PUMPKIN CHEESECAKE -- LUNDS/BYERLYS

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Makes one 10-inch cake

This cheesecake is a favorite Thanksgiving treat. It is elegant yet rich, and the pumpkin flavor and color are very subtle. This cake is on the smaller side, but you need only a thin sliver to enjoy.

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Ingredients

  • GRAHAM CRACKER CRUST:
  • 2 cups graham cracker crumbs
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 stick (8 Tbsp) unsalted butter, melted
  • CHEESECAKE BATTER:
  • 1-1/2 cups (three 8-ounce packages) cream cheese, room temperature
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 Tbsp. vanilla extract
  • 1-1/2 tsp. cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp. nutmeg
  • 1/4 tsp. allspice
  • Pinch ground ginger
  • Pinch ground cloves
  • 1 cup pumpkin puree, room temperature
  • 2 Tbsp. heavy cream
  • 3 large eggs

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 10-inch springform pan with nonstick cooking spray.

Make the crust; mix the graham crackers crumbs, sugar, and vanilla in a small bowl. Stir in the melted butter until all the ingredients are well-mixed.

Turn the crust mixture into the prepared pan and spread evenly over the bottom (but not up the sides). Press down firmly to form a crust.

Bake for 15 minutes. Remove the crust from the oven and let cook, while you start on the cheesecake batter. Turn down the oven temperature to 325 degrees F.

Make the batter; in the bowl of an electric mixer, blend the cream cheese, sour cream, sugar, vanilla, and spices until smooth. Add the pumpkin puree and heavy cream and mix until combined.

Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat until the mixture is smooth. Do not overmix.

Assemble the cheesecake: Pour the batter over the baked crust.

Bake for 1 hour in a water bath (see note below).

Turn off the oven, prop the open the oven door, and allow the cake to cool for 10 minutes. Remove the cake from oven and cool completely in the fridge overnight.

Cut with a hot knife and serve.

NOTE: To make a water bath, use any roasting pan that is large enough to hold the pan in which you are baking. (Try a roasting pan with two handles.) It is a good idea to wrap your springform pan in heavy-duty foil before adding water to the roasting pan. Use hot tap water for the bath and make sure the water level is at least 1-inch high around the sides of the pan but not so much that water will splash into the springform.

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