetate collar or foil strip. Place cake layer inside on a cake board.
  6. For cinnamon mousse: Melt cinnamon chips, pumpkin puree, ½ cup cream, and salt until smooth. Cool. Bloom gelatin in water, melt, and whisk into cinnamon mixture with ground cinnamon. Fold in whipped cream. Spread over cake, refrigerate 25 minutes.
  7. For butterscotch mousse: Repeat the process with butterscotch chips, pumpkin puree, cream, gelatin, and salt. Spread over set cinnamon layer and refrigerate.
  8. For caramel mousse: Melt caramel chips, caramel sauce, ½ cup cream, salt, and vanilla. Add gelatin as before, then fold in whipped cream. Spread over butterscotch layer. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes.
  9. For ganache: Heat cream to a simmer, pour over chocolate, and stir until smooth. Cool slightly, spread over top of cake. Refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight.
  10. Unmold cake, remove acetate, and decorate with whipped cream, cinnamon, and candies. Slice chilled, letting sit at room temperature 10–15 minutes before serving.

Notes

Replace specialty chips with white chocolate chips plus extracts/spices for flavoring.

Make a simpler version with only 1–2 mousse layers.

Decorate with chocolate curls, caramel drizzle, or holiday candies.

Use agar-agar instead of gelatin for a vegetarian option.

Slice with a hot knife for neat layers.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://chocolatecoveredamy.com/pumpkin-chocolate-mousse-cake/