375gAmbiante by Puratos, or vegan sweetened heavy whipping cream* (1 ½ cup)
Chocolate ganache
75ghigh-quality dark chocolate,with around 66% cocoa content (2 ⅔ oz or ½ cup, chopped)
75gsoy milk(5 tablespoons)
Instructions
Place a 7-inch pastry circle on a plate or cake board covered with parchment paper. Line the inside of the pastry circle with a strip of rhodoïd.
Melt together the dark chocolate and praliné paste in the microwave, stirring every 30 seconds interval, until completely melted and homogenous. Stir in the cornflakes and the salt until completely coated.
Transfer the crunchy base mixture into the prepared pastry circle. Compress and flatten out the mixture evenly, making sure it reaches all the way to the edges. Refrigerate until firm.
Chocolate hazelnut mousse
In a large bowl, melt together the dark chocolate and praliné paste in the microwave, stirring every 30 seconds interval, until completely melted and homogenous.
Mix together the soy milk and sugar and bring to a simmer. Pour the hot milk over the melted chocolate. Using a silicone spatula, emulsify the ganache.
Leave the chocolate mixture at room temperature until it reached 95°F (35°C), or until the mixture doesn’t feel hot to the touch. During that time, whip the whipped cream until you reach medium peaks.
When the chocolate is at the right temperature, gently fold in the whipped cream in 3 additions.
Right away, pour the mousse on top of the crunchy base. Even out and smooth out the top of the mousse with a small offset spatula. Refrigerate the cake while you make the pumpkin mousse. Optional: set aside 1 cup of chocolate mousse for garnish later.
Pumpkin mousse
In a saucepan, mix together the pumpkin, maple syrup, soy milk, cinnamon and vanilla. Sprinkle the agar agar on top of the mixture and whisk it in.
Cook the pumpkin mixture on medium heat while whisking constantly until the mixture starts to bubble consistently - 1 bubble every 1 or 2 seconds. Be careful as it can splash you and burn you. Remove from the heat and stir in the cocoa butter until completely melted.
Transfer the pumpkin mixture to a large bowl and leave it at room temperature while stirring from time to time until it reaches 95°F (35°C), or until the mixture doesn’t feel hot to the touch. During that time, whip the whipped cream until you reach medium peaks.
When the pumpkin mixture is at the right temperature, gently fold in the whipped cream in 3 additions.
Right away, pour the pumpkin mousse on top of the chocolate mousse. Even out and smooth out the top of the mousse with a small offset spatula. Refrigerate the cake for a minimum of 8 hours.
Chocolate ganache
Place the chocolate in a bowl. Bring the milk to a simmer and pour over the chocolate, covering it completly. Let the mixture rest for 1 minute without stirring. Using a silicone spatula, emulsify the ganache.
When the ganache doesn’t feel warm to the touch anymore, pour it on top of the pumpkin mousse and tilt the cake to spread it out evenly. Refrigerate for 10 minutes or until the ganache is firm.
Release the cake from the pastry circle by sliding a sharp knife between the metal and the rhodoïd, or swipe a blow torch on the outside of the pastry circle until you can slide out the pastry circle. Optional: Pipe dollops of the reserved room-temperature chocolate mousse on top of the cake. Enjoy!