Never again make a pumpkin pie
for the holiday. This cheesecake is absolutely wonderful. Let your
family be the judge! I usually make this cheesecake ahead of time and freeze it.
Learn
How To Freeze
Cheesecakes.
Photo by my sister's, Carol Arroyo, baking web site called
The Baking Pan.
Please read Linda's tips on
Baking A Perfect Cheesecake
before making and baking your cheesecake.
Check out more of
Linda's
Cheesecake Recipes.
Don't forget to check out my
Thanksgiving Turkey Dinner Menu
which includes this delicious
Pumpkin Cheesecake.
Pumpkin Cheesecake Recipe
Recipe Type:
Cheesecake,
Eggs,
Cakes,
Squash
Yields: 10 to 12 servings
Prep time: 20 min
Crust cook time:
7 min
Cheesecake cook time: 90 min
Ingredients:
Graham Cracker Crust (see recipe below)
2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, room temperature*
1 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup
whipping cream
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/3 teaspoon ground ginger
1/3 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/8 cup all-purpose flour
4 eggs, room temperature
1 1/2 cups pumpkin puree (either canned or homemade)
* To
quickly bring cream cheese to room temperature, place unwrapped
packages in a microwaveable bowl. Microwave on HIGH for 30 to 45
seconds or until slightly softened. Do not let it melt or get warm.
Refrigerate if it does.
NOTE: Use a conventional oven rather than a
convection oven in baking your cheesecake. The forced hot air from
the convection oven causes too much browning and can often cause
the center of the cheesecake to collapse.
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. and position rack in center of oven
(too
high or too low of rack placement will cause baking problems). Lightly grease (butter) a 9-inch
springform pan.
Prepare Graham Cracker Crust; set aside to cool before using.
In a large bowl, combine cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla extract. Add sour cream and
whipping cream; beat, on low speed, just until smooth. Mix in cinnamon, ginger,
nutmeg, cloves, and flour. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition; beat in pumpkin
puree.
NOTE:
Do not over beat the mixture. You want to avoid beating air into the
mixture. Too much air will make
the cheesecake fall.
Pour pumpkin mixture into
prepared graham cracker crust, using the back of a spoon to spread evenly over the crust (this
helps get rid of any extra air bubbles).
Place cheesecake in center of middle oven rack. Position a baking
pan filled halfway with hot water on lower rack.
Bake 15 minutes, then lower oven
temperature to 300 degrees and bake approximately another 70 minutes or until
edges are light brown and center is almost set.
NOTE: There should be no wet spots or
liquid areas in the center of the cheesecake.
Remember that a cheesecake
continues to cook when it is removed from the oven.
How to tell when cheesecake is done
cooking:
The cheesecake is done when center is almost set, but jiggles slightly when
gently shaken.
For a perfect
cheesecake, use a cooking thermometer and take
it out of the oven when the cheesecake reaches
150 degrees F. at the center to avoid over baking.
Expect a slight shrinkage as it cools. If there is great shrinkage, you have baked it at too high a heat.
When the cheesecake is done
cooking, turn
the oven off. Let
cake stand in oven, with door ajar, approximately 30 minutes or until center is
completely set.
|
How to prevent
cracks in your cheesecake:
When the internal temperature of a cheesecake rises beyond 160
degrees F. while baking, it will always crack. To prevent this
from happening, use an
instant-read cooking thermometer to test its
doneness. Take it out of the oven when the
 cheesecake reaches
150 degrees F. at the center to avoid over baking.
This
is the type of cooking and meat thermometer that I prefer and
use in my cooking. I get many readers
asking what cooking/meat thermometer that I prefer and use in my
cooking and baking. I, personally, use the
Thermapen Thermometer
shown in the photo on the right. Originally designed
for professional users, the
Super-Fast Thermapen
Thermometer is used by
chefs all over the world. To learn more about this excellent
thermometer and to also purchase one (if you desire), just click
on the underlined:
Thermapen Thermometer.
|
NOTE:
A wonderful
looking baked cheesecake (with no cracks), can crack as it
sits on the cooling rack because the cake shrank during
cooling and clung to the sides of the springform pan. To
avoid this from happening, cool the cheesecake for only a
few minutes, and then, using a paring knife, free it from
the sides of the pan before allowing it to cool completely.
If a crack should appear, simply blend together some
sour cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract; spread over the top
of the cooled cheesecake when ready to serve.
Cool cheesecake completely on a wire
rack before refrigerating. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate
12 to 24 hours before cutting (the cheesecake will solidify to a
perfect consistency during this time).
To serve, slide
a small knife around edges of cake to loosen it and remove sides of
the springform pan; transfer onto a cake plate.
Learn
How To Freeze
Cheesecakes.
Makes 10 to 12
servings.
Graham Cracker Crust:
1 cup graham
cracker crumbs*
1/3 cup ground toasted hazelnuts (any type of nut may be used - your
choice)
1/4 cup granulated
sugar
1/4 cup butter, melted
*
Finely
ground ginger cookies may be substituted for all or part of the
graham cracker crumbs.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. and position rack in center of oven
(too
high or too low of rack placement will cause baking problems). Lightly grease
(butter) a
9-inch
springform pan.
In a small bowl, combine graham cracker
crumbs, hazelnuts, sugar, and butter. Mix well and press firmly onto
bottom of prepared springform pan. Bake 7 minutes or until edges are
light brown. Remove from oven and cool crust completely on a wire
rack. Maintain oven temperate.
More Delicious Cheesecake Recipes:
|
|
Chocolate Hazelnut Swirl Cheesecake
This cheesecake
is for serious chocophiles. Imagine the hazelnut spread
on a bed of crunchy nuts and a piping hot cup of coffee - it's a sweet
temptation. |
Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheesecake
Peanut butter and chocolate! This delightful combination of flavors will
remind you of one of your favorite childhood candy bars. |
Perfectly Plain Cheesecake
This is
just a basic cheesecake recipe, but it can be used as the base for many other
varieties. Change the crust, add some chocolate, or just get creative! |
Pumpkin Cheesecake
Never again make a pumpkin pie
for the holiday. This cheesecake is absolutely wonderful. Let your
family be the judge! |
Sweet Potato Cheesecake
A wonderful cheesecake with a
light sweet potato taste. |
