Pumpkin Cheesecake and Chocolate Mousse Topped with Dark Chocolate Ganache
Pumpkin cheesecake and chocolate mousse topped with dark chocolate ganache is the showstopper of a Thanksgiving dessert you’re looking for. Yes, it will upstage the turkey! Sorry, Tom.
Originally published November 7, 2012.
Are you tired of plain ol’ pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving dessert? I was.
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A few years ago, I just felt the basic version of pumpkin pie was too boring. I needed something a bit more exciting for one of the most important desserts of the year. I know it’s traditional to have pumpkin pie on this special American holiday, so I didn’t want to stray too far from the pumpkin theme.
Once, I tried a brûlée topping on the pie, which was wonderful! The crispy sugar shell was a sweet and crunchy addition. With a dollop of freshly whipped (unsweetened) cream, it definitely “kicked the pie up a notch”. However, it still didn’t have the showstopper quality I was looking for in a Thanksgiving dessert.
Mini Pumpkin and Orange Doughnuts
Then I came across a recipe online, which seemed to suit my requirements, and it contained chocolate! That was an added bonus. I have changed a few things from the original recipe, but have been making this dessert for many years now.
Although everyone is usually stuffed from the turkey dinner, after seeing this Pumpkin Cheesecake and Chocolate Mousse dessert, it seems that a bit of room has been saved for it! You’ll only hear sounds of delight from the Thanksgiving day diners–seriously, it’s that good!
Each forkful delivers a bite of fabulous pumpkin cheesecake, crust made from ginger flavored speculoos biscuits, and dark, silky ganache which coats the airy, chocolate mousse. This dessert is serious decadence! It’s rich, but not cloyingly sweet, and definitely worth the time it takes to make it.
If you’re looking for a dessert which will upstage the turkey this Thanksgiving, this pumpkin cheesecake and chocolate mousse dessert is what you’ve been looking for.
The most important thing I want you know is that there’s no need to be intimidated. You can make this! If you are have any qualms, read on. Even though this recipe is clearly time and labor intensive, it’s truly not difficult. If you can follow my step by step directions, and start a day or two before you want to serve the dessert, it’s very straightforward.
Can I Freeze this Thanksgiving Dessert?
This cheesecake and mousse dessert freezes perfectly, so that’s an option too. Please feel free to send me any questions in the comment section below or on my Facebook page.
Last, but not least, I bet you not to use inferior quality ingredients. For example, using Hershey’s chocolate will completely ruin this pumpkin cheesecake and chocolate mousse dessert. I can promise you that. If you’re going to go to the effort to make this beauty, please use the best ingredients you can find. It’s very important for the end result. Regardless of how it looks, the taste is what really matters.
Pumpkin Cheesecake and Chocolate Mousse Topped with Dark Chocolate Ganache
Adapted from a recipe on CD Kitchen
printable recipe below
PLEASE NOTE: THE DESSERT NEEDS TO BE FROZEN IN THE MIDST OF THE RECIPE, SO I RECOMMEND MAKING THE CHEESECAKE AND MOUSSE AT LEAST ONE DAY BEFORE YOU WANT TO SERVE IT
Base:
- 20 speculoos cookies (1 3/4 cups or 7 oz) alternately use graham crackers or Digestives
- 3 Tbsp butter (1 oz) butter, melted (use a little more butter if using graham crackers)
Preheat oven to 325ºF
Speculoos Crust
Crush the cookies between two sheets of wax paper with a heavy rolling pin.
Place in 10.5″ springform pan and sprinkle melted butter over top, mix well and push into pan. Set aside.
Pumpkin Cheesecake
- 20 oz (2 1/2 packages) cream cheese, at room temperature
- 4 oz Greek yogurt
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 4 eggs, room temperature
- 15 oz pumpkin (pureed) I used canned organic pumpkin
- 3/4 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/2 cup (4 oz) heavy whipping cream
Beat cream cheese until smooth, then add Greek yogurt and sugars. Add eggs, one at a time, clearing after each addition and scraping bowl with spatula.
Blend in pumpkin and spices, scrape the sides of the bowl, then add the cream. Pour into pan with cookie base, and bake for 90 minutes. Do not overcook the cheesecake or it will pull away from the pan.
Once cheesecake is cooked, let it cool, then chill in fridge for an hour or two.
DO NOT TAKE THE SIDE OFF OF THE SPRINGFORM PAN OR RUN A KNIFE AROUND THE CHEESECAKE!
Chocolate Mousse
- 2 cups (16 oz) heavy whipping cream
- 5 egg yolks
- 1 cup (8 oz) good quality dark (or semi sweet) chocolate, broken into pieces, or chips
- 1/2 cup (4 oz) sugar
- 2 tbsp water
Follow directions to make mousse here, but make it when the cheesecake has been refrigerated for one or two hours.
Once the mousse is ready, pour it onto the cheesecake and freeze for at least 12 hours; I freeze it overnight.
When you are ready to finish the dessert, prepare the ganache. Remember the pumpkin cheesecake and chocolate mousse is frozen, so plan to have it in the fridge for at least 8 hours before serving.
Ganache
- 6 oz heavy whipping cream
- 6 oz (3/4 cup) dark chocolate pieces or chips (good quality)
Place cream and chocolate in a small pan together, then heat over low temperature until the chocolate is melted and is very smooth and shiny.
Remove the dessert from the freezer and run a very thin knife around the inside of the springform pan, then release the side and remove carefully. Next, place the dessert on a serving platter, plate or tray.
TIP: I used a strong piece of tape under the bottom of the pan to attach it to the cake plate so it wouldn’t slip. You must attach the cake bottom to the plate somehow. If not, you won’t be able to tip it to have the ganache run off evenly (next step).
