Best Pumpkin Cheesecake Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C.)
• In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Blend in sour cream, vanilla and spice. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Blend in pumpkin puree until no streaks remain. Pour filling into 2 crusts.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes, or until filling is set. Allow to cool, then refrigerate at least 4 hours before serving.

Steps:

• Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 325 degrees F.
• Brush a 10-inch springform pan with some of the butter. Stir the remaining butter with the crumbs, 1/4 cup of the sugar and a pinch of salt in a bowl. Press the crumb mixture into the bottom and up the sides of the pan, packing it tightly and evenly. Bake until golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Cool on a rack, then wrap the outside of the springform pan with foil and place in a roasting pan.
• Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Meanwhile, beat the cream cheese with a mixer until smooth. Add the remaining 2 1/2 cups sugar and beat until just light, scraping down the sides of the bowl and beaters as needed. Beat in the sour cream, then add the pumpkin, eggs, vanilla, 1 teaspoon salt and the spices and beat until just combined. Pour into the cooled crust.
• Gently place the roasting pan in the oven (don't pull the rack out) and pour the boiling water into the roasting pan until it comes about halfway up the side of the springform pan. Bake until the outside of the cheesecake sets but the center is still loose, about 1 hour 45 minutes. Turn off the oven and open the door briefly to let out some heat. Leave the cheesecake in the oven for 1 more hour, then carefully remove from the roasting pan and cool on a rack. Run a knife around the edges, cover and refrigerate at least 8 hours or overnight.
• Bring the cheesecake to room temperature 30 minutes before serving. Unlock and remove the springform ring. To finish, place a dollop of the whipped cream on each slice and sprinkle with the toasted pecans.

Steps:

• In a small bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs and sugar; stir in butter. Press into the bottom of a 9-in. springform pan; chill. , For filling, in a large bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Add eggs, beat on low speed just until combined. Stir in the pumpkin, spices and salt. , Pour into crust. Place pan on a baking sheet. Bake at 350° for 50 minutes. , Meanwhile, for topping, combine the sour cream, sugar and vanilla until smooth. Spread over filling; return to the oven for 5 minutes. Cool on rack for 10 minutes. Carefully run a knife around the edge of pan to loosen; cool 1 hour longer. , Refrigerate overnight. Remove sides of pan. Top with chopped pecans. Refrigerate leftovers.

Steps:

• Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 325 degrees F.
• For the crust: Add the gingersnap cookies, melted butter and salt to a food processor. Process until the crumb mixture looks like coarse sand, about 30 seconds. Press the crumb mixture into the bottom and up the sides of a 10-inch springform pan. Bake the crust until it is fragrant and golden brown, about 12 minutes.
• Remove the crust to a wire rack to cool completely, about 30 minutes. Wrap the bottom and sides of the pan tightly with foil and place in a roasting pan.
• For the filling: Add the cream cheese to a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat on medium speed until smooth, about 3 minutes. Add the sugar and beat, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed with a rubber spatula, until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Add the sour cream, vanilla and salt and beat just until combined.
• Scoop 3 cups of the cheesecake filling into a medium bowl. Add the pumpkin puree, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg and 1/4 cup water and stir with a rubber spatula until well combined. Bring a pot or kettle of water to a boil.
• Fill a 1-cup measure with plain cheesecake filling and pour into the center of the cooled crust. Fill a 1-cup measure with pumpkin filling and pour into the center of the plain filling. The batter will spread as you add alternating scoops, widening to form concentric circles. Repeat with the remaining batter in 1/2-cup increments alternating between flavors, until all the batter is used.
• Carefully place the roasting pan in the oven (don't pull the rack out of the oven). Pour enough hot water into the roasting pan to come about halfway up the sides of the foil-wrapped pan.
• Bake until the top of the cheesecake is lightly browned around the edges, but the center is still jiggly, about 1 hour 20 minutes. Turn the oven off and let the cheesecake sit in the oven until the center becomes just slightly jiggly, about 1 hour (see Cook's Note).
• Carefully remove the cheesecake from the roasting pan to a wire rack. Cool to room temperature. Cover and refrigerate at least 8 hours and up to overnight.
• For the spiced pumpkin seeds: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Toss the pumpkin seeds, oil, sugar, cinnamon, ginger, salt and cloves in a small bowl. Spread the mixture on a baking sheet and roast until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Set aside to cool.
• For the pumpkin caramel: Melt the sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat until caramelized and dark amber (a digital instant-read or candy thermometer should register 245 degrees F), about 4 minutes, stirring occasionally with a whisk. Lower the heat to low. Carefully whisk in the heavy cream and butter and continue stirring until melted, about 1 minute. Whisk in the pumpkin puree, cinnamon, salt, vanilla, ginger and cloves until combined. Remove from heat and let cool slightly before serving.
• To serve: Let the cheesecake sit at room temperature 30 minutes before serving. Unlock the springform pan and remove the ring. Sprinkle the spiced pumpkin seeds around the top outer edge of the cheesecake. Dip a knife in a warm water and wipe dry before slicing each piece. Serve with a dollop of whipped cream and a drizzle of the pumpkin caramel.

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Butter a deep 22cm loose-bottomed cake tin and line with baking parchment. Wrap the base and side of the tin with three layers of cling film, followed by three layers of foil (this helps keep it waterproof during baking). Fold a clean tea towel and put it in the base of a large roasting tin.
• Blitz the biscuits to crumbs in a food processor. Add the melted butter and pulse to coat the crumbs. Tip the mixture into the prepared cake tin, spreading up to the side and pressing down with the back of a spoon. Bake for 10 mins. Remove from the oven, brush with the egg white and bake for another 3 mins (this will help stop the base from becoming soggy).
• To make the filling, put the soft cheese in a bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, and beat with an electric whisk or the mixer until loosened. Add the pumpkin purée, sugar and flour and beat again until combined. With the motor running, gradually add the eggs and egg yolk until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Pour the filling over the baked biscuit base, then sit the cake tin on the tea towel in the roasting tin. Pour a kettleful of just-boiled water into the roasting tin so the water comes halfway up the side of the cake tin.
• Bake for 10 mins, then reduce the oven temperature to 110C/90C fan/gas ¼. Bake for a further 1 hr 30 mins until the cheesecake is set with just a slight wobble in the middle when you gently shake the tin. Turn off the oven, then open the oven door slightly and leave the cheesecake to cool inside for 2 hrs until completely cool. Remove from the oven and chill overnight.
• Carefully remove the cold cheesecake from the tin and transfer to a cake stand or serving plate. Whip the cream to soft peaks using an electric whisk, and spoon in big dollops over the cheesecake. Dust with a little cinnamon or pumpkin spice, sprinkle over the chopped pecans and drizzle with the caramel sauce before serving.