Pumpkin Gingerbread Mandarin Vacherin

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Autumn is synonymous with a colorful symphony of falling leaves, a season that has always inspired chefs to craft new dishes and desserts in harmony with nature's palette. It's true that ice cream is generally considered a summer treat—but when built into a tall, layered cake, it becomes a game changer. This recipe features three incredibly tasty ice creams: an epic red kuri squash gingerbread ice cream, an orange confit ice cream, and a chestnut ice cream. Each of these sophisticated ice creams can certainly be enjoyed on its own for any occasion, year-round—or beautifully layered into this magnificent pumpkin gingerbread vacherin cake centerpiece. Let's begin this frozen dessert journey 🎃

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The ultimate Autumnal Vacherin

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Preview the recipe

Place this impressive pumpkin gingerbread vacherin ice cream cake in the refrigerator an hour before serving. For a beautiful presentation, decorate your frozen cake with a pumpkin stem. Enjoy!
Make 3 meringue disks a day ahead (keep one for backup).

Orange Ice Cream Assembly

Mold these orange ice cream disks a day before going to the next step. Prepare the 2 tart rings on a baking tray lined with a large open freezer bag or parchment and freeze. Churn your orange ice cream and mold it right after it has been churned, into evenly distributed disks. Freeze immediately for at least 6 hours before using them as inserts for the vacherin.

Chestnut Ice Cream Assembly

Prepare the 8-inch (20 cm) Ø tart rings on a baking tray lined with a large open freezer bag or parchment. Mold your ice cream right after it has been churned into an evenly distributed disk. Freeze immediately. Save leftover to complete the pumpkin cake later.

Pumpkin Gingerbread Ice Cream Assembly

Place the Primavera silicone mold onto a baking tray and freeze. Do likewise with the cake ring. Spread ice cream into the mold right after it has been churned.
Fill the silicone mold two-thirds full. Using a spoon or spatula, push the ice cream up against the sides of each cavity, ensuring the pumpkin ice cream is evenly spread.
Immediately place and press down the small frozen orange ice cream.
Cover with more pumpkin ice cream and smooth evenly. Freeze immediately for 12 hours before unmolding.
Position the cake ring over the 8.25-inch (21cm) cake board, and place the first meringue disk inside. Fill it with pumpkin ice cream two-thirds full. Using a spoon or spatula, push the ice cream up against the sides.
Insert the large frozen orange ice cream disk, and gently press it down.
Enclose the cake with the second meringue disk. Freeze the cake for 30 minutes.
Seal the top and gaps with the saved but supple chestnut ice cream (pumpkin gingerbread or orange ice cream can be used as well). Freeze for 12 hours before removing the cake ring.

Pumpkin Vacherin Assembly

Demold the pumpkin-orange frozen cake, and freeze.
Demold the Primavera, and freeze.
Top the pumpkin cake with the frozen chestnut disk. Freeze.
Then place the crown on top. Keep the pumpkin vacherin frozen.

Decorating

Trim and cut your gingerbread into a 2.35-inch 6cm block. Cut it into thin slices, and then make forty 1.18-inch (3cm) width strips.
Overlap gingerbread strip around the frozen cake. Use some some chestnut cream or orange jam to make them stick to the cake. Freeze. At this point, the pumpkin vacherin is done.

Chocolate Spray

For a neat autumnal finish, spray a red-orange (Kuri squash–colored) chocolate enrobage mixture.
Watch the chocolate spray tutorial. Once sprayed, store the cake in the freezer for up to 3 months; wrapped in cling film.

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