For many people, by ditching the turkey a vegetarian Thanksgiving already is messing with tradition. So there’s no reason not to push things a little more and lose the pumpkin pie, too. To complement the lighter foods associated with vegetarian Thanksgivings, we decided to come up with a dessert that also leaned to the lighter side of the culinary spectrum. From top to bottom, this lemon pecan mousse cake is airy, with a refreshingly delicate sweetness.

Lemon Pecan Mousse Cake

Start to finish: 3 hours (1 hour active)