Decorate the Pumpkin Cheesecake and Chocolate Mousse
Quickly pour the ganache onto the center of the pumpkin cheesecake and chocolate mousse. Gently tip the cake from side to side to allow the ganache to start to run off the sides.
Do not touch the ganache with any utensil or tool or it will ruin the smooth finish. Refrigerate the dessert until ready to serve, or you can do a few more things to really make it look top-notch.
For example, make a simple chocolate buttercream frosting and pipe it around the bottom.
If you don’t know how to pipe shells, just do what ever you can (like rosettes) as it will still look good.
Chocolate Leaves (optional)
Make three chocolate leaves. Choose three older rose leaves (untreated with pesticides), as they are more hardy. Wash and dry them, then coat the UNDERSIDE of each leaf with melted chocolate. Place in the fridge for about 10 minutes.
Next, carefully peel the leaf away from the chocolate, and you have a chocolate leaf! Very easy!
TIP: Don’t handle the chocolate too long or the heat from your hand will melt the leaf.
Lastly, place the chocolate leaves on the center of the pumpkin cheesecake and pumpkin mousse dessert. Insert a fresh rose, or decoration of your choice, in the center of the leaves. I wish I had something more fall-like to use as a centerpiece, but my orange pyracanthus berries are poisonous and a mini pumpkin won’t work. If you think of something, let me know. Maybe some fallen, maple leaves?
Additionally, you can use the ganache and chocolate roses on any cake you want to decorate. No messing around with smoothing out frosting; just pour it on and you’ve got an impressive cake.
Obviously, if you don’t have a rose, just add some chocolate curls or something similar. Be creative, but remember to only use edible and/or non toxic items.
Finally, please let me know if you make this pumpkin cheesecake and chocolate mousse dessert in the comments below! I’d love to hear from you!
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Pumpkin Cheesecake and Chocolate Mousse Topped with Dark Chocolate Ganache
A pumpkin and chocolate flavored dessert that is sure to WOW everyone at the table! Labor intensive, but easy to make with my step by step directions.
Ingredients
Base:
- 20 speculoos cookies (1 3/4 cups or 8 oz) alternately use graham crackers or Digestives
- 2 tbsp butter (1/2 oz) butter, melted (use a little more butter if using graham crackers)
Pumpkin Cheesecake:
- 20 oz (2 1/2 packages) cream cheese, at room temperature
- 4 oz Greek yogurt
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 4 eggs, room temperature
- 15 oz pumpkin (pureed) I used canned organic pumpkin
- 3/4 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/2 cup (4 oz) heavy whipping cream
Chocolate Mousse:
- 2 cups (16 oz) heavy whipping cream
- 5 egg yolks
- 1 cup (8 oz) good quality chocolate broken into pieces, or chips
- 1/2 cup (4 oz) sugar
- 2 tbsp water
GANACHE:
- 6 oz heavy whipping cream
- 6 oz (3/4 cup) dark chocolate pieces or chips (good quality)
Instructions
Preheat oven to 325ºF (160ºC)
BASE
- Crush the cookies between two sheets of wax paper with a heavy rolling pin.
- Place in 10.5" springform pan and sprinkle melted butter over top, mix well and push into pan. Set aside.
CHEESECAKE
- Beat cream cheese until smooth, then add Greek yogurt and sugars.
- Add eggs, one at a time, clearing after each addition and scraping bowl with spatula.
- Blend in pumpkin and spices, scrape the sides of the bowl, then add the cream.
- Pour into pan with Biscoff cookie base, and bake for 90 minutes or until the center just sets. Do not overcook the cheesecake or it will pull away from the pan.
- Once cheesecake is cooked, let it cool, then chill in fridge for an hour or two.
- DO NOT TAKE THE SIDE OFF OF THE SPRINGFORM PAN OR RUN A KNIFE AROUND THE CHEESECAKE!
CHOCOLATE MOUSSE
- Follow directions to make mousse here: http://goo.gl/CGKNkv, but make it when the cheesecake has been refrigerated for one or two hours.
- Once the mousse is ready, pour it onto the cheesecake and freeze for at least 12 hours; I freeze it overnight. When you are ready to finish the dessert, prepare the ganache. (Remember the dessert is frozen, so plan to have it in the fridge for at least 8 hours before serving.)
GANACHE:
- Place cream and chocolate in a small pan together, then heat over low temperature until the chocolate is melted and is very smooth and shiny.
- Remove the dessert from the freezer and run a very thin knife around the inside of the springform pan, then release the side and remove carefully. Place the dessert on a serving platter, plate or tray.
- Pour the ganache quickly onto the center of the cake, then tip the cake from side to side to allow the ganache to start to run off the sides TIP: I used a strong piece of tape under the bottom of the pan to attach it to the cake plate so it wouldn't slip.
- Do not touch the ganache with any utensil or tool, or it will not have a smooth finish. Refrigerate the dessert until ready to serve, or you can do a few more things to really make it look top-notch such as piping buttercream around the base and topping with a rose, and/or some chocolate leaves.
Notes
Nutrition info is using Speculoos biscuits and Callebaut dark chocolate.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 16 Serving Size: 1 sliceAmount Per Serving: Calories: 318Total Fat: 22gSaturated Fat: 12gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 158mgSodium: 286mgCarbohydrates: 17gFiber: 1gSugar: 12gProtein: 12g
Nutrition information is only estimated.
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As well as coffee from the Bialetti, which I didn’t win, I’d like to try this with “thick hot chocolate”. I guess I’m just going to have to make this and have a glass of milk! :-)
Hi Christina!
I think this would be my choice to pair with an espresso from the Bialetti moka coffee pot.
Happy Holidays, everybody.
Can I use sour cream in place of Greek yogurt?