Savor a Silky Pumpkin Cheesecake featuring Crunchy Maple Pecans

Velvety, spiced and just sweet enough, this pumpkin cheesecake embodies autumnal comfort. I skip prepared pumpkin – it’s watery and flat-tasting – so I’ve taken the extra step to roast some butternut or Kent squash. Baking coaxes out the sweet flavor removing excess moisture, yielding a deep, aromatic mash imparting genuine complexity. A crunchy pecan topping provides the final flourish: golden, nutty and providing a textural contrast to offset the cheesecake’s creamy softness.

Pumpkin Cheesecake and Crunchy Pecan Topping

To make the pumpkin base, cut a medium squash, peeled and seeded into chunks, bake, with a cover, at 200C (180C fan) until tender without browning. Process until smooth.

Prep 10 minutes
Cook 1 hr 45 min
Cool 1 hour
Chill overnight
Serves about 10 people

Crumb Crust

• spiced biscuits
• 70g unsalted butter, liquefied, with more for the tin
• a pinch of salt

Creamy Layer

• 500g cream cheese
• fine sugar
• orange zest
• homemade puree (as described above)
• thickener
• cinnamon spice
• ½ tsp ground ginger
• nutmeg
• hint of cloves
• fresh eggs, not cold
• sour cream
• pure vanilla

Crunchy Finish

• 2 tbsp maple syrup
• sugar
• chopped pecans, in chunks
• sea salt flakes
• heavy cream

Preheat your oven to 185C (165C fan) coat the base and sides using a cake tin. Using a processor the cookies into crumbs, transfer to a mixing bowl. Incorporate the salty butter, combine coating the crumbs. Tip into the buttered container, compact it well, cook briefly, take out and cool.

Lower the heat to 355F. Meanwhile, put the cheese, sweetener, and zest into a mixer bowl, whip with the paddle attachment on medium-low to a creamy texture. Add the spiced pumpkin mix, blend gently until incorporated. Mix in eggs separately, incorporating fully one by one, then add the soured cream and vanilla, mix until smooth.

Scoop the pumpkin filling over the cooled biscuit base level it out with a tool. Give it a gentle shake on the counter to release trapped air, then cook the cake on the middle rack until set until the edges are set with a jiggly middle. Switch off the heat, keep the oven slightly open and leave the cheesecake to cool for an hour. Once it’s at room temperature, chill for at least six hours (and up to three days), until firm.

While waiting, prepare the brittle (ahead of time). Preheat the oven to 410F and prepare a baking sheet with baking paper. Stir together the syrup and sweetener over heat mixing gently for about a minute. Stir in the pecans and sea salt, take off the stove and spread on the tray. Heat until golden, until crisp, then remove and leave to cool. Once the brittle is completely hard, chop into irregular pieces and store in an airtight container chilled.

Remove the dessert from the springform and transfer to a platter. Whip the cream to a light consistency, then spoon into the middle of the cheesecake leaving space around. Add the crunchy bits across the surface, with additional brittle for serving.