Pumpkin Cheesecake
This make-ahead pumpkin cheesecake features a creamy, warmly spiced pumpkin filling, a buttery gingersnap and toasted pecan crust, and a piped cream cheese topping. Perfect for Thanksgiving and fall entertaining.
Equipment
- Food Processor
- 10-inch Springform Pan
- Extra wide heavy-duty aluminum foil
- Large baking dish or roasting pan for water bath
- Electric Mixer
- 1M piping tip
- piping bag
- 2 Large mixing bowl
Ingredients
For the Crust
- 8 ounces Gingersnap Cookies
- ¼ cup Dark Brown Sugar
- ½ cup Pecan Pieces toasted1
- 6 tablespoons Unsalted Butter
For the Filling
- 2 pounds Full-Fat Cream Cheese room temperature
- 1 ½ cups Granulated White Sugar
- 3 Large Eggs room temperature
- 15 ounces Can of Pure Pumpkin
- 1 cup Whipping Cream room temperature
- 1 tablespoon Vanilla Extract
- ¼ cup All-Purpose Flour
- 2 teaspoons Ground Cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon Ground Ginger
- ½ teaspoons Ground Nutmeg
- ½ teaspoons Allspice
- ¼ teaspoons Ground Cloves
For the Topping
- ½ cup Unsalted Butter room temperature
- 8 ounces Full-Fat Cream Cheese room temperature
- 5 cups Powdered Sugar
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- ¼ cup Pecan Pieces toasted1
Instructions
To Make the Crust
- Preheat oven to 350º F. Position the rack in the center of the oven.
- Wrap double layer of extra wide heavy-duty aluminum foil around outside of 10-inch springform pan, all the way to the top.
- Combine gingersnaps, toasted pecan pieces, and brown sugar in a food processor. Blend until mixture is fine and uniform.
- With the food processor still running, drizzle butter into the feed chute. Blend until crumbs begin to stick together.
- Press crumbs onto the bottom, only, of prepared pan.
- Bake 10 minutes, until crust is slightly golden. Transfer to wire rack and cool while preparing filling.
- Maintain 350°F oven temperature, place large roasting or baking pan (large enough for the springform pan to fit in) for the water bath into the oven. Fill with one kettle full of boiling water. Please note you will add more water later.
To Make the Filling
- Using an electric mixer, beat 2 pounds cream cheese until smooth.
- Add sugar; beat until smooth and fluffy.
- Beat in eggs one at a time, just until blended; do not overbeat.
- Add pumpkin, whipping cream and vanilla; beat just until blended.
- Combine flour and the five spices in a small bowl; beat into pumpkin cheesecake mixture just until blended.
- Pour filling into springform pan on top of the prepared crust.
- Place the springform pan into the prepared water bath pan inside the oven and carefully add more boiling water until it reaches approximately halfway up the outside of the springform pan. Avoid splashing water into the cheesecake.
- Bake cheesecake until slightly puffed, softly set and the top is golden; about 1½ hours. Turn oven off. Do not open door; leave cheesecake in oven for additional ½ hour.
- Carefully remove springform pan from the water bath, taking care not to get any water on your hands. Please note the water is extremely hot and whatever you use to remove the pan might get wet. Transfer springform pan to wire rack covered with a dish towel and cool at room temperature for no longer than two hours; remove foil. Refrigerate cheesecake uncovered overnight. Leave in pan until ready to add topping and serve.
To Make the Topping
- In a medium bowl, combine butter, cream cheese, and vanilla. Beat until the mixture is smooth and creamy.
- Beat in the powdered sugar one cup at a time until smooth and creamy.
- Run a hot knife around the inside of the springform pan and remove the side. You may leave the cheesecake on the springform pan base for serving. If you prefer to transfer it, to remove the bottom of the pan, invert the cheesecake onto a 10-inch cardboard cake round, so that the bottom of the springform pan is now on top. Carefully insert a butter knife between the bottom of the pan and the bottom of the cheesecake, making sure not to break the crust. Do not use a sharp knife with a point, because you are more likely to pierce the crust if you do so. Then carefully slide the knife around in a clockwise manner between the pan and the crust until the entire bottom of the pan is free. Please note that the bottom of the crust is fragile, so try not to pierce it with your knife. Place another cake round or serving plate of your choice on top of the bottom of the cheesecake. Then carefully place one hand on the center of the bottom of the cheesecake and slide your other hand underneath the cake round that's on the top of the cheesecake, then carefully invert the cheesecake.
- Place a 1M star tip into a piping bag and scoop your topping into the bag. Do not overfill the piping bag. Snip the tip of the bag and pipe a circle of small swirls around the edge of the pumpkin cheesecake. Continue piping small swirls in consecutive circles until the entire surface is covered.
- Sprinkle toasted pecan pieces on top.
- Yield: 16 servings.
Video
Tips/Notes
- To toast the pecan pieces, spread them in a single layer on a half sheet pan and bake in a 350°F oven for 10 minutes. Allow them to cool before using.
Nutrition
Calories: 745kcalCarbohydrates: 80gProtein: 8gFat: 46gSaturated Fat: 25gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 13gTrans Fat: 0.4gCholesterol: 146mgSodium: 322mgPotassium: 260mgFiber: 2gSugar: 66gVitamin A: 5664IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 115mgIron: 2mg
Tried this recipe? Add me to Google's Preferred Sources above.
