Ginger Yule Cake With Pumpkin Cheesecake Filling Recipes

Steps:

• For the pumpkin gingersnap cheesecake: In a food processor or blender, grind the gingersnaps until fine. Pour into a bowl and stir in the pecans, melted butter, brown sugar and salt. Press into the bottom and sides of a 10-inch springform pan and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• To make the filling, beat the cream cheese in a stand mixer until soft, scraping the sides once. Mix in the pumpkin, scraping the sides once or twice. Add the eggs 1 at a time, allowing them to mix in, then add the sour cream and mix. With the mixer on low, add the granulated sugar, cinnamon, vanilla and nutmeg. Thoroughly scrape the bowl and mix to ensure everything is smooth and mixed in.
• Pour the filling into the pan, smoothing the top. Set the pan on a baking sheet and bake until the filling is no longer soupy but still slightly jiggly, about 50 minutes. Turn off the oven, open the door just a hair and let the cheesecake sit in the oven for 15 more minutes. Remove from the oven and allow it to cool for 30 minutes, then cover it with plastic wrap and put it in the fridge to chill for at least 4 hours or overnight.
• For the salted caramel sauce: Mix the brown sugar, heavy cream, butter, vanilla and salt in a medium saucepan over medium-low to medium heat. Cook, while whisking gently, until thickened, 5 to 7 minutes. Let cool, then refrigerate until needed. Serve warm or at room temperature.
• Slice the cheesecake and top with the salted caramel sauce, whipped cream and chopped pecans.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9-inch springform pan, cake pan or tart pan with nonstick cooking spray (or grease with softened butter) and sprinkle with a bit of Demerara sugar to coat the interior of the pan; tap out excess and set aside.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, turmeric, salt, cinnamon, baking powder and baking soda; set aside.
• Using a stand mixer or an electric mixer and a large bowl, beat together butter, brown sugar and molasses until the mixture is light, fluffy and the color of a very pale latte, 3 to 4 minutes. (Feel free to periodically scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula to make sure all the ingredients are mixing properly.) Add fresh ginger and beat to blend.
• Add eggs, one at a time, until they are totally incorporated and the mixture looks extremely light and fluffy, almost like cake frosting, 5 or so minutes. (Be sure to wipe off any ginger that may have stuck to the beaters.)
• Combine buttermilk and oil in a bowl or a measuring cup. With the mixer on low, beat 1/3 of the dry ingredients into the cake batter, followed by 1/2 of the buttermilk mixture. Repeat with 1/3 of the dry ingredients and the remaining buttermilk mixture. Finish by adding the remaining dry ingredients.
• Pour cake batter into prepared pan and scatter with more Demerara sugar. Bake, rotating once or twice if your oven has hot spots or tends to be uneven, until the cake has started to pull away from the sides of the pan, it's evenly golden brown on top and it springs back ever so slightly when pressed, 45 to 50 minutes.
• Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack if you have one. (If not, just let it cool away from the oven.) Do not remove cake from the pan until it is 100 percent cool. Serve with lightly whipped cream or the ice cream of your choice.

Steps:

• Make gingersnap crumb crust and reserve.
• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F.
• Pulse sugar and ginger in a food processor until ginger is finely chopped, then add cream cheese and pulse until smooth. Add eggs, milk, flour, nutmeg, and salt and pulse until just combined.
• Reserve 2/3 cup cream cheese mixture in a glass measure. Whisk together remaining 1 1/3 cups cream cheese mixture and pumpkin in a large bowl until combined.
• Pour pumpkin mixture into gingersnap crumb crust. Stir reserved cream cheese mixture (in glass measure) and drizzle decoratively over top of pumpkin mixture, then, if desired, swirl with back of a spoon. Put pie on a baking sheet and bake until center is just set, 35 to 45 minutes. Transfer to a rack and cool to room temperature, about 2 hours, then chill, loosely covered with foil, at least 4 hours. If necessary, very gently blot any moisture from surface with paper towels before serving.

Steps:

• Set oven to 350 degrees (300 degrees for convection-bake oven).
• Prepare a 10-inch springform pan.
• To make the crust; in a bowl place the melted butter with graham cracker crumbs, crushed gingersnaps, brown sugar and cinnamon; mix with a fork until combined.
• Line bottom and side with parchment paper or wax paper, then spray with nonstick spray.
• Press the mixture into the bottom of the pan.
• For the filling; pour the whipping cream into a medium bowl and beat just until soft peaks form; refrigerate until ready to use.
• In a bowl beat the cream cheese with electric mixer until fluffy; gradually add in sugar, beating well until combined.
• Add in eggs one at a time and beat the mixture until fluffy.
• Stir in pumpkin puree, ginger, cinnamon and cloves.
• Remove the whipped cream from the refrigerator and lightly whisk to reblend.
• Using a spatula or a flat spoon fold in the whipped cream into the cream cheese-pumpkin mixture.
• Pour the mixture into preapred crust.
• Wrap one continuous sheet of heavy foil around the springform pan then press firmly against the pan.
• Place the wrapped pan in a baking pan and fill with hot water to halfway up the spring form pan.
• Bake for 60-70 minutes.
• Cool the cheesecake to room temperature, the chill for at least 5 hours or until the cake is thoroughly chilled.
• Remove the sides of the springform pan.
• Just before serving place the pecan halves on top of the cheescake in a ring around the edges.