Deconstructed Pumpkin Pie Recipe (2024)

Recipe from Le Bernardin

Adapted by Florence Fabricant

Deconstructed Pumpkin Pie Recipe (1)

Total Time
2½ hours, plus up to 4 hours chilling
Rating
4(97)
Notes
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Ingredients

Yield:8 to 10 servings

    For Chocolate Ganache

    • 12ounces 70 percent bittersweet chocolate, in pieces
    • 1⅓cups heavy cream
    • ¼cup agave syrup

    For Pumpkin and Cranberry Confit

    • cups sugar
    • ½vanilla bean, scraped
    • Zest of ½ orange
    • Zest of ½ lemon
    • 1small pumpkin, about 1½ pounds, or winter squash, peeled, seeded and diced
    • ½cup fresh cranberries

    For the Pumpkin Mousse

    • 1⅓cup unseasoned canned pumpkin purée
    • ½packet unflavored gelatin
    • 1cup heavy cream
    • ½vanilla bean, scraped
    • cup sugar
    • ¼teaspoon cinnamon
    • teaspoon nutmeg
    • teaspoon ground ginger

    For the Pumpkin Cake

    • Butter for pan
    • cups flour
    • ¾teaspoon baking soda
    • ½teaspoon salt
    • 1teaspoon cinnamon
    • ½teaspoon nutmeg
    • ½teaspoon ground ginger
    • cups sugar
    • 2large eggs, beaten
    • 1cup unseasoned pumpkin purée
    • 4ounces (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled

    For Finishing

    • Reserved chocolate from ganache
    • 6thin ginger or speculaas cookies

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Preparation

  1. Step

    1

    Make the ganache: Place 10 ounces of the chocolate in a bowl. Reserve the rest for decoration.

  2. Bring cream and syrup to a boil. Pour over chocolate. Mix well with a whisk without incorporating any air. Place a piece of plastic wrap on the surface. Refrigerate until well chilled and fairly firm, about 4 hours.

  3. Step

    3

    Make the confit: Mix sugar with 2 cups water in a 2-quart saucepan. Add vanilla bean, orange and lemon zest. Bring to a boil and when sugar has dissolved, add pumpkin. Reduce heat to very low and simmer until pumpkin is translucent, about 2 hours. Use a slotted spoon to remove pumpkin to a small container, cover with about half the sugar syrup, cover container and set aside.

  4. Step

    4

    Add cranberries to remaining syrup, simmer 5 minutes, then set aside for 15 minutes. Drain cranberries into a small container, cover with some syrup, cover container and set aside.

  5. Step

    5

    Make the mousse: Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Line a small baking sheet with foil, spread the 1⅓ cup of pumpkin purée on foil and bake about 25 minutes to remove some moisture. Transfer to a bowl.

  6. Step

    6

    Place gelatin in a small dish, stir in 1½ tablespoons cold water and set aside. Place ⅓ cup cream, the vanilla, sugar and spices in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Remove from heat. Stir in softened gelatin. Mix thoroughly into pumpkin purée. Cover and refrigerate until cold, about 2 hours. When cold, whip remaining cream. Fold into pumpkin purée. Refrigerate until ready to use.

  7. Step

    7

    Make the cake: Butter a 9-by-13-by-2-inch baking pan. Line with parchment, allowing overhang on the long sides. Butter the paper. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

  8. Step

    8

    Place flour, baking soda, salt and spices in a sieve. Sieve into a large bowl. Stir in sugar. Mix eggs with pumpkin purée. Fold into dry ingredients. Add melted butter and mix well.

  9. Step

    9

    Spread batter in pan and bake 20 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean. Cake will not rise to the rim of pan. Cool in pan at least 1 hour. Use parchment overhang to help remove from pan. Refrigerate until ready to assemble.

  10. Step

    10

    Assemble the dessert: Place pumpkin confit in a strainer. Rinse briefly in cold water, drain and place on paper towels. Repeat with cranberry confit. Set aside.

  11. Step

    11

    Place cake on a cutting board. Trim ½ inch from all sides. Nibble trimmings or let the army of assistants have at them. Cut cake in half lengthwise. Place half the cake on a large platter.

