Discover this Silky Pumpkin Cheesecake featuring Crunchy Maple Pecans
Velvety, aromatic and perfectly sweetened, this delightful dessert is a celebration of fall coziness. I skip prepared pumpkin – it lacks depth and flavor – so I’ve taken the extra step to roast your own pumpkin. The oven’s heat enhances the inherent sugars while evaporating excess moisture, producing a smooth, flavourful puree that gives the cheesecake authentic character. The maple pecan brittle adds the perfect finish: golden, nutty and providing a textural contrast complementing the cheesecake’s creamy softness.
Autumn Cheesecake and Maple Pecan Brittle
Prepare 200g pumpkin puree, dice 350-400g peeled, deseeded pumpkin in sections, cook, with a cover, at 390F until tender without browning. Puree in a high-speed blender.
Prep a brief 10 minutes
Cook 1 hr 45 min
Cool 1 hr
Chill overnight
Serves about 10 people
For the Base
- 200g ginger nut biscuits
- melted butter, liquefied, with more for the tin
- ⅛ tsp fine sea salt
Cheesecake Mixture
- 500g cream cheese
- white sugar
- Finely grated zest of 1 orange
- 200g pumpkin puree (prepared earlier)
- cornstarch
- aromatic cinnamon
- ginger powder
- freshly grated nutmeg
- ⅛ tsp ground cloves
- fresh eggs, not cold
- tangy cream
- vanilla
Crunchy Finish
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- sugar
- nut pieces, in chunks
- sea salt flakes
- heavy cream
Heat the oven at a moderate heat coat the bottom and edges using a cake tin. In a food processor the ginger nuts until crumbly, then tip into a container. Incorporate the salty butter, combine so the crumbs are evenly damp. Tip into the greased tin, press down firmly, cook briefly, set aside to cool.
Reduce the heat to 175C (155C fan). In the meantime, put the base ingredients into a mixer bowl, mix using the paddle at a gentle pace to a creamy texture. Mix in the pumpkin puree, cornflour and spices, blend at low speed until combined. Mix in eggs one at a time, incorporating fully between each addition, then add the tangy cream and flavoring, mix until smooth.
Scoop the cheesecake mixture onto the prepared crust level it out with a tool. Give it a gentle shake on a worktop to release trapped air, then cook the dessert centered in the oven for 45 minutes until the edges are set and the centre is slightly wobbly. Turn off the oven, crack the door open and leave the cheesecake to cool for 60 minutes. After cooling, refrigerate for 6+ hours (or for days), until completely set.
In the meantime, create the topping (up to three days ahead). Heat the oven to 210C (190C fan) cover a tray using liner. Combine the maple syrup and sugar in a small saucepan mixing on low briefly. Mix the chopped pecans, take off the stove and scrape into the lined tray. Heat until golden, until golden and bubbly, take out and cool. When fully hardened, chop into irregular pieces and store in an airtight container in the freezer.
Open the cake from its tin and transfer to a platter. Whip the cream to soft peaks, then place on top of the cake leaving space around. Add the crunchy bits over the top, then serve with extra pecan brittle alongside.
