Pumpkin Cheesecake

Move over pumpkin pie, and say hello to pumpkin cheesecake! If you really truly want to impress your guests this holiday season, I recommend this cheesecake. Tall and proud like a classic New York style version, this one has a pumpkin cream cheese filling with a splash of bourbon, all sitting atop a pecan graham cracker crust.

And if that wasn’t enough, we bathe it with homemade caramel sauce and whipped cream.

Yes, it is good. Better than good. Downright fabulous.

I first made this pumpkin cheesecake for my mother years ago. She’s a “cake girl” in family of people who prefer pies, and cheesecake is her favorite cake. A pastry chef reader sent me his recipe (thank you Glen!) which I adapted to this one.

Like a proper NY cheesecake, this one is tall and requires a high sided springform pan. You may be able to halve the filling and cook it in a standard pie tin (if you do, let us know how it works out for you) with less cooking time.

It also requires cooking in a water bath, which can sometimes be problematic. My recommendation is to use 3 layers of heavy duty aluminum foil, and make sure that when you are wrapping the pan you do so gently, so you don’t introduce any holes that would cause the pan to leak. Several people have also suggested using a turkey roasting bag as a way to keep the water out of the pan.

If you are a fan of cheesecake and pumpkin pie, this cake is so worth doing. Just be warned that it serves a small army, which might be just what you need for the holidays.

Pumpkin Cheesecake Recipe

Ingredients

Crust

• 1 cup pecans
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs (approximately 4 graham crackers)
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 1 egg yolk

Filling

• 2 15-ounce cans pumpkin puree*
• 3 tablespoons all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons bourbon or other whiskey
• 5 large eggs
• 4 8-ounce packages cream cheese, room temperature
• 2 cups (1 pound) brown sugar

Pan

• 1 9-inch diameter, 3-inch tall springform pan

* You can make your own pumpkin purée by cutting a sugar pumpkin in half, scooping out the seeds, placing the pumpkin halves cut-side down in a roasting pan with a 1/4 inch of water in it, and cooking it in a 350°F oven for an hour, until soft. Scoop out the flesh and purée it in a blender or food processor. Strain out excess water.

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