~Amanda~
When most people think about Thanksgiving dessert, pie is the first thing that comes to mind; Pumpkin Pie, Apple Pie, Pecan Pie, etc. Pies are the traditional dessert after a big Thanksgiving dinner and throughout my whole life Pumpkin Pie has been my favorite. However, about 5 years ago I was at my amazing friend Lindsay’s house and she shared a bite of this incredible Pumpkin and White Chocolate Trifle that her mother-in-law had made for the holidays and I instantly fell in love. I got the recipe from her and made it the next day for Jackie and I, and Jackie fell in love with it too. Since then, it has been both of our favorite dessert (of all time, not just for Thanksgiving), and a staple on our Thanksgiving dessert menu every year.
You can make this dessert any time of the year, for any celebration, or just because. It’s not just a Thanksgiving dessert, that’s just the tradition we have fallen into. It is a perfect fall dessert though because the flavors are the perfect fall flavors. The pumpkin cake is a combination of pumpkin, brown sugar, and cinnamon. All these flavors together make such a warm, comforting cake (I usually make extra just to eat on its own as a snack). To make the cake gluten free, I use Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free Baking Flour in place of the flour in this recipe. I find this is a perfect substitute and the taste and texture are ideal.
The other component of this dessert is the white chocolate mousse. The process to make it is a little bit time consuming, but worth every minute you put into it. You begin by melting the white chocolate with some cream, beat more whipped cream in a separate bowl, and beat egg whites in a separate bowl, then mix it all together to create the lightest, most decadent white chocolate mousse. I could eat a bowl of that by itself.
Individually, the pumpkin cake and the white chocolate mousse are incredible, but when you put the two together to make the trifle, it’s absolutely divine. The flavors complement each other so well and each bite is just a little taste of heaven. The original recipe instructs that you make the cakes in round cake pans and then layer everything in a trifle dish. I have changed the recipe over the years to be done in loaf pans for a few reasons; not everyone has round cake pans and trifle dishes lying around their house, and I find that it is so much easier to transport and serve the trifle when it’s in a loaf pan. It may not be as picture perfect, but honestly that won’t even matter once you have a bite. Happy baking!
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 1 1/2 cups light brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup canned pumpkin puree
- 2 cups all-purpose flour (or Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free Baking Flour)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- 12 ounces white chocolate (Baker's)
- 1 1/2 cups chilled whipping cream
- 3 large egg whites
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Beat butter and sugar at medium speed until light and fluffy. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating until blended after each addition. Add pumpkin, beating until blended.
- In a separate bowl; combine flour, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, and salt.
- In another bowl; combine buttermilk, vanilla, and cinnamon.
- Add flour mixture to butter mixture alternately with buttermilk mixtures (beginning and ending with flour). Beat at low speed after each addition.
- Pour batter into 2 greased loaf pans (or 9" round cake pans). Bake at 350 degrees for 20-22 minutes. Cool on wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove and cool completely.
- Stir 3/4 cup whipping cream and chocolate in heavy medium saucepan over how heat until chocolate had melted. Cool completely.
- Beat remaining 3/4 cup whipping cream in a large bowl until peaks form.
- Beat egg whites in medium bowl until stiff, but not dry.
- Fold whites, then whipped cream, into white chocolate mixture.
- Slice each of the pumpkin cake loafs in half. Layer the pumpkin cake and white chocolate mousse in a loaf pan (or trifle dish, or cups, whatever you prefer). Refrigerate for a few hours to set. Enjoy.
