Savor this Silky Autumn Cheesecake with Crunchy Maple Pecans
Silky, aromatic and just sweet enough, this seasonal treat captures harvest warmth. I skip canned puree – it’s watery and flat-tasting – so I prefer of roasting your own pumpkin. The oven’s heat coaxes out the inherent sugars removing excess moisture, producing a rich, tasty base which adds genuine complexity. The maple pecan brittle adds the perfect finish: toasty, flavorful and offering a satisfying crisp to offset the velvety texture.
Pumpkin Cheesecake with Crunchy Pecan Topping
Prepare 200g pumpkin puree, chop a medium squash, peeled and seeded into chunks, bake, loosely covered, at 390F until tender without browning. Puree using a powerful blender.
Prep 10 min
Cook 1 hour 45 minutes
Cool 1 hour
Chill overnight
Serves 8 to 10
Crumb Crust
- 200g ginger nut biscuits
- melted butter, softened, with more for the tin
- ⅛ tsp fine sea salt
Cheesecake Mixture
- soft cheese
- fine sugar
- orange zest
- homemade puree (as described above)
- thickener
- ¾ tsp ground cinnamon
- warm ginger
- nutmeg
- clove spice
- room-temperature eggs, warmed slightly
- tangy cream
- vanilla
Pecan Garnish
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tbsp caster sugar
- chopped pecans, in chunks
- sea salt flakes
- whipping cream
Preheat your oven to 365F then butter the entire interior using a cake tin. Using a processor the cookies until crumbly, then tip into a mixing bowl. Mix in the melted butter and salt, and mix so the crumbs are evenly damp. Transfer to the prepared pan, even it out, bake for 10 minutes, set aside to cool.
Reduce the oven temperature to 355F. Meanwhile, put the base ingredients in the bowl of an electric mixer, then beat with the paddle attachment slowly until smooth and creamy. Mix in the pumpkin puree, cornflour and spices, and beat gently until incorporated. Mix in eggs separately, incorporating fully one by one, next include the tangy cream and flavoring, whip until combined.
Transfer the pumpkin filling onto the set base even the surface with a small spatula. Lightly tap the pan on a surface to release trapped air, then bake the cake in the middle of the oven for about three-quarters of an hour with set edges and the centre is slightly wobbly. Stop baking, keep the oven slightly open and leave the cheesecake to cool for an hour. When cooled, refrigerate for 6+ hours (or for days), until fully chilled.
While waiting, make the pecan brittle (in advance). Set the oven to 410F and prepare a baking sheet with parchment. Combine the syrup and sweetener over heat mixing gently for about a minute. Stir in the chopped pecans, then remove from the heat transfer to the sheet. Cook for 8 minutes, until golden and bubbly, then remove and leave to cool. Once the brittle is completely hard, break into chunks place in a container frozen.
Release the cake from the pan place on a serving dish. Whisk the cream until fluffy, then spoon on top of the cake with a clear edge. Add the crunchy bits across the surface, offering more on the side.
