Indulge in this Creamy Autumn Cheesecake featuring Crunchy Maple Pecans
Velvety, flavorful and not overly sugary, this pumpkin cheesecake is a celebration of fall coziness. I skip tinned pumpkin – it’s watery and flat-tasting – so I’ve taken the extra step of roasting some butternut or Kent squash. Roasting coaxes out its natural sweetness while evaporating unwanted water, resulting in a smooth, flavourful puree imparting authentic character. The maple pecan brittle provides the final flourish: caramelized, rich and with just the right amount of crunch to offset the velvety texture.
Pumpkin Cheesecake with Crunchy Pecan Topping
To make 200g pumpkin puree, chop fresh pumpkin pieces in sections, cook, lightly covered, in a hot oven until tender without browning. Process in a high-speed blender.
Prep a brief 10 minutes
Cook about 1¾ hours
Cool 60 minutes
Chill 6 hr+
Serves 8-10
Base Ingredients
- 200g ginger nut biscuits
- 70g unsalted butter, melted, plus extra for greasing
- sea salt
For the Filling
- full-fat cream cheese
- 150g caster sugar
- orange zest
- 200g pumpkin puree (as described above)
- cornstarch
- cinnamon spice
- warm ginger
- nutmeg
- ⅛ tsp ground cloves
- fresh eggs, not cold
- tangy cream
- vanilla
For the Maple Pecan Brittle Topping
- maple sweetener
- fine sugar
- 90g pecans, roughly chopped
- 1 large pinch flaky sea salt
- heavy cream
Preheat your oven to 365F coat the base and sides using a cake tin. Using a processor the cookies to fine crumbs, then tip into a container. Add the melted butter and salt, combine coating the crumbs. Place in the buttered container, compact it well, heat until set, set aside to cool.
Turn down the oven temperature to a lower temp. Meanwhile, add the cream cheese, sugar and orange zest into a mixer bowl, mix with the paddle attachment at a gentle pace to a creamy texture. Incorporate the spiced pumpkin mix, and beat at low speed until incorporated. Introduce the eggs one at a time, mixing thoroughly one by one, next include the tangy cream and flavoring, mix until combined.
Scoop the pumpkin filling onto the cooled biscuit base even the surface with a small spatula. Give it a gentle shake on a worktop to release trapped air, then cook the cake on the middle rack for 45 minutes with set edges and the centre is slightly wobbly. Switch off the heat, crack the door open and let it cool down for 60 minutes. After cooling, refrigerate for 6+ hours (or for days), until completely set.
Meanwhile, create the topping (up to three days ahead). Set the oven to 410F and prepare a baking sheet with baking paper. Mix the maple syrup and sugar in a pot mixing over a low heat for about a minute. Mix the nuts and salt, take off the stove and scrape into the lined tray. Bake for about eight minutes, until crisp, take out and cool. When fully hardened, break into chunks keeping in a container chilled.
Open the cheesecake from its tin and transfer to a platter. Whisk the cream to a light consistency, then add over the center leaving space around. Scatter most of the pecan brittle on top, offering more on the side.
