Pumpkin Cheesecake Layered

By mammacooks

Ingredients

• Crust:
• 2 cups gingersnap cookie crumbs (about 32)
• 1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted
• Cheesecake:
• 4 packages (8 oz each) cream cheese, softened
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Preparation

Step 1

Heat oven to 300°F.
Grease 9-inch springform pan with shortening or cooking spray.
Wrap foil around pan to catch drips.
In small bowl, mix cookie crumbs and butter.
Press crumb mixture in bottom and 1 inch up side of pan.
Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until set. Cool 5 minutes.

In large bowl, beat cream cheese with electric mixer on medium speed just until smooth and creamy; do not overbeat.
On low speed, gradually beat in sugar.
On low speed, beat in eggs, one at a time, just until blended.
Spoon 3 cups of the cream cheese mixture into pan; spread evenly.

Stir pumpkin, ginger, cinnamon and nutmeg into remaining cream cheese mixture; mix with wire whisk until smooth.
Spoon over mixture in pan.

Bake 1 hour 25 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes or until edges are set but center of cheesecake still jiggles slightly when moved.

Turn oven off; open oven door at least 4 inches.
Leave cheesecake in oven 30 minutes longer.
Remove from oven; place on cooling rack.
Without releasing side of pan, run knife around edge of pan to loosen cheesecake.
Cool in pan on cooling rack 30 minutes.
Cover loosely; refrigerate at least 6 hours but no longer than 24 hours.

Run knife around edge of pan to loosen cheesecake again; carefully remove side of pan.
Place cheesecake on serving plate.
Store cheesecake covered in refrigerator.

Expert Tips:

The key to a smooth top on a cheesecake is using the correct oven temperature, bake time and beating the cream cheese mixture just until smooth.

Garnish this luscious dessert with whipping cream.