It’s the Great Pumpkin Cheesecake Charlie Brown!
Your friends on Facebook are annoying the crap out of you with reminders that “There are only OMG BLAH days left before Christmas!” And before you know it (probably tomorrow), you’ll turn on your car, and there will be Christmas carols playing on the radio.
As Billy Mack sings, Christmas is all around us.
But let’s just hold the phone here a minute, people. Before we deck the halls, we have another very real holiday to celebrate.
And by real, I mean one that gets me off work.
So we’re definitely not skipping right past it.
It seems every year, people jump into the Christmas season earlier and earlier. I have my theories on this. Mostly involving a very strong lobby by the Turkeys Against Thanksgiving in America Society (or TATAS for short).
But, I steadfastly refuse to skim over Thanksgiving. And to help you get in the Thanksgiving spirit, I am going to walk you through making a delicious pumpkin cheesecake. One that’s so good, even your mother-in-law will have to stand up and give you mad props for.
Baking is one of the few things at which I excel. But when I made this a few weeks ago, even I was amazed by the outpouring of praise. The phrase “My favorite dessert EVER” was used. Often.
First of all, you are going to need some special equipment. If you do not own a 9″ springform pan, issue an APB on Facebook. I guarantee one of your friends will have one you can borrow.
Pumpkin Cheesecake
| Pumpkin Cheesecake with Caramel Drizzle |
- Pumpkin Cheesecake
- 3 – 3 1/2 c. Gingersnap Cookie Crumbs
- 1/2 c. Pecans
- 7 tbsp Butter (melted)
- 3 pkgs of Cream Cheese (softened)
- 1c. Sugar (divided)
- 1 tsp Vanilla
- 3 Eggs (separated)
- 1 c. Pumpkin (NOTE: pumpkin not pumpkin pie filling)
- Cinnamon
- Nutmeg
- Allspice
- Optional Caramel Drizzle
- 1 c. Sugar
- 1/2 c. Water
- 1 c. Heavy Whipping Cream
- 1/4 c. Unslated Butter (chopped up)
- pinch of Sea Salt
- Preheat your oven to 325 degrees. I bake my cheesecake on a rack set in the middle of my oven, but every oven is different.
- In a food processor, toss enough gingersnaps to yield about 3 (or more) cups of crumbs, together with your pecans, and grind those babies up. (If you do not have a food processor, a ziploc bag and a rolling pin work just fine, and also allow you to blow off some steam.)
- In a bowl, mix your crumbs with your melted butter. This is the messy part. Press your crust mixture into the bottom of your springform pan and two inches up the side. Set aside for later.
- Beat your cream cheese in the mixer for a few minutes before adding any other ingredients. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl to make sure you work out any lumps. This will ensure you have a nice smooth batter.
- Separate your three eggs. Yolks in one bowl, whites in another. Add the egg yolks, 1/2 a cup of your sugar, vanilla, and the pumpkin to your cream cheese and mix together until smooth.
- You can add the spices to your taste. (I’m a cinnamon girl, so I usually mix in about 2 t. of cinnamon and a dash each of nutmeg and allspice.
- After you’ve mixed it all up. Set your cheesecake batter to the side. If you have a stand mixer, you’ll need to pour your batter into a separate bowl and wash out your mixing bowl.
- Now I’m going to share my cheesecake secret with you. It’s not really my secret. It’s a trick I learned from Nadia G on Bitchin Kitchen, and trust me when I tell you it WORKS.
- Grab your three eggs whites and toss them into your mixing bowl with 1/2 c, sugar. Now turn your mixer up on high and, using your whisk attachment, let it whip those egg whites into a nice stiff meringue. It’s going to take several minutes to get a good meringue, so be patient.
- When your meringue is forming stiff, white peaks, using a hand whisk, fold it into your cheesecake batter. Do NOT overmix. Gently whisk to mix everything together and remove any lumps, but the meringue will make your cheesecake incredibly light and fluffy, and if you overwork it, you’ll lose that.
- Now pour your batter into the springform pan. Bake at 325 degrees for approximately one hour to one hour & 15 minutes.
- This is the hardest part, you have to allow your cheesecake to cool completely, which may take several hours. (Patience is a virtue.)
- Allow it to cool on the stovetop until the pan is cool enough to transfer to the fridge.
- Once your cheesecake is completely cool, run a butter knife all the way around the edge and remove the outside of your springform pan. Then run a pie server under and all the way around your cheesecake to loosen it from the base of your springform pan. Lifting up slightly with your pie server, gently slide your cheesecake over to your cake plate.
- Pulverize your sugar in a food processor.
- Heat your water in a pot over medium heat. Once the water begins to heat up, pour your sugar directly into the middle.
- Then do NOTHING. Do not mix. Do not stir. Just watch. The sugar will dissolve and the water will begin to boil off. Once the water boils off, the sugar will begin to boil.
- As soon as your sugar starts turning a caramel color, pull the pot off the burner and immediately whisk in your cream and butter.
- NOTE: You have to do this fast, and the whipping cream will make a frightful sound when you pour it on the hot sugar. It will be okay. Just keep whisking until your caramel smooths out. Then whisk in just a pinch of sea salt for contrast.
Cream Cheese Tip: You’re making cheesecake, you need the real stuff. Okay? Also, set the cream cheese out on the counter several hours in advance so it can soften. Really soften. If you try to beat cream cheese that is not softened, you are going to end up with lumpy batter. And no one wants that. If you don’t have time to allow for that, cut your cream cheese into small blocks and microwave on low heat for a few seconds at a time until soft.
Cooking Tip: As I said, every oven is different. Keep an eye on the cheesecake toward the end. The outside of the cheesecake will puff up and get a glossy finish. The middle will take longer to set. When you see the middle set, you’re there. A cake tester inserted in the middle should come out relatively clean.
Serving Tip: To get the perfect slice, use a bread knife to cut your cheesecake in half. Then cut each half into a quarter, each quarter into an eighth, and then each eighth into a sixteenth. Yes, there are gluttons who will definitely want a bigger slice, but this way, you can ensure that everyone who wants a piece gets a piece.
What’s a cheesecake without the garnish? I’m a caramel girl, and while you can certainly buy caramel at the store and drizzle it over, I highly recommend the homemade version I’ve included! It’s basically amazing on everything.
You can make the caramel and cheesecake in advance and keep in the fridge.
When you plate each slice, drizzle with caramel and add a dollop (or a heap, if you’re me) of whipped cream.
Expect at least ten marriage proposals.
Enjoy!
Curvy Girl Guide Contributor, Rachel, is a dreamer disguised as a realist. A boring professional with the soul of an artist. She hasn’t really figured out what she wants to be when she grow up, so for now she’s shooting for being happy. You can read about all the ways she manages to embarrass herself & others on her blog, The Rachel Chronicles, as well as find her on Twitter and Facebook.
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About 5 years ago I decided I wanted to teach myself how to make cheesecake (in my mind everyone needs a signature something….so I picked cheesecake) and after many errors (there was one that ended up all over the bottom of my oven) I have finally mastered the art of cheesecake baking. This recipe looks awesome, thanks for sharing. One of my favorite tips is once you pour the batter into your springform, tamp the pan on your counter 5-6 times over the course of 10 minutes – this lets the air bubbles all rise to the surface and helps prevent cracks.
I’ve never heard that trick before. Thanks!
I’m assuming y cook and mash the pumpkin first before adding to the cheese?
I used canned pumpkin.
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