  12. Step

    12

    Use a spatula to spread or a pastry bag to pipe ganache in a thick layer all over the top of the cake half on the platter. Place second half on top and press lightly.

  13. Place mousse in a pastry bag and pipe peaks or rows all over the top of the cake. Alternatively, form ovals with 2 teaspoons to cover top of cake, or simply spread the mousse on the cake and use the point of a knife to make peaks.

  14. Step

    14

    Break up reserved chocolate and the ginger cookies and stick them randomly into the pumpkin mousse. Place some of the pumpkin and cranberry confit on the mousse and scatter the rest on the platter around the cake. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Ratings

4

out of 5

97

user ratings

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Private Notes

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Cooking Notes

BR

Made this a few years ago with a group of friends, one person made the mousse, another the cake, etc. Then we assembled it and had it for dessert. It made for a great party and a wonderful dessert.

Jacqueline

This recipe is amazing, worth the time and effort - looks and taste every bit like a fancy French entremet. Do not overcook the cranberries - they are essentia as they bring a note of acidity but burst very quickly in the syrup - make sure that surup is not too hot when you put them in. My cake was a bit thicker than the photo, I will consider using a slighter larger pan next time - cookie sheet instead of the size pan indicated..

Debby

I am diabetic and looking for an alternative to all of the carbs in pumpkin pie. Is the pumpkin mousse good enough to stand alone with a little whipped cream?

David Look

Florence says you can prep the cranberry/pumpkin a day in advance.

Johanna

Loved this recipe! Made it for Thanksgiving and it was a runaway hit. Agree that baking in a 12x17 half sheet pan ( /-) is the way to go. Can make the mousse, ganache and pumpkin/cranberry confit a day in advance. Ditto the cake but wrap extremely well & refrigerate. I left off the chocolate shards and the ginger crisps (too much gilding of this perfect lily!). It’s an incredibly delicious and elegant dessert.

scruffy

I made this over two days (ganache and confit on day 1; cake, mousse, and assembly on day 2). I wanted a round cake, so I did a tiny bit of math, to figure out what diameter cake pans I would need (8"). I thought the mousse was missing a little something (not quite sweet enough? a little lacking in flavor?), so next time I think I'll add a bit of maple syrup and see what that does. There was a lot of leftover ganache, mousse, and confit, so I made a second cake a few days later. Fun!

BG

A 9x13 pan makes a cake much thicker than that pictured. Tried a 10x15 jellyroll pan (better) and then a 12x17 half sheet pan (best). The half sheet pan replicated the thin layers in the picture and provided the best proportion of cake to filling. Though there are a lot of components, most are easy to make and don't take a lot of active time (one exception: the pumpkin confit, which requires the tedious task of peeling & dicing fresh pumpkin). More make-ahead detail in recipe would be helpful.

dksp

I’m not a fan of traditional pumpkin pies, but my daughter requested I make this so I did. It was pleasantly delightful, but had a great excess of the ganache, confit and cream. It took all day to make, but I was ready for this so it was okay.

Cathy C

It was lovely. I made cranberry coulis instead of confit. More colourful.

FLinhart

I would LOVE to make this, but don't have enough time on the day of the party to make the desert - can I prepare and refrigerate the cranberry / pumpkin one day early?

David Look

Florence says you can prep the cranberry/pumpkin a day in advance.

BR

Made this a few years ago with a group of friends, one person made the mousse, another the cake, etc. Then we assembled it and had it for dessert. It made for a great party and a wonderful dessert.

Jacqueline

This recipe is amazing, worth the time and effort - looks and taste every bit like a fancy French entremet. Do not overcook the cranberries - they are essentia as they bring a note of acidity but burst very quickly in the syrup - make sure that surup is not too hot when you put them in. My cake was a bit thicker than the photo, I will consider using a slighter larger pan next time - cookie sheet instead of the size pan indicated..

Debby

I am diabetic and looking for an alternative to all of the carbs in pumpkin pie. Is the pumpkin mousse good enough to stand alone with a little whipped cream?

Private notes are only visible to you.

