Indulge in this Smooth Pumpkin Cheesecake featuring Crunchy Maple Pecans
Velvety, spiced and not overly sugary, this pumpkin cheesecake captures harvest warmth. I’m not a fan of canned puree – it’s watery and flat-tasting – so I prefer to roast some butternut or Kent squash. Roasting brings out its natural sweetness removing excess moisture, producing a smooth, flavourful puree which adds authentic character. The maple pecan brittle completes the dessert: toasty, flavorful and offering a satisfying crisp against the smooth filling.
Autumn Cheesecake and Crunchy Pecan Topping
Prepare about one cup of puree, chop 350-400g peeled, deseeded pumpkin in sections, then roast, loosely covered, in a hot oven cooked through but not colored. Blend until smooth.
Prep 10 min
Cook 1 hr 45 min
Cool 1 hour
Chill at least 6 hours
Serves 8-10
Base Ingredients
- 200g ginger nut biscuits
- melted butter, melted, plus extra for greasing
- ⅛ tsp fine sea salt
Creamy Layer
- 500g cream cheese
- white sugar
- citrus peel
- homemade puree (prepared earlier)
- 2 tsp cornflour
- cinnamon spice
- warm ginger
- freshly grated nutmeg
- clove spice
- room-temperature eggs, not cold
- 100ml soured cream
- pure vanilla
For the Maple Pecan Brittle Topping
- maple sweetener
- sugar
- nut pieces, in chunks
- 1 large pinch flaky sea salt
- heavy cream
Preheat your oven to 365F and lightly grease the entire interior with a springform pan. In a food processor the ginger nuts until crumbly, transfer to a container. Incorporate the melted butter and salt, stir coating the crumbs. Tip into the greased tin, compact it well, heat until set, set aside to cool.
Turn down the oven temperature to 355F. Meanwhile, put the cheese, sweetener, and zest into a mixer bowl, then beat on low speed on medium-low until well blended. Add the pumpkin puree, cornflour and spices, then mix gently until incorporated. Introduce the eggs separately, mixing thoroughly between each addition, follow with the soured cream and vanilla, whip until fully incorporated.
Pour the cheesecake mixture on to the set base even the surface using a spatula. Give it a gentle shake on a worktop to dispel any air bubbles, then heat the dessert in the middle of the oven for 45 minutes with set edges and a soft center. Switch off the heat, leave the door ajar and let it cool down for an hour. After cooling, cool in the fridge (and up to three days), until fully chilled.
Meanwhile, create the topping (in advance). Heat the oven to a high temperature and prepare a baking sheet with parchment. Stir together the syrup and sweetener over heat and heat slowly on low until dissolved. Add in the chopped pecans, take off the stove and spread on the tray. Bake for about eight minutes, until golden and bubbly, take out and cool. When fully hardened, cut roughly and store in a sealed jar in the freezer.
Release the cake from the springform move to a plate. Whip the cream until fluffy, then place over the center with a clear edge. Scatter most of the pecan brittle over the top, with additional brittle for serving.
