Recently I went out to lunch with the women in my office and we ended our meal by sharing a remarkably good dessert of pumpkin cheesecake. One of my coworkers was so smitten that she wanted to make a pumpkin cheesecake for her family's Thanksgiving and asked me if I had a recipe. I didn't but I am always happy to have a research project of this sort.
I immediately began looking for a pumpkin cheesecake recipe by Rose Levy Beranbaum who is a cheesecake baking heroine of mine. The first baking book I ever bought was The Cake Bible (this was in 1988 when it was first published) and following its meticulous instructions I was able to make cakes and buttercreams that were far more sophisticated than anything I'd ever imagined being able to make.Among the recipes were cheesecakes which were of a completely different texture than any cheesecake I'd had up to then -- they were creamy and smooth as opposed to dry and dense. Almost every cheesecake recipe I see the days involves baking a cheesecake in a water bath in order to ensure a creamy texture but the Cake Bible was the first place I remember seeing this.
I was thrilled to find a pumpkin cheesecake recipe by Rose Levy Beranbaum in Fine Cooking and delighted when I tasted it. There's a a delicious crust of pecans and gingersnaps and the cheesecake itself has a wonderfully creamy texture.
You'll also find the same recipe on Leite's Culinaria and Rose's own website. The Fine Cooking version is a simpler version but on the other two sites you'll find a recipe for caramel sauce to serve with the cheesecake, and pointers to guide you in the making of the cheesecake.
Rose Levy Beranbaum's Pumpkin Cheesecake With Gingersnap and Pecan Crust
Crust
4-1/4 oz. gingersnap cookies (about 17 two-inch cookies), broken into pieces
2 oz. (1/2 cup) pecans, toasted
1 Tbs. granulated sugar
2 pinches table salt
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon (optional)
4 Tbs. unsalted butter, melted
Filling
1 cup unsweetened pumpkin purée (Rose recommends Libby's)
1 cup granulated sugar or turbinado sugar
2 cups heavy cream, chilled
1 lb. cream cheese at room temperature
2 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
To garnish: about 24 toasted pecan halves
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Grease the bottom and sides of a 9x2½-inch or higher springform pan. Wrap the pan in a double-layer of heavy duty aluminum foil (the kind that comes in the 17" width) to keep the cheesecake dry while it bakes in the water bath.
Make the crust:
In a food processor, process the cookies with the pecans, sugar, salt, and cinnamon (if using) until the cookies become fine crumbs, about 20 seconds. Add the melted butter and pulse about 10 times, just until incorporated.
Press the mixture into the base of the prepared pan and partway up the sides. The easiest way to do this is to use a flat-bottomed, glass to press the crumbs over the bottom and then use the back of a spoon to press them into the edges and part-way up the sides of the pan. Keep pressing until you have a thin even layer. Cover the crust with plastic wrap and refrigerate until needed.
Make the filling:
In a small, heavy saucepan, stir the pumpkin purée and sugar together. Over medium heat, bring the mixture to a sputtering simmer, stirring constantly, about 5 min. Turn the heat to low and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture has darkened and thickened to the consistency of applesauce, about 5 min.
Scrape the mixture into a large food processor and process for 1 min. with the feed tube open (so steam can escape), scraping down the sides. With the motor running, add the chilled cream. Add the softened cream cheese and process for 30 seconds or until smoothly incorporated, scraping down the sides two or three times. Add the eggs and yolks and process for about 5 seconds, just until incorporated.
Bake the cheesecake:
Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Set the pan in a larger pan (a 12x2-inch cake pan or a roasting pan) and surround it with 1 inch of very hot water. Check that the oven is at 350°F and bake the cheesecake for 45 min. Turn off the oven without opening the door and let the cheesecake cool for 1 hour. Transfer the cake to a rack (the center will still be jiggly) and cool to room temperature, about 1 hour. Cover the pan with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 6 hours or overnight. .
Umold, garnish, and slice:
Be sure the cheesecake is thoroughly chilled. Have ready a serving plate and another flat plate or clean plastic cutting board that's at least as wide as the springform and covered in plastic wrap. Wipe a hot, damp cloth around the outside of the ring (or use a hair dryer). Run a metal spatula or a thin knife inside the ring. Release and gently loosen the ring and then lift it off. Set the plate with the plastic wrap on top of the cheesecake and carefully invert the pan. Heat the base of the springform with a hot, damp cloth or hair dryer and lift it off. Set the serving plate lightly on the bottom of the cheesecake (which is now facing up) and reinvert the cake. Lift off the plastic-wrapped plate.
