Pumpkin Cheesecake with Walnut Streusel Topping

By sesimneal

Ingredients

• CRUST
• 1 *1½ cups of graham cracker crumbs
• *¼ cup of sugar
• 6 *6 tablespoons of butter melted
• CHEESECAKE CUSTARD
• 3 *3 8-oz pacakages of cream cheese (can use Neufchatel style w/out losing flavor) at room temperature
• 3/4 *3/4 cup sugar
• 5 *5 eggs
• 1 *1 pound (about 2 ½ cups) canned pumpkin (15 oz. can will do)
• *¼ cup heavy cream
• 1 *1 teaspoon cinnamon
• *½ teaspoon nutmeg
• *½ teaspoon ground cloves
• TOPPING
• 6 *6 tablespoons butter
• 1 *1 cup brown sugar
• 1 *1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts

Preparation

Step 1

Mix crust ingredients in a bowl until the crumbs are uniformly coated with butter. Scrape the crumb mixture on the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan, then use a flat bottomed glass with straight sides to uniformly press the crust into the bottom and up the sides of the pan. Chill for an hour.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

While the crust solidifies, beat the cream cheese until soft. Add both sugars and beat until the cheese is fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time. Add pumpkin. Then, at the lowest speed on the mixer, add the cream and spices. Pour mixture into chilled crust.

Bake for 1 hour and 35 minutes, or until the cake is set but not firm.
While the cake bakes, mix topping ingredients. When the cake is done, drop the nuts by teaspoonfuls onto the top of the cake and return the cake to the oven for 10 minutes.
When done, turn off oven and let the cake cool slowly inside the oven to avoid cracking in the custard. When thoroughly cool, refrigerate until ready to serve.