Discover a Creamy Pumpkin Cheesecake featuring Crunchy Maple Pecans

Velvety, flavorful and perfectly sweetened, this seasonal treat is a celebration of fall coziness. I avoid tinned pumpkin – it lacks depth and flavor – so I prefer baking some butternut or Kent squash. Roasting brings out the sweet flavor removing excess moisture, yielding a deep, aromatic mash imparting genuine complexity. The maple pecan brittle completes the dessert: toasty, flavorful and providing a textural contrast to offset the cheesecake’s creamy softness.

Pumpkin Cheesecake with Crunchy Pecan Topping

Prepare about one cup of puree, cut a medium squash, peeled and seeded into cubes, bake, lightly covered, at 390F until tender without browning. Process in a high-speed blender.

Prep a brief 10 minutes
Cook 1 hr 45 min
Cool 60 minutes
Chill 6 hr+
Serves 8-10

For the Base

• gingersnap cookies
• melted butter, liquefied, with more for the tin
• a pinch of salt

Creamy Layer

• full-fat cream cheese
• white sugar
• citrus peel
• squash mash (as described above)
• thickener
• ¾ tsp ground cinnamon
• ginger powder
• nutmeg
• hint of cloves
• fresh eggs, warmed slightly
• sour cream
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

For the Maple Pecan Brittle Topping

• pure maple syrup
• fine sugar
• chopped pecans, coarsely cut
• 1 large pinch flaky sea salt
• 150ml double cream

Preheat your oven to 365F then butter the entire interior using a cake tin. Pulse the ginger nuts to fine crumbs, then tip into a container. Mix in the salty butter, and mix until moistened. Tip into the prepared pan, press down firmly, bake for 10 minutes, then remove and leave to cool.

Turn down the setting to 355F. In the meantime, place the cheese, sweetener, and zest into a mixer bowl, whip with the paddle attachment slowly to a creamy texture. Mix in the pumpkin puree, cornflour and spices, then mix on medium-low well mixed. Mix in eggs one at a time, mixing thoroughly after each one, next include the cream and extract, mix until fully incorporated.

Scoop the pumpkin filling onto the set base even the surface with a tool. Lightly tap the pan on the counter to release trapped air, then cook the cake on the middle rack for about three-quarters of an hour until the sides are firm and the centre is slightly wobbly. Turn off the oven, leave the door ajar and leave the cheesecake to cool for one hour. When cooled, refrigerate for 6+ hours (or longer), until firm.

Meanwhile, prepare the brittle (in advance). Preheat the oven to a high temperature cover a tray with baking paper. Mix the ingredients over heat and stir gently gently for about a minute. Stir in the nuts and salt, then remove from the heat and scrape into the lined tray. Bake for about eight minutes, until caramelized, then remove and leave to cool. Once the brittle is completely hard, chop into irregular pieces place in an airtight container in the freezer.

Open the cake from the pan place on a serving dish. Whip the cream to a light consistency, then spoon 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.