Discover this Creamy Autumn Cheesecake featuring Crunchy Maple Pecans
Smooth, spiced and perfectly sweetened, this pumpkin cheesecake captures fall coziness. I skip canned puree – the taste is bland and thin – so I prefer baking some butternut or Kent squash. The oven’s heat coaxes out its natural sweetness and reduces unwanted water, yielding a deep, aromatic mash imparting genuine complexity. Golden nut brittle adds the perfect finish: caramelized, rich and offering a satisfying crisp against the velvety texture.
Pumpkin Cheesecake and Maple Pecan Brittle
To make 200g pumpkin puree, chop fresh pumpkin pieces into cubes, cook, lightly covered, in a hot oven until soft but not browned. Blend until smooth.
Prep a brief 10 minutes
Cook 1 hr 45 min
Cool 1 hour
Chill overnight
Serves 8 to 10
For the Base
- gingersnap cookies
- rich butter, melted, plus extra for greasing
- sea salt
For the Filling
- soft cheese
- fine sugar
- Finely grated zest of 1 orange
- homemade puree (prepared earlier)
- cornstarch
- cinnamon spice
- warm ginger
- freshly grated nutmeg
- hint of cloves
- 2 large eggs, not cold
- tangy cream
- pure vanilla
Pecan Garnish
- maple sweetener
- fine sugar
- nut pieces, roughly chopped
- sea salt flakes
- whipping cream
Set the oven to 365F then butter the entire interior with a springform pan. Pulse the cookies to fine crumbs, transfer to a container. Mix in the salty butter, and mix coating the crumbs. Tip into the buttered container, compact it well, cook briefly, set aside to cool.
Lower the heat to 175C (155C fan). Meanwhile, add the cream cheese, sugar and orange zest into a mixer bowl, then beat on low speed on medium-low until smooth and creamy. Add the pumpkin puree, cornflour and spices, and beat on medium-low until incorporated. Introduce the eggs separately, mixing thoroughly one by one, follow with the cream and extract, whip until fully incorporated.
Scoop the pumpkin filling over the prepared crust even the surface with a tool. Give it a gentle shake on a surface to remove bubbles, then heat the cake centered in the oven until set until the edges are set and the centre is slightly wobbly. Turn off the oven, keep the oven slightly open allowing it to cool for an hour. After cooling, chill for at least six hours (or longer), until fully chilled.
In the meantime, create the topping (in advance). Heat the oven to 410F cover a tray with parchment. Stir together the syrup and sweetener over heat mixing on low briefly. Stir in the pecans and sea salt, then remove from the heat and spread on the tray. Cook for 8 minutes, until crisp, set aside. After cooling completely, cut roughly place in a container chilled.
Remove the cheesecake from the springform and transfer to a platter. Whisk the cream until fluffy, then place on top of the cake leaving space around. Sprinkle the brittle across the surface, with additional brittle for serving.
