Indulge in this Creamy Pumpkin Cheesecake featuring Maple Pecan Brittle
Velvety, aromatic and perfectly sweetened, this delightful dessert is a celebration of autumnal comfort. I skip prepared pumpkin – it’s watery and flat-tasting – so I’ve taken the extra step of roasting your own pumpkin. Roasting coaxes out the inherent sugars removing extra liquid, yielding a smooth, flavourful puree that gives the cheesecake authentic character. Golden nut brittle completes the dessert: golden, nutty and with just the right amount of crunch against the smooth filling.
Autumn Cheesecake and Crunchy Pecan Topping
To make the pumpkin base, chop a medium squash, peeled and seeded into cubes, bake, lightly covered, in a hot oven until tender without browning. Blend using a powerful blender.
Prep 10 minutes
Cook 1 hr 45 min
Cool 1 hour
Chill overnight
Serves 8-10
For the Base
- 200g ginger nut biscuits
- 70g unsalted butter, softened, and some for coating
- ⅛ tsp fine sea salt
Cheesecake Mixture
- 500g cream cheese
- 150g caster sugar
- Finely grated zest of 1 orange
- 200g pumpkin puree (see introduction)
- thickener
- aromatic cinnamon
- warm ginger
- nutmeg
- ⅛ tsp ground cloves
- fresh eggs, warmed slightly
- sour cream
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Pecan Garnish
- maple sweetener
- sugar
- 90g pecans, in chunks
- 1 large pinch flaky sea salt
- whipping cream
Preheat your oven at a moderate heat and lightly grease the bottom and edges with a springform pan. Pulse the ginger nuts into crumbs, then tip into a medium bowl. Add the melted butter and salt, and mix coating the crumbs. Transfer to the greased tin, press down firmly, bake for 10 minutes, take out and cool.
Lower the setting to 355F. In the meantime, put the cheese, sweetener, and zest into a mixer bowl, then beat with the paddle attachment at a gentle pace until well blended. Mix in the puree, thickener, and seasonings, blend gently until combined. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing thoroughly one by one, follow with the soured cream and vanilla, whip until smooth.
Scoop the pumpkin filling onto the cooled biscuit base even the surface with a tool. Give it a gentle shake on the counter to release trapped air, then cook the cheesecake on the middle rack until set until the edges are set with a jiggly middle. Turn off the oven, crack the door open allowing it to cool for one hour. When cooled, 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 ingredients in a pot and heat slowly on low until dissolved. Mix the chopped pecans, take off the stove and spread on the tray. Cook for 8 minutes, until crisp, set aside. After cooling completely, chop into irregular pieces keeping in a container in the freezer.
Open the cake from its tin move to a plate. Whisk the cream to a light consistency, then place over the center with a clear edge. Sprinkle the brittle on top, offering more on the side.
