Velvety, spiced and just sweet enough, this delightful dessert embodies fall coziness. I skip canned puree – the taste is bland and thin – so I’ve taken the extra step baking your own pumpkin. Roasting brings out the inherent sugars and reduces extra liquid, yielding a rich, tasty base which adds genuine complexity. The maple pecan brittle provides the final flourish: caramelized, rich and offering a satisfying crisp to offset the cheesecake’s creamy softness.
Pumpkin Cheesecake with Maple Pecan Brittle
Prepare about one cup of puree, dice fresh pumpkin pieces in sections, bake, with a cover, at 200C (180C fan) cooked through but not colored. Puree in a high-speed blender.
Prep 10 minutes
Cook 1 hour 45 minutes
Cool 1 hour
Chill 6 hr+
Serves about 10 people
Base Ingredients
- 200g ginger nut biscuits
- melted butter, liquefied, plus extra for greasing
- ⅛ tsp fine sea salt
Creamy Layer
- full-fat cream cheese
- white sugar
- orange zest
- 200g pumpkin puree (as described above)
- 2 tsp cornflour
- aromatic cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground ginger
- nutmeg
- clove spice
- fresh eggs, not cold
- sour cream
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
For the Maple Pecan Brittle Topping
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- sugar
- chopped pecans, coarsely cut
- a pinch of salt
- 150ml double cream
Set the oven to 365F then butter the entire interior using a cake tin. Using a processor the biscuits until crumbly, transfer to a container. Add the melted butter and salt, combine until moistened. Place in the greased tin, press down firmly, cook briefly, then remove and leave to cool.
Turn down the heat to 355F. Meanwhile, place the cream cheese, sugar and orange zest in the bowl of an electric mixer, whip using the paddle on medium-low until smooth and creamy. Add the spiced pumpkin mix, blend at low speed until combined. Introduce the eggs separately, incorporating fully between each addition, then add the soured cream and vanilla, mix until smooth.
Transfer the pumpkin filling over the prepared crust level it out with a small spatula. Give it a gentle shake on a worktop to remove bubbles, then bake the dessert in the middle of the oven for 45 minutes until the sides are firm with a jiggly middle. Switch off the heat, leave the door ajar and leave the cheesecake to cool for one hour. After cooling, chill for at least six hours (or for days), until completely set.
In the meantime, create the topping (up to three days ahead). Preheat the oven to a high temperature and prepare a baking sheet with parchment. Combine the maple syrup and sugar in a pot and stir gently on low until dissolved. Stir in the pecans and sea salt, take off the stove and spread on the tray. Heat until golden, until caramelized, then remove and leave to cool. When fully hardened, chop into irregular pieces keeping in an airtight container chilled.
Release the cheesecake from the springform and transfer to a platter. Whisk the cream to soft peaks, then place over the center leaving a 3-4cm border. Add the crunchy bits on top, then serve with extra pecan brittle alongside.
