The ultimate cozy dessert, featuring moist brown butter cake, crunchy pecan praliné, rich pumpkin ganache, and a light cream cheese mousse, finished with a velvet spiderweb glaze—perfect for Halloween or Thanksgiving.
Yield: 8-10 Servings
Target Mold Size: 18 cm diameter silicone mold (e.g., Silikomart Universo)
DAY ONE: Component Preparation & Internal Assembly
1) Pecan Milk Chocolate Crunch
| Ingredients | Weight (g) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Caster Sugar | 25 g | |
| Pecan Nuts | 20 g | Roasted |
| Milk Chocolate (30-35% cocoa solids) | 65 g | Melted |
| Nutella (or similar spread) | 35 g | |
| Feuilletine Flakes | 35 g | |
| Salt | Pinch |
Method
- Prepare Caramelized Pecans: Roast the pecan nuts at 175°C for 5-7 minutes. Melt the sugar to a golden caramel in a pan, stir in the nuts, and pour onto baking paper to cool completely. Finely chop the caramelized nuts.
- Melt Chocolate Base: Carefully melt the milk chocolate and Nutella together. Set aside.
- Combine Crunch: Stir the finely chopped pecans, feuilletine, and salt into the melted chocolate mixture.
- Set and Cut: Roll out the crunch between two pieces of baking paper and place it in the fridge/freezer until set. Cut a circle of the crunch with a 16 cm diameter pastry ring.
- Prepare Insert: Place the crunch layer into a clean 16 cm pastry ring lined with an acetate collar and parchment paper base. Place in the fridge.
2) Pumpkin Cake with Brown Butter & Pumpkin Spice
| Ingredients | Weight (g) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Butter (for browning) | 90 g | Prepared as brown butter (beurre noisette) |
| Brown Sugar | 90 g | |
| Pumpkin Spice Mix | 5.25 g | Approx. ¾ tbsp (adjust mix to taste) |
| Vanilla Extract | 2.5 g | Approx. ½ tsp |
| Salt | Pinch | |
| Egg (Small) | 50 g | Approximately 1 small egg |
| Pumpkin Purée | 115 g | Smooth consistency |
| Baking Powder | 4 g | Approximately 1 small tsp |
| All-Purpose Flour | 120 g | |
| Topping: Cinnamon/Pumpkin Spice | 7 g | (3.5 g Cinnamon, 2 g Sugar, 1.5 g Spice) |
Method
- Prepare Pumpkin Purée: Cut a hokkaido pumpkin in half, bake at 175°C for approx. 45 min until tender. Scrape the pulp and blend to a creamy consistency. Measure 115 g.
- Prepare Brown Butter: Heat butter in a pot until it browns to a dark caramelized color. Pour into a bowl and let it cool for 5-10 minutes.
- Mix Batter: Stir the brown sugar into the brown butter. Add the salt, vanilla extract, and pumpkin spice. Whisk in the egg until the dough is shiny. Mix in the pumpkin purée.
- Finish Batter: Lastly, stir in the flour and baking powder with a rubber spatula, then briefly use a hand whisk to remove any clumps.
- Bake: Pour the dough into a 16 cm springform or pastry ring lined with baking paper. Sprinkle the Cinnamon/Pumpkin Spice Topping on top. Bake for approx. 20–23 minutes at 175°C.
- Assembly: Let the cake cool. Place it on top of the crunch layer in the 16 cm pastry ring. Gently level the surface with a glass. Put the cake in the freezer.
3) Pumpkin Ganache
| Ingredients | Weight (g) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Gelatin Sheet (240 Bloom) | 1.31 g | Approx. ¾ sheet, bloomed |
| White Chocolate (30-35% cocoa butter) | 125 g | Finely chopped |
| Smooth Pumpkin Purée | 50 g | |
| Heavy Cream (35% fat) | 60 g | Approx. 60 ml |
| Pumpkin Spice Mix | 0.5 g | Pinch |
Method
- Soften Gelatin: Soak gelatin in cold water.
- Melt Chocolate: Carefully melt the white chocolate and put it aside in a bowl.
- Heat Cream Base: Heat pumpkin purée, heavy cream, and pumpkin spice almost to a boil. Remove from heat and whisk in the gelatin.
- Emulsify: Pour the hot cream mixture over the chocolate, stirring in the center with a rubber spatula. Hand blend for smoothness.
- Layer and Freeze: Pour the ganache over the cake and put it back in the freezer. The ganache needs to set before the next layer can be added.
4) Mascarpone Cream
| Ingredients | Weight (g) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Gelatin Sheet (240 Bloom) | 1.31 g | Approx. ¾ sheet, bloomed |
| Egg Yolks | 1½ | Approximately 1½ yolks |
| Icing Sugar | 18 g | Approx. 1½ tbsp |
| Vanilla Paste | 2.5 g | Approx. ½ tsp |
| Heavy Cream (total) | 115 g | Split |
| Heavy Cream (to be heated) | 20 g | |
| Heavy Cream (to be whipped) | 95 g | Chilled |
| Mascarpone | 75 g | Room temperature |
Method
- Soften Gelatin: Soak gelatin in cold water.
- Egg Base: Whisk egg yolks and icing sugar to a thick and foamy consistency.
- Heat Cream: Heat vanilla paste and 20 g heavy cream almost to a boil. Remove from heat and whisk gelatin in.
- Combine: Stir the lukewarm cream into the egg mixture.
- Whip and Fold: Whip 95 g heavy cream to stiff peaks. Mix room temperature mascarpone with the whipped cream. Gently fold the cream/mascarpone mixture into the egg mixture.
- Layer and Freeze: Pour the cream on top of the ganache. Level the surface with a small palette knife/spoon. Freeze the cake overnight.
DAY TWO: Mousse & Entremet Construction
5) Pumpkin Spice Mousse
| Ingredients | Weight (g) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Gelatin Sheets (240 Bloom) | 3.5 g | Approximately 2 sheets, bloomed |
| White Chocolate (30-35% cocoa butter) | 160 g | |
| Heavy Cream (total) | 350 g | Split |
| Heavy Cream (to be heated) | 140 g | |
| Heavy Cream (to be whipped) | 210 g | Chilled |
| Pumpkin Spice Mix | 15 g | Approximately 3 tbsp |
Method
- Soften Gelatin: Soak gelatin in cold water.
- Melt Chocolate: Carefully melt the white chocolate and set aside in a bowl.
- Infuse Cream: Heat 140 g heavy cream and pumpkin spice almost to a boil. Remove from heat and whisk the gelatin in.
- Emulsify: Pour the hot cream over the chocolate, stirring with a rubber spatula. Let it cool until lukewarm ($\approx 28^\circ\text{C}$).
- Whip and Fold: Whip the remaining 210 g heavy cream to soft peaks. Gently fold the whipped cream into the lukewarm chocolate mixture.
- Prepare Mold: Pour the mousse into an 18 cm silicone mold (e.g., Silikomart Universo) lined with a plastic sheet (as the cake will be higher than the mold).
- Partial Set: If the mousse is very liquid, place the mold in the refrigerator until it is set slightly (forms a soft peak when tested with a spoon).
- Insert Core: Take the frozen 16 cm cake insert out of the freezer and carefully press it down into the mousse with the mascarpone cream facing downwards.
- Freeze: Freeze the cake overnight.
DAY THREE: Glazing, Decoration & Final Finish
6) Mirror Glaze & Spiderweb Glaze
| Ingredients | Weight (g) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Gelatin Sheets (240 Bloom) | 10.5 g | Approximately 6 sheets, bloomed |
| White Chocolate (30-35% cocoa butter) | 150 g | |
| Heavy Cream | 100 g | Approx. 100 ml |
| Water | 50 g | Approx. 50 ml |
| Caster Sugar | 150 g | |
| Glucose Syrup | 150 g | |
| Mirror Glaze (pre-made) | 150 g | For spiderweb effect |
| Food Coloring Paste | – | Orange, red, black, and white |
Method
- Prepare Base Glaze (35°C): Soak gelatin. Finely chop chocolate and put it in a large jug. Heat sugar, water, cream, and glucose syrup to boiling. Whisk in gelatin. Pour over chocolate, blend, and add orange and red coloring paste. Cover surface with cling film and cool to 35°C.
- Prepare Spiderweb Glaze (55°C-60°C): Heat the pre-made mirror glaze to approx. 60°C. Quickly divide into two small bowls, adding black paste color to one and white paste color to the other.
- Glaze Cake: Take the frozen cake out, place it on a cooling rack, and pour the 35°C glaze over the cake.
- Spiderweb Effect: Right after the cake is glazed, pour the 55°C-60°C warm mirror glaze onto a long flat palette knife. Pour the black color onto one end of the knife and the white color onto the other end. Quickly run the palette knife lightly over the top of the cake.
- Clean and Thaw: Use a small palette knife to remove the glaze threads from the bottom edge. Place the cake on a cake plate and let it thaw in the fridge for approx. 6 hours.
7) Chocolate Decoration
| Materials | Weight (g) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| White Chocolate | 280 g | Tempered (for all decoration) |
| Black Food Coloring Powder | – |
Chocolate Ribbons & Bowls (Dimensions):
| Element | Dimensions | Diameter |
|---|---|---|
| Chocolate ribbon 1 (around cake) | 2 cm × 58 cm | 18 cm |
| Chocolate ribbon 2 (around cake) | 3 cm × 58 cm | 18 cm |
| Chocolate Bowls | – | 5 cm, 4 cm, 2.5 cm |
Method (Decoration)
- Make Chocolate Bowls: Pour tempered white chocolate into silicone dome molds (5 cm, 4 cm, 2.5 cm). Distribute the chocolate in the molds, pour out the excess, and scrape the surface clean. Chill to set.
- Assemble Bowls: Briefly heat the bottom of a small pot. Place two domes briefly on the warm surface to melt the edges, then press them together to form a sealed chocolate bowl.
- Prepare Ribbons: Make chocolate ribbons (2 cm and 3 cm wide) from tempered chocolate.
- Final Assembly: Place the two chocolate ribbons around the cake. Place the three chocolate bowls on top. Melt a little black chocolate, gently place it on a chocolate straw, and position the straw on the largest chocolate bowl.
I’m Chef Mimo, a passionate pastry chef with over 17 years of experience in the world of fine desserts. I specialize in French-style entremets, refined cakes, and creative chocolate work. Pastry is not just my profession—it’s my lifelong passion. Through PastryCrafted.com, I love sharing my recipes, techniques, and inspirations with anyone who dreams of mastering the art of pastry. Whether you’re a curious beginner or a seasoned pro, you’re welcome in my sweet world.