Discover this Smooth Pumpkin Cheesecake featuring Crunchy Maple Pecans
Silky, spiced and not overly sugary, this seasonal treat captures harvest warmth. I’m not a fan of tinned pumpkin – it lacks depth and flavor – so I recommend of roasting fresh squash varieties. The oven’s heat brings out the inherent sugars and reduces excess moisture, producing a rich, tasty base which adds real depth. Golden nut brittle adds the perfect finish: golden, nutty and with just the right amount of crunch against the smooth filling.
Autumn Cheesecake and Crunchy Pecan Topping
Prepare 200g pumpkin puree, cut a medium squash, peeled and seeded into cubes, cook, loosely covered, at 390F cooked through but not colored. Puree until smooth.
Prep 10 minutes
Cook 1 hr 45 min
Cool 1 hr
Chill overnight
Serves 8-10
Crumb Crust
- spiced biscuits
- rich butter, softened, with more for the tin
- ⅛ tsp fine sea salt
Cheesecake Mixture
- 500g cream cheese
- 150g caster sugar
- orange zest
- squash mash (prepared earlier)
- thickener
- aromatic cinnamon
- warm ginger
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- ⅛ tsp ground cloves
- fresh eggs, warmed slightly
- 100ml soured cream
- pure vanilla
Pecan Garnish
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- fine sugar
- 90g pecans, in chunks
- sea salt flakes
- 150ml double cream
Set the oven to 365F and lightly grease the bottom and edges of a 20cm round springform tin. Pulse the ginger nuts into crumbs, place in a mixing bowl. Add the salty butter, combine until moistened. Transfer to the prepared pan, compact it well, bake for 10 minutes, take out and cool.
Reduce the oven temperature to a lower temp. Meanwhile, add the cream cheese, sugar and orange zest in a stand mixer, then beat using the paddle at a gentle pace to a creamy texture. Mix in the puree, thickener, and seasonings, and beat at low speed until combined. Introduce the eggs individually, beating in well after each one, follow with the cream and extract, and beat until smooth.
Transfer the pumpkin filling on to the prepared crust and smooth the top using a spatula. Lightly tap the pan on a surface to dispel any air bubbles, then heat the cheesecake in the middle of the oven for 45 minutes until the edges are set and the centre is slightly wobbly. Turn off the oven, leave the door ajar allowing it to cool for one hour. After cooling, cool in the fridge (and up to three days), until completely set.
While waiting, prepare the brittle (ahead of time). Heat the oven to 410F and line a small oven tray using liner. Mix the maple syrup and sugar over heat and stir gently over a low heat briefly. Stir in the chopped pecans, then remove from the heat transfer to the sheet. Heat until golden, until crisp, then remove and leave to cool. Once the brittle is completely hard, chop into irregular pieces and store in an airtight container in the freezer.
Release the dessert from its tin move to a plate. Beat the cream until fluffy, then spoon over the center leaving space around. Scatter most of the pecan brittle across the surface, offering more on the side.