Arrange the pecan halves around the perimeter of the cake. To cut neat slices, use a sharp, thin-bladed knife dipped in hot water (shake off excess drops) between each slice.
I made a gingersnap crust last year with a regular pumpkin pie and I loved it! It really adds wonderful flavor. I like the idea of adding pecans to it though. I'm definitely going to try that this year!
Posted by: arugulove | November 24, 2009 at 01:10 AM
I think I'll need to try this recipe, most definitely! I'm not a big fan of graham crackers crust and I think it has to do with the texture, and/or taste??!
Thanks for sharing and for posting such a wonderful recipe!
Posted by: Adelina | November 24, 2009 at 10:11 AM
This is a must-try recipe...I love every aspect...bravo!
Posted by: Peter | November 24, 2009 at 10:19 AM
This is a wonderful blog - such appealing photos and recipes. I know this Beranbaum cheesecake is a winner.
Posted by: Heidi Robb | November 24, 2009 at 10:25 AM
If I can find some pumpkin puree I might just make this for Thanksgiving. It will be the perfect dessert for the crowd I'll be eating with.
Posted by: Tracy (Amuse-bouche for Two) | November 24, 2009 at 12:49 PM
Oh how perfect for thanksgiving!!
Posted by: Elizabeth | November 24, 2009 at 01:11 PM
My boyfriend and I made a pumpkin cheesecake from a very similar recipe and it was delish - way better than pumpkin pie as far as I'm concerned. We didn't surround the cake pan with water, but we did put a baking dish with water on the lower shelf in the oven.
Posted by: my boyfriend cooks for me | November 24, 2009 at 04:16 PM
arugulove, this crust really is good. Unfortunately, as with all cheesecakes in my experience, the crust does not stay crisp for too long.
Adelina, graham cracker crusts strike me as a more neutral taste than this. This one really has a lot of flavor.
Peter, thanks!
Heidi, thank you so much.
Tracy, cheesecake is certainly an easy dessert -- and a good breakfast too! :-)
Elizabeth – have to keep the pumpkin-dessert thing going on Tgiving!
my boyfriend cooks for me, (great blog name!) I prefer pumpkin cheesecake to pumpkin pie also.
Posted by: Julie | November 25, 2009 at 10:00 AM
I've given you A Major Award! Click here for details.
Posted by: theminx | November 25, 2009 at 10:34 AM
I'll justgo with the pecans and the crust. Pretty as pumpkin!
Posted by: Kitchen Butterfly | November 26, 2009 at 05:30 PM
wow. that's just gorgeous.
Posted by: pigtown*design | November 27, 2009 at 04:24 PM
Julie, that's a beauty.
Posted by: Wendi | December 01, 2009 at 08:14 AM
I love pumpkin cheesecake and with the pecans...this is amazing.
Posted by: The Food Hunter | December 03, 2009 at 11:38 AM
este cheesecake se ve delicioso!!! gracias por compartir con nosotros su receta!!!!
Posted by: sports baseball cards | May 06, 2010 at 11:25 AM
That looks really good, am a lousy cook but my girlfriend is not, I'll do what it takes to make my girlfriend do one of this for me.. em... for us I mean.
Posted by: Viagra Online | October 01, 2010 at 12:39 PM
Wow! Why didn't I thought of this back then? Looks delicious and I love the presentation!
Posted by: amish baby cribs | October 30, 2010 at 01:29 AM
I'll justgo with the pecans and the crust. Pretty as pumpkin!
Posted by: nfl wholesale | June 30, 2011 at 03:06 AM
Oh how perfect for thanksgiving!!
Posted by: penny auctions reviews | July 18, 2011 at 03:21 AM
I haven’t tried pumpkin cheesecake, but I think it’s lovely. Lucky for me to stop by, I really need some new recipe to prepare this weekend my mom is coming. Thanks.
Posted by: ingridbuck | August 04, 2011 at 01:29 AM
This is fabulous! I'm not a fan of pumpkin pie, but pumpkin cheesecake is another story :-)
Posted by: Tia | October 29, 2011 at 09:26 PM
I beays by dre,beays by dre believe that we are not real social workers.
Posted by: tods shoes | November 23, 2011 at 09:28 PM
Hey ! am I glad to vist your blog ! from this I can get some information and facts that I didn’t know prior to. You made my day. Thank you rather much!
Posted by: mulberry bags | December 09, 2011 at 11:49 AM
i am writting to you just to let you know that i have got my website. They are lovely, but I will never be able to afford one,And if I could afford one, it would be the Cupcake, that was the best.
Posted by: cheap jerseys | December 17, 2011 at 03:07 AM