Deconstructed Pumpkin Pie Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the difference between Libby's pumpkin and pumpkin pie filling? ›

They are the same product. Both canned pumpkin puree and pie filling are useful, shelf-stable ingredients that can help speed up your kitchen prep time. Just remember that puree is unsweetened, while pie filling contains sugar and spices. This will help you choose the right pumpkin product for your recipes.

What is pumpkin pie filler made of? ›

Homemade Pumpkin Pie Ingredients

For the filling: cooked pumpkin, evaporated milk, eggs, brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, salt.

What happened to cause the pumpkin pie to weep after it was baked? ›

Why Is My Pumpkin Pie Weeping? Another common problem that occurs when baking pumpkin pie is when you notice water on the top of the pie or leaking out from the filling. Why this happens: Either the pie was overbaked, or it was placed in the fridge before cooling completely.

Should I make pumpkin pie the night before? ›

Pumpkin pie is a great make-ahead dessert to cross off your Thanksgiving to-do list. You can prepare and bake the pie up to two days in advance, and it will still taste great on the big day. Just make sure you store the pie in the refrigerator—not on the kitchen counter—until you are ready to serve it.

What happens if I use pumpkin pie filling instead of pumpkin puree? ›

Don't use pumpkin pie filling in place of pumpkin purée.

Every can of pumpkin pie filling has a different amount of sugar and spices and if you add it to a bread or muffin recipe you might get a very sweet and not-spiced-enough loaf. Try this instead: Buy pumpkin purée!

What's the difference between evaporated and condensed milk in pumpkin pie? ›

As the name suggests, sweetened condensed milk makes the pie sweeter and gives it a denser, creamier texture. Evaporated milk, on the other hand, yields a lighter, airier result. Evaporated milk isn't sweetened either, which is why you can't simply swap one thickener for the other.

How do you keep the bottom crust of pumpkin pie from getting soggy? ›

Add a Layer. You can create a barrier between the filling and the dough by adding an ingredient that won't change the flavor of the pie—or that will improve the flavor of the pie. Sprinkle dried breadcrumbs or crushed cornflakes, or other types of cereal, on the bottom crust before filling and baking in the oven.

Why is my pumpkin pie still jiggly in the middle? ›

for pumpkin pie when the filling still ripples in the center. the pie is underbaked and the filling won't completely set up. when the center of the pie wobble slightly it will continue to bake.

Why did my pumpkin pie crack in the middle? ›

The reason pies crack is often due to the eggs in the pumpkin pie recipe - if they get over baked, the protein in them tightens up, and as it cools, it causes cracks in the pumpkin pie.

Can I eat a 5 day old pumpkin pie? ›

According to FoodSafety.gov, homemade pumpkin pie can be stored in the refrigerator for 3–4 days. To keep your pie as fresh as possible, be sure to wrap it loosely in plastic wrap or aluminum foil.

Should you prebake pie shell for pumpkin pie? ›

Think of it this way: poor pie dough wouldn't stand a chance (aka be a soggy mess) with a custard filling if we don't give it a head start. Hence why we pre-bake, because custard pies are too delicious to have soggy bottoms. Custard pies = pumpkin pies.

Why is store-bought pumpkin pie not refrigerated? ›

Why Are Store-Bought Pies Not Refrigerated? So that brings many of us to the question: Why are the pumpkin pies at the grocery store sitting out? Store-bought pumpkin pies include shelf-stable ingredients such as preservatives which allow them to last longer, even at room temp.

Is pumpkin pie filling the same as pumpkin? ›

Although they both come in cans and the packaging looks almost identical, they can't be used interchangeably. Pumpkin puree doesn't have anything added to it, but pumpkin pie filling comes with pumpkin spice and sugar already mixed in.

What is the best brand of canned pumpkin? ›

The Best Overall: Libby's 100% Pure Canned Pumpkin

There is a reason that Libby's 100% Pure Pumpkin has been the go-to brand for so many people for so long.

What is the difference between pie pumpkins and regular pumpkins? ›

Pie pumpkins, also called sugar pumpkins, usually weigh 1 to 6 pounds. Their flesh is denser and sweeter that the bigger ones, which are called carving or jack-o'-lantern pumpkins. The biggies have a moister, softer interior with a bigger seed cavity, and the flesh tends to be stringier.

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