Savor a Smooth Pumpkin Cheesecake featuring Crunchy Maple Pecans
Smooth, spiced and just sweet enough, this pumpkin cheesecake is a celebration of fall coziness. I avoid tinned pumpkin – it lacks depth and flavor – so I’ve taken the extra step baking your own pumpkin. The oven’s heat brings out the inherent sugars and reduces unwanted water, yielding a deep, aromatic mash which adds genuine complexity. A crunchy pecan topping adds the perfect finish: caramelized, rich and offering a satisfying crisp complementing the cheesecake’s creamy softness.
Pumpkin Cheesecake and Maple Pecan Brittle
For the pumpkin base, chop 350-400g peeled, deseeded pumpkin in sections, bake, loosely covered, in a hot oven until soft but not browned. Process using a powerful blender.
Prep a brief 10 minutes
Cook about 1¾ hours
Cool 60 minutes
Chill at least 6 hours
Serves 8 to 10
Crumb Crust
- 200g ginger nut biscuits
- 70g unsalted butter, liquefied, and some for coating
- sea salt
For the Filling
- 500g cream cheese
- fine sugar
- Finely grated zest of 1 orange
- homemade puree (as described above)
- thickener
- aromatic cinnamon
- ginger powder
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- clove spice
- fresh eggs, at room temperature
- tangy cream
- vanilla
Pecan Garnish
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- sugar
- chopped pecans, coarsely cut
- sea salt flakes
- 150ml double cream
Heat the oven to 365F coat the base and sides of a 20cm round springform tin. Using a processor the ginger nuts to fine crumbs, place in a container. Add the salty butter, combine so the crumbs are evenly damp. Tip into the greased tin, even it out, heat until set, take out and cool.
Lower the oven temperature to a lower temp. At the same time, add the cream cheese, sugar and orange zest in a stand mixer, whip with the paddle attachment on medium-low to a creamy texture. Add the puree, thickener, and seasonings, then mix on medium-low well mixed. Mix in eggs separately, incorporating fully one by one, next include the tangy cream and flavoring, mix until combined.
Pour the pumpkin filling on to the set base and smooth the top with a tool. Tap the tin gently on a surface to remove bubbles, then heat the cake centered in the oven until set until the sides are firm with a jiggly middle. Stop baking, leave the door ajar allowing it to cool for one hour. When cooled, refrigerate for 6+ hours (and up to three days), until fully chilled.
While waiting, make the pecan brittle (ahead of time). Heat the oven to 410F and prepare a baking sheet using liner. Combine the syrup and sweetener over heat mixing over a low heat briefly. Stir in the pecans and sea salt, stop heating and scrape into the lined tray. Bake for about eight minutes, until crisp, then remove and leave to cool. When fully hardened, cut roughly and store in a sealed jar frozen.
Open the cheesecake from its tin and transfer to a platter. Whip the cream until fluffy, then place on top of the cake with a clear edge. Scatter most of the pecan brittle over the top, then serve with extra pecan brittle alongside.
