Pumpkin Mousse Frosting

So, the other day I made my chocolate-banana cupcakes with sour cream frosting. I left about half of the cupcakes unfrosted in a ziplock bag for Gennaro to snack on throughout the week. In the meantime, I was working on a candida-friendly pumpkin mousse. I had some chilling in the fridge, and I was anxious to “test it,” (i.e. eat at least half of it). I opened the fridge for a peek at my mousse’s progress, and as I lifted the lid slightly, my eyes caught the cupcakes. Then they shifted back to the mousse. Cupcakes. Mousse. Mousse. Cupcakes.

I think you know where this is going. Now, this last-minute change-of-plans was not strictly my recipe ADD at work. There were actually very practical reasons for me to pair these two treats, one being the appropriate seasonal colors. Orange and black in October is always a welcome combination. The other reason also had to do with color. My dear husband, fan extraordinaire of the San Francisco Giants, is currently enjoying his first year of postseason baseball since 2003. The Giants’ colors? Orange and black.

Of course, this frosting doesn’t have to top off a chocolate-flavored cupcake. Gingerbread cupcakes with pumpkin frosting, anyone? Banana cupcakes would also would be good (banana sans the chocolate, that is). Heck, even pumpkin-on-pumpkin is a good option. But if you’re looking for a gluten-free, agave-sweetened, vegan cupcake recipe to go with this frosting, I can tell you that the chocolate-banana cupcakes with pumpkin frosting combo is pretty darn delicious. And yes, you can eat this “frosting” as a plain mousse, but what fun would that be? (Actually, I did eat a lot of this mousse by itself, and I have to say it was quite good).

Pumpkin Mousse Frosting:

I used some pumpkin pie-esque spices in the mousse, which made for a unique but yummy combination with the cupcakes. If you would like a more mild accompaniment, omit the spices. I made this mousse with yacon to make this a good option for an anti-candida diet, but you can definitely use agave, which would be a fine alternative. While I used coconut butter here, coconut oil would most likely work as well (I’ve used it before in mousses with good results — just make sure you let it chill sufficiently).

1 15-oz. can pumpkin puree

1 12-oz. package Mori-Nu extra firm silken tofu

1/3 cup coconut butter

1 1/2 teaspoons NuNaturals liquid vanilla stevia

1/4 cup yacon syrup or agave nectar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional)

1/4 teaspoon allspice (optional)

Directions:

Blend all ingredients well in blender or food processor. Chill in a covered container in refrigerator for 2-3 hours before using.