Discover a Silky Pumpkin Cheesecake featuring Crunchy Maple Pecans
Velvety, spiced and just sweet enough, this delightful dessert embodies harvest warmth. I skip canned puree – it’s watery and flat-tasting – so I recommend baking your own pumpkin. Roasting enhances its natural sweetness and reduces excess moisture, producing a smooth, flavourful puree imparting genuine complexity. A crunchy pecan topping adds the perfect finish: golden, nutty and with just the right amount of crunch complementing the cheesecake’s creamy softness.
Autumn Cheesecake with Crunchy Pecan Topping
For 200g pumpkin puree, dice 350-400g peeled, deseeded pumpkin into chunks, bake, lightly covered, at 200C (180C fan) cooked through but not colored. Puree in a high-speed blender.
Prep 10 min
Cook 1 hr 45 min
Cool 1 hr
Chill 6 hr+
Serves 8 to 10
For the Base
- 200g ginger nut biscuits
- melted butter, melted, plus extra for greasing
- ⅛ tsp fine sea salt
Creamy Layer
- 500g cream cheese
- 150g caster sugar
- citrus peel
- 200g pumpkin puree (as described above)
- thickener
- cinnamon spice
- ginger powder
- nutmeg
- clove spice
- 2 large eggs, warmed slightly
- sour cream
- vanilla
Pecan Garnish
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- sugar
- nut pieces, roughly chopped
- sea salt flakes
- 150ml double cream
Preheat your oven to 185C (165C fan) coat the entire interior using a cake tin. In a food processor the cookies to fine crumbs, transfer to a medium bowl. Incorporate the salty butter, stir so the crumbs are evenly damp. Tip into the buttered container, compact it well, heat until set, set aside to cool.
Reduce the heat to 175C (155C fan). At the same time, put the base ingredients into a mixer bowl, whip with the paddle attachment at a gentle pace until well blended. Incorporate the puree, thickener, and seasonings, blend at low speed until incorporated. Add the eggs individually, mixing thoroughly between each addition, then add the tangy cream and flavoring, and beat until combined.
Transfer the spiced cream on to the cooled biscuit base and smooth the top with a tool. Tap the tin gently on a surface to remove bubbles, then heat the dessert centered in the oven for about three-quarters of an hour with set edges with a jiggly middle. Turn off the oven, keep the oven slightly open and leave the cheesecake to cool for one hour. When cooled, refrigerate for 6+ hours (and up to three days), until firm.
In the meantime, prepare the brittle (in advance). Heat the oven to 210C (190C fan) cover a tray with baking paper. Mix the syrup and sweetener in a small saucepan mixing over a low heat until dissolved. Mix the chopped pecans, then remove from the heat and spread on the tray. Cook for 8 minutes, until crisp, set aside. After cooling completely, chop into irregular pieces keeping in an airtight container chilled.
Remove the dessert from the pan and transfer to a platter. Beat the cream to a light consistency, then spoon over the center leaving space around. Sprinkle the brittle on top, offering more on the side.
