Savor this Silky Pumpkin Cheesecake with Maple Pecan Brittle
Silky, flavorful and just sweet enough, this seasonal treat embodies harvest warmth. I’m not a fan of canned puree – the taste is bland and thin – so I recommend baking your own pumpkin. Roasting enhances the sweet flavor while evaporating excess moisture, producing a deep, aromatic mash that gives the cheesecake authentic character. A crunchy pecan topping provides the final flourish: caramelized, rich and with just the right amount of crunch complementing the velvety texture.
Autumn Cheesecake with Crunchy Pecan Topping
To make the pumpkin base, chop 350-400g peeled, deseeded pumpkin into cubes, bake, with a cover, in a hot oven until tender without browning. Blend until smooth.
Prep a brief 10 minutes
Cook 1 hour 45 minutes
Cool 60 minutes
Chill at least 6 hours
Serves about 10 people
For the Base
- gingersnap cookies
- rich butter, melted, with more for the tin
- sea salt
For the Filling
- 500g cream cheese
- fine sugar
- Finely grated zest of 1 orange
- squash mash (as described above)
- thickener
- cinnamon spice
- warm ginger
- nutmeg
- hint of cloves
- 2 large eggs, not cold
- sour cream
- vanilla
Pecan Garnish
- pure maple syrup
- fine sugar
- chopped pecans, in chunks
- 1 large pinch flaky sea salt
- heavy cream
Heat the oven to 185C (165C fan) coat the base and sides with a springform pan. Pulse the biscuits into crumbs, transfer to a mixing bowl. Mix in the butter and salt, and mix until moistened. Transfer to the buttered container, even it out, cook briefly, set aside to cool.
Lower the oven temperature to 175C (155C fan). In the meantime, add the base ingredients into a mixer bowl, then beat on low speed at a gentle pace to a creamy texture. Incorporate the spiced pumpkin mix, and beat on medium-low until combined. Add the eggs separately, incorporating fully between each addition, next include the tangy cream and flavoring, whip until combined.
Scoop the pumpkin filling onto the cooled biscuit base and smooth the top with a tool. Lightly tap the pan on a worktop to remove bubbles, then bake the dessert centered in the oven for about three-quarters of an hour until the edges are set and a soft center. Stop baking, crack the door open and leave the cheesecake to cool for 60 minutes. After cooling, refrigerate for 6+ hours (or for days), until firm.
In the meantime, make the pecan brittle (in advance). Preheat the oven to 210C (190C fan) and prepare a baking sheet with parchment. Combine the ingredients in a pot and stir gently over a low heat until dissolved. Stir in the pecans and sea salt, stop heating and scrape into the lined tray. Bake for about eight minutes, until caramelized, then remove and leave to cool. After cooling completely, cut roughly and store in an airtight container frozen.
Release the dessert from the springform and transfer to a platter. Whip the cream until fluffy, then add on top of the cake leaving space around. Scatter most of the pecan brittle across the surface, with additional brittle for serving.
