Discover a Silky Pumpkin Cheesecake featuring Crunchy Maple Pecans

Silky, flavorful and just sweet enough, this seasonal treat is a celebration of harvest warmth. I’m not a fan of prepared pumpkin – it’s watery and flat-tasting – so I recommend to roast your own pumpkin. Roasting coaxes out the sweet flavor and reduces extra liquid, yielding a rich, tasty base imparting authentic character. The maple pecan brittle provides the final flourish: toasty, flavorful and offering a satisfying crisp complementing the smooth filling.

Pumpkin Cheesecake and Crunchy Pecan Topping

Prepare the pumpkin base, dice 350-400g peeled, deseeded pumpkin into chunks, cook, lightly covered, at 200C (180C fan) until soft but not browned. Puree in a high-speed blender.

Prep 10 min
Cook 1 hr 45 min
Cool 60 minutes
Chill 6 hr+
Serves about 10 people

Base Ingredients

• spiced biscuits
• melted butter, melted, plus extra for greasing
• ⅛ tsp fine sea salt

For the Filling

• 500g cream cheese
• 150g caster sugar
• Finely grated zest of 1 orange
• 200g pumpkin puree (as described above)
• cornstarch
• ¾ tsp ground cinnamon
• warm ginger
• freshly grated nutmeg
• clove spice
• fresh eggs, warmed slightly
• tangy cream
• vanilla

Pecan Garnish

• maple sweetener
• fine sugar
• nut pieces, roughly chopped
• a pinch of salt
• whipping cream

Set the oven to 365F then butter the bottom and edges with a springform pan. In a food processor the ginger nuts until crumbly, then tip into a container. Add the butter and salt, stir coating the crumbs. Place in the greased tin, compact it well, heat until set, then remove and leave to cool.

Reduce the setting to 355F. At the same time, place the cheese, sweetener, and zest in a stand mixer, mix using the paddle at a gentle pace to a creamy texture. Incorporate the spiced pumpkin mix, blend on medium-low until combined. Introduce the eggs one at a time, beating in well after each one, next include the cream and extract, mix until smooth.

Scoop the pumpkin filling over the set base even the surface using a spatula. Tap the tin gently on the counter to remove bubbles, then bake the cake in the middle of the oven for about three-quarters of an hour until the sides are firm and a soft center. Switch off the heat, leave the door ajar and let it cool down for one hour. Once it’s at room temperature, chill for at least six hours (and up to three days), until completely set.

In the meantime, prepare the brittle (ahead of time). Set the oven to a high temperature and prepare a baking sheet with parchment. Mix the ingredients over heat mixing gently briefly. Stir in the nuts and salt, take off the stove transfer to the sheet. Cook for 8 minutes, until caramelized, set aside. When fully hardened, chop into irregular pieces and store in a sealed jar frozen.

Open the cheesecake from the springform move to a plate. Whip the cream until fluffy, then add over the center leaving space around. Add the crunchy bits across the surface, then serve with extra pecan brittle alongside.