Savor this Smooth Pumpkin Cheesecake featuring Crunchy Maple Pecans
Smooth, flavorful and perfectly sweetened, this seasonal treat embodies harvest warmth. I avoid canned puree – it’s watery and flat-tasting – so I prefer of roasting your own pumpkin. Roasting enhances the inherent sugars removing extra liquid, producing a deep, aromatic mash which adds genuine complexity. Golden nut brittle provides the final flourish: golden, nutty and with just the right amount of crunch to offset the velvety texture.
Pumpkin Cheesecake and Crunchy Pecan Topping
For the pumpkin base, chop 350-400g peeled, deseeded pumpkin into cubes, then roast, with a cover, at 390F cooked through but not colored. Puree in a high-speed blender.
Prep 10 minutes
Cook 1 hr 45 min
Cool 1 hr
Chill 6 hr+
Serves about 10 people
For the Base
- 200g ginger nut biscuits
- 70g unsalted butter, liquefied, with more for the tin
- ⅛ tsp fine sea salt
Cheesecake Mixture
- 500g cream cheese
- 150g caster sugar
- Finely grated zest of 1 orange
- homemade puree (see introduction)
- thickener
- aromatic cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground ginger
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- ⅛ tsp ground cloves
- fresh eggs, at room temperature
- sour cream
- vanilla
Pecan Garnish
- maple sweetener
- fine sugar
- nut pieces, coarsely cut
- a pinch of salt
- whipping cream
Heat the oven to 185C (165C fan) then butter the bottom and edges using a cake tin. Using a processor the cookies into crumbs, transfer to a medium bowl. Add the melted butter and salt, stir coating the crumbs. Transfer to the buttered container, press down firmly, cook briefly, then remove and leave to cool.
Lower the setting to a lower temp. In the meantime, put the base ingredients into a mixer bowl, mix on low speed slowly until smooth and creamy. Incorporate the spiced pumpkin mix, then mix at low speed until combined. Introduce the eggs one at a time, beating in well between each addition, then add the cream and extract, whip until smooth.
Pour the cheesecake mixture onto the cooled biscuit base level it out using a spatula. Lightly tap the pan on a worktop to release trapped air, then bake the dessert centered in the oven for about three-quarters of an hour until the edges are set with a jiggly middle. Switch off the heat, keep the oven slightly open and leave the cheesecake to cool for an hour. When cooled, chill for at least six hours (and up to three days), until completely set.
While waiting, prepare the brittle (up to three days ahead). Preheat the oven to 410F and line a small oven tray using liner. Combine the ingredients in a small saucepan and stir gently over a low heat briefly. Add in the pecans and sea salt, stop heating transfer to the sheet. Heat until golden, until caramelized, then remove and leave to cool. When fully hardened, break into chunks place in a container chilled.
Release the dessert from its tin move to a plate. Beat the cream until fluffy, then spoon on top of the cake leaving space around. Scatter most of the pecan brittle over the top, with additional brittle for serving.
