María Goes to Mictlán and Returns Victorious

This cake has a crunchy cocoa and amaranth biscuit base with a creamy topping made from Mexican cheese. Then there is the traditional "dulce de calabaza en tacha," or sweet candied pumpkin made with Castilla pumpkin, "piloncillo" (unrefined sugar), star anise, cinnamon, and cloves. The decorative paper is made from the sweet pumpkin itself and the sauce is made from piloncillo syrup extract obtained after cooking the tacha. The petals are from edible Mexican marigold flowers that typically bloom in